Global movements need global leadership: expanding neurodiversity-inclusive education beyond Western-centric perspectives in Southeast Asia.

Abstract

This point of view article draws upon the lived experiences and professional collaborations of the authors to explore the opportunities and gaps in advancing neurodiversity-inclusive education across Southeast Asia. While the neurodiversity paradigm has gained momentum globally, much of the academic discourse remains centred on Western perspectives, often marginalising locally grounded approaches and innovations emerging from the region. Through our partnerships with researchers, advocates, and neurodivergent peers in countries such as Taiwan and the Philippines, we observe powerful examples of community-driven inclusion that remain largely invisible in the international literature. We argue that Southeast Asia offers rich, culturally grounded frameworks for understanding and enacting neurodiversity, shaped by collectivist values, relational care, and lived experience. However, these contributions are underrepresented in scholarly forums, limiting their impact on global policy and practice. By platforming regional voices and challenging Western-dominated narratives, we call for a more inclusive and pluralistic vision of neurodiversity that reflects the diversity of human experience across cultural contexts. This article highlights the urgent need to amplify Southeast Asian leadership in neurodiversity research and practice, and reflects on the ethical responsibilities of researchers to support, rather than overshadow, these emerging movements.