Neurodiversity Health Chats at UCLA

Neurodiversity Health Chats (NDHC) is originally a student led project (now club) led by Dr. Emily Hotez, Ph.D. and the UC-LEND clinic-- and funded by the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)-- that seeks to improve the health and well-being of neurodivergent individuals through outreach and education. Since 2021, NDHC has improved access to resources and credible information for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). NDHC is directly responsive to the well-established findings that neurodivergent populations have experienced disproportionate negative mental and physical health outcomes from the COVID-19 pandemic.

NDHC applies a multi-pronged strategy to support neurodivergent populations. First, NDHC leverages social media to translate and disseminate valuable information on vaccination guidelines, needle anxieties, and barriers to vaccination. NDHC is highly adept at creating and disseminating plain language and accessible social media infographics through a range of channels, as well as conducting and sharing in-depth interviews with public health experts and individuals with lived experience.

In addition to these outreach efforts, NDHC leads a portfolio of research. Last year, NDHC conducted a qualitative research study that analyzed key themes from interviews with medical and non-medical health professionals, communicators, and individuals with I/DD and their caregivers. Qualitative findings revealed that misinformation, vaccine risk perception, sensory sensitivities, and structural hardship were the most significant barriers to COVID-19 vaccination.

In order to be responsive to the findings from our research study, NDHC embarked on the development and dissemination of a virtual CME/CE to promote vaccine confidence, access, and uptake in neurodivergent populations.