The Society for
Neurodiversity
Celebrating neurodiversity. Every day.
Who we serve and why
The Society for Neurodiversity (S4Nd ~ pronounced Sand) supports people who identify as neurodivergent, including their families, friends and our allies. We are a society for neurodiversity – a community and a movement.
S4Nd’s principles are shaped by decades of collective self-advocacy and disability rights organizing. Neurodiversity emerged from the voices of autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent people who challenged medical models and called for justice, dignity, and full inclusion. We honor the movement — not any single founder — and prioritize those most marginalized.
Membership is open to anyone who sees themselves reflected in our mission: people diagnosed or not, seeking support, interested in contributing to collective empowerment. The S4Nd community offers safety, solidarity, and practical help, remaining vigilant against exclusionary practices within the disability/neurodiversity world.
S4Nd is explicitly anti-exclusion and anti-discrimination. While all are welcome who seek community, support, and justice, we do not tolerate hatred, fascist or supremacist ideologies, or transphobia in our spaces. We fight for the liberation of all neurodivergent people and their allies.
What makes us different
S4Nd is a movement that will fight for the rights of neurodivergent people — for recognition, a fair share of resources, influence and status to enable people to live a good life.
S4Nd is built upon the principles of the Social Model of Disability. Society creates environmental and attitudinal barriers often based upon personal characteristics — age, disability, class, ethnicity, gender identity, race, religion and sexual orientation.
Our membership is open to all, but we put the needs of our neurodivergent members first. Our services are delivered online and people are welcome to join wherever they live.
How we operate
S4Nd is a membership organisation. Members will be able to receive support and are also expected to contribute by supporting others within the S4ND community, whilst recognising that barriers may mean this is not always possible for all members at all times.
Our aim is to build a safe, friendly and supportive community where people in need are welcomed and nourished. These spaces will be designed to give practical help and support, giving our members the opportunity to live a good life. S4Nd’s Fundamental Principles will reinforce these aims.
Since S4Nd was founded, our focus has been on helping people wherever they are in their journey. Currently our focus is on:
- Raising awareness of legal rights (Right to Choose) for autism and ADHD assessments and creating resources to help them, their GPs, commissioners and service providers.
- Developing relationships with other organisations to facilitate partnership working to amplify people’s voices to get them what they need.
- Building a community of members and developing social opportunities
Be part of our community
Join us by becoming a member. Membership is free and open to neurodivergent people as well as their families, friends and our allies.
As a member, you can access our unique online community area where you can find practical help and resources and find information and take part in our social, creative, therapeutic and learning activities. Find out more.
If you are not ready to join, why not sign up for our newsletter and keep visiting the website as we continue to develop it.
Featured
Information Pack – Autism and ADHD
The Right to Choose (RTC) information pack for autism and ADHD is designed to inform individuals in England about their legal entitlement to choose their mental healthcare provider within the NHS. While this right aims to improve access to timely assessments and treatments for conditions like ADHD and autism, individuals often encounter complex pathways and unforeseen barriers.
“Liberty Will Never Perish” : Finding Charlie Chaplin’s Voice in an Age of Austerity
I hadn’t heard Charlie Chaplin’s famous speech from “The Great Dictator” until today. It found me through Paolo Nutini’s haunting track “Iron Sky”, where the Scottish singer samples Chaplin’s powerful words. What began as simply enjoying a song quickly transformed into something profound when I sought out the full speech. In these turbulent times of proposed benefit cuts and growing inequality, Chaplin’s words from 1940 feel eerily prophetic.
S4Nd is...
