Opportunities to get involved
There are many ways you can get involved with neurodiversity at La Trobe
Neurodiversity Project Placements
For many Neurominority students, working while studying and/or sourcing an accessible and neurodiversity-friendly placement can be a challenge. To ensure that our Neurominority students have accessible placement opportunities, and/or can gain work experience during their studies to build their CV up before graduation the La Trobe Neurodiversity Project now offers for-credit placements in the form of internships on the project.
Depending on application numbers, positions may become a first-come-first-serve and/or competitive, so please apply as soon as possible.
To submit your expression of interest, please fill in the Neurodiversity Placements Program Form - further information about the next steps will be sent to your student email.
- This placement is available to students who identify as Neurominorities and/or Neurodivergent, as well as students in fields with high relevance to Neurodiversity.
- You must be in the second, third, or fourth year of your undergraduate degree to be eligible, but you do not need to have any prior work experience to apply.
- You may take the Neurodiversity Project placement as an elective subject via LTU3IND, OR you can consider enrolling for the Industry Placements Minor, and use this placement as one subject towards your Minor, OR you may require a placement subject as part of your course structure, in which case the Neurodiversity Project placement will need to be approved by your subject co-ordinator. In all cases, you will complete a 100-hour placement on the Neurodiversity Project in lieu of a traditional academic subject, for which you will receive 15 credit points (one subject) towards your degree.
For more information about what skills you will gain, plus examples of what placements could look like, please contact neurodiversity@latrobe.edu.au.
Neurodiversity Courses and Research at La Trobe
Participate in Research
If you identify as a member of the Neurominority Community, there are several ways to make your voice heard in academic research. There are many benefits to becoming a research participant, including having a say in the direction of Autism and Neurodiversity research, contributing to research-based efforts to improve equality and quality of life for the Neurodiversity community, and using your own lived experience to contribute to building understandings of Neurodiversity in both the research setting and the broader community. These studies are voluntary, and it is up to your own discretion whether you’d like to become a research participant—you have no obligation to participate in research studies at any time, even if you are registered with the university and/or AccessAbility Hub as a student or staff member with a Minority Neurotype (i.e. Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, etc.).
If you’d like to join a research study at La Trobe’s Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC), you can find research opportunities on the Blog and in the OTARC newsletter. We also regularly advertise these opportunities on social media (Facebook, X). New opportunities are available regularly. Participation is voluntary. Eligibility criteria and reimbursement varies according to the study.
OTARC Blog recruitment opportunities
Subscribe to the OTARC newsletter
La Trobe University’s Living with Disability Research Centre also conducts research in areas relevant to Neurodiversity.
Find out more about the centre and its current research projects.
You might be asked to participate in various formats:
Interviews - This usually involves chatting with a researcher about your experiences, thoughts, or opinions, as they relate to the given research topic. This can sometimes happen in person on campus, or online, depending on the specific study.
Focus Groups - Focus Groups usually involve a group discussion between a researcher or team of researchers, and a collection of research participants with something in common (for example, a group of Autistic adults, or Disabled women). Depending on the research topic for the study, the group will usually be asked questions relating to a specific topic (for example, experiences with employment or bullying).
Surveys - Surveys are usually completed online. This requires you to use a computer and the internet to answer a series of questions. The questions are generally presented in multiple-choice, short-answer, long-answer, or tick-box, but can come in a variety of other formats. Each survey will tell you at the beginning how long it takes, and what is required of you.
Volunteer for The Neurodiversity Project
Register your interest to volunteer for the La Trobe Neurodiversity Project, and we’ll let you know when opportunities arise in this area!
To register, please e-mail Neurodiversity@latrobe.edu.au with the subject title ‘Volunteer’.
Please include your name and your reason for volunteering.