Our Mission
Unlocking Greatness in the 1 in 5 who learn differently since 1998
Not All Students Learn the Same
The Neurodiversity Alliance is the nation’s largest and leading nonprofit organization founded by, and for, students who learn differently.
Our Mission
Our mission is to improve the educational experience and outcomes of students who learn differently, while growing the neurodiversity movement for a more equitable and inclusive society for all. Together, we envision a world that fully embraces and values neurodiversity.
Our Story
In 1998, David Flink and a group of students at Brown University set out on a mission that would become a movement: to help neurodiverse students like them not feel so alone, so broken, and so different in an education system not designed to meet their needs.
At that time, learning disabilities were something most people either weren’t aware of or were ashamed of, something rarely talked about in families, schools, or popular culture, leading to a lack of identification and access to critical resources and support.
The idea was simple: connect elementary and middle school students with positive, near-peer role models and mentors each week who could relate to them, understand them, and with whom they could truly see “Eye to Eye”.
Over the last 25 years, the award-winning Eye to Eye Mentoring Program has grown to serve more than 12,000 students at more than 1,000 schools nationwide.
Today, the Eye to Eye Mentoring Program continues to change students’ lives as a key program of The Neurodiversity Alliance, the world’s largest community of students who learn differently.
Introducing The Neurodiversity Alliance
The Neurodiversity Alliance, or “ND Alliance” for short, is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to building community, developing leadership skills, facilitating peer-to-peer support, and raising awareness for the 1 in 5 who learn differently.
Through our online community and mobile app, we equip high school and college students directly with the tools and coaching they need to launch and grow neurodiversity-focused clubs on their campuses, along with access to a variety of scholarships, leadership opportunities, and national events.
We don’t stop there! Our impact goes far beyond our online community and the high school and college campuses our clubs operate. Through our community outreach programs, we train neurodivergent high school and college students to share their stories and bring our message of empowerment to middle school students through the Eye to Eye Mentoring Program, as well as the broader public through our inspiring student and alumni ambassadors who speak at conferences and events across the country.
Each year, we also invite our community of students and supporters to join us at our signature event, The Neurodiversity Alliance’s National Neurodiversity Student Summit.
The Future is Neurodiverse
Neurodiversity recognizes that individual differences in brain function are natural variations within the human experience, like any other form of diversity.
At The Neurodiversity Alliance, we focus on neurodiversity in the context of challenges with one or more of the key processes related to learning, including things like ADHD, Dyslexia, Processing Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and other learning disabilities or speech/language impairments.
Our Impact
Everything we do at The Neurodiversity Alliance is guided by our four Foundations for Impact. Our programs are crafted to boost confidence, foster community, cultivate leadership and career readiness, and provide resources and peer support. We also focus on raising awareness and empowering students to advocate for themselves and others. Together, these foundations provide the critical, evidence-based skills, tools, and enabling conditions for students who learn differently to thrive in school and in life.
Why This? Why Now?
1 in 5 people learn differently, including millions of students in our education system today
Despite having average to above average intelligence, millions of capable students who learn differently struggle to navigate an education system that wasn’t designed for them:
Inclusiveness
Only 54% of students who learn differently feel welcome and included at school
Employment Rate
Only 46% of young adults who learn differently are employed
Graduation Rate
Students who learn differently are 16% less likely to graduate from high school
College Enrollment
Only 21% of neurodivergent students enroll in a four-year college
Juvenile Justice System
Over 65% of youth involved with the juvenile justice system have a disability, with students who learn differently making up over one-third of those in long-term facilities.
Our Beliefs
Now, let's get started!
Our Programs
High School and College Club Network
Scholarship & Leadership Opportunities
