Neurodivergent Perceptions, Experiences, and Perspectives in Academic Biological Sciences Spaces

Neurodiversity has received considerable attention recently from the general population and academic researchers, coinciding with an increase in formal adult diagnoses and individuals self-identifying as neurodivergent. Many neurodivergent individuals, particularly academic trainees, have reported adverse experiences while participating in STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, citing a lack of support and resources. Further, academic systems are based in a history of ableism which assumes and reinforces normative ways of productivity, speaking, and being within academic spaces. It is thus imperative that the field of biology moves toward more inclusive practices that rethink how to fully support and invest in neurodivergent members of the field, which generate a diversity of thought necessary to promote scientific discovery, and deserve full equity and inclusion in our field. During the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2026 meeting in Portland, OR, USA, neurodivergent scientists of all levels (from undergraduate to tenured professors) met to discuss their experiences as neurodivergent researchers. We share our roundtable reflections here, conceptualized as neurodivergent perceptions and perspectives. We also offer strategies and resources for neurodivergent individuals to navigate academic spaces, and also suggestions for departments, instructors, advisors to create more inclusive classrooms and lab spaces.