DU Neurodiversity Society (DUNeS) is a society that promotes “exploring neurodiversity” and “enhancing student lives”. The society was formed in 2021 after a lengthy campaign by chairperson Faolán Launders and Jordan Nevin. 

Launders came up with the idea after spending time around other neurodivergent individuals and noting how much fun the experience was – and thinking about how enjoyable it would be to bring that to a larger scale. At first, the idea was somewhat of a joke, with the founding members referring to it as “The Autism Society”.

After realising that this was, in fact, a good idea that could bring students having similar experiences together, they decided to begin the process of being officially recognised as a society by the Central Societies Committee (CSC). The Disability Service has been tantamount to the society being formally recognised in 2023. The Disability Service provided a place for DUNeS to meet and begin hosting events despite not being an official body on campus. 

This difficulty with the CSC came from their restrictions regarding forming new societies. They must not serve purposes that are already under the umbrella of another society. Another issue came from inclusivity – after their original meeting with the CSC, they found the proposed name “Neurodivergent Society” too exclusionary as societies are obligated to be open to all members of the college.

Their new name, Neurodiversity Society, has allowed them to become a space on campus for the neurodiverse and those looking to grow their awareness. As an official CSC society, DUNeS has seen a huge growth in their presence on campus and subsequent growth of their membership. 

The society’s flourishing existence has allowed them to host events that are crucial to maintaining a social space for neurodiverse people on campus. DUNeS are especially proud of their ‘info-dumping’ event, where attendees have the opportunity to give a ten minute presentation on anything and everything they find interesting. ‘Info-dumping’ has been loosely defined as an opportunity to share what people have a special interest or hyper-fixation on. In neurotypical exchanges, info-dumping may be seen as irritating or excessive, whereas in a neurodiverse social setting, it is a form of community, knowledge-sharing and connection.

In these events people have presented such titles as “Geomorphology and morphogenesis of non-siliceous, non aqueous fluvial systems of a titan: review”, “Spongebob Square Pants the Movie being a retelling of Homer’s Odyssey” and all the way to a detailed synopsis of an homemade Role Playing Game ending in a rendition of “I’m Just Ken”. Other events have entailed a cinema trip to the new Five Nights at Freddy’s movie, Board Games Night and regular Coffee Mornings. 

Another important element in DUNeS role is their contribution to the Trinity Sense Map. This exists as a pointer for places that are both sensory friendly or potentially over-stimulating. This required using the old map as a point of reference and contacting 120 buildings to find out the opening times, closing times and what facilities are available. This has brought a heightened awareness to respite spaces and sensory rooms on campus that have gone otherwise unnoticed by most students. The map is a collaborative event that welcomes input from students, whether that be through tips or feedback.

DUNeS provides an essential space on campus for educating neurotypicals by breaking down stigmas and preconceptions on what being neurodiverse can be. They principally follow the social model, which believes that people are disabled by the barriers present in society and not by their impairment or difference.

They are keenly aware of the diversity in needs that is required by each individual and accommodating to those needs, requesting feedback from society members on the events they have run thus far and the possibility of improvement.