Embracing Complexity: Research Into Neurodevelopmental Conditions Beyond Diagnostic Categories

Embracing Complexity is a coalition of over 60 organisations - including charities, research bodies, Royal Colleges and social enterprises - working to improve the lives of people with neurodevelopmental conditions.

People with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) are waiting too long for initial diagnosis. Furthermore, health services do not adequately recognise or plan for the high likelihood of multiple neurodevelopmental diagnoses. Diagnostic pathways should take account of high levels of multimorbidity and waiting times should be time limited and monitored. Despite often high levels of need, people with neurodevelopmental conditions and their families are too often not adequately supported in many areas of their lives.

The aim of Embracing Complexity for the next three years is to design research that will allow us to explore how to drive changes across public services and all parts of society in order to improve the lives of people with different neurodevelopmental conditions as quickly as possible.

Embracing Complexity will begin the 2023 by organising a webinar on research into neurodevelopmental conditions beyond diagnostic categories. The webinar will include 5-10 mins presentations from the speakers about their work and a panel discussion.

For this webinar, we are very pleased to welcome three speakers:
- Prof. Amanda Kirby
- Dr Blandine French
- Dr Silvana Mareva.

Embracing Complexity is managed by Autistica and funded by The Waterloo Foundation.

Intro: 00:07
Dr Blandine French - Researching neurodevelopmental conditions: 02:36
Dr Silvana Mareva - Transdiagnostic approaches to neurodevelopment: 13:08
Prof. Amanda Kirby - What are the 3Ms and what does it mean for research and real life?: 30:36
Q&A: 49:16

Autistica is the UK’s leading autism research and campaigning charity. Our vision is a world where every autistic person lives a happy, healthy, long life. Our mission is to enable breakthroughs by working with autistic people, funding research and shaping policy to make more of a difference.

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