Public Sector Neurodiversity Community of Practice

About the CoP

In 2022, APS employees Robin Edmonds and Andrew Pfeiffer co-founded the Public Sector Neurodiversity Community of Practice (the CoP) to facilitate collaboration on neurodiversity inclusion across the Australian public sector.

The CoP was launched to allow employees across government agencies to share resources and initiatives, and provide interested staff with information on establishing a neurodiversity network in their own agency.

The CoP distributes a periodic newsletter and organises various social and community events. As at 2024, over 800 employees from 80 government agencies are members of the CoP. Around 300 members attended an event featuring a panel of neurodivergent SES employees, who are incredibly valuable role models for neurodivergent staff.

Get involved!

The CoP contact form is the best way to get in touch with the steering committee, for:

• General enquiries, such as events, consultation opportunities and community engagement
• Subscribing to the CoP email distribution list (for interested public sector employees with a government email address)

Public sector employees can also join our GovTEAMS community to connect with other CoP members and access shared resources on neurodiversity inclusion, such as:

• A conversation starter about preferred working styles.
• Lists of possible adjustments at work and in recruitment processes contributed by members.

To register for GovTEAMS:

• Federal public sector employees: APS employee registration instructions and additional support instructions.
• State and territory government employees: State Government Memberships.

If you have any questions or issues registering, please contact your agency GovTEAMS contact or the GovTEAMS support team. Unfortunately the CoP steering committee cannot provide additional assistance with GovTEAMS.

Neurodiversity in the APS

The CoP worked with the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) to add a question about neurodivergence to the APS Employee Census in 2023. The APSC showcased these results in the State of the Service Report 2022-23:

• Understanding neurodiversity in the APS
• Appendix 2 – State of the service additional data
• Research note: Neurodiversity in the Australian Public Service

More information

Articles

• Six ways to support neurodivergent staff | Australian Public Service Commission
• Public Sector Neurodiversity Community of Practice | Australian Public Service Commission (apsc.gov.au)
• Andrew’s experience: neurodiversity inclusion in the APS | Australian Public Service Commission
• Embracing neurodiversity in the public sector | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Podcasts and videos

• Embracing neurodiversity in the public sector | Institute of Public Administration Australia (ACT)
• Neurodiversity in the APS Workforce | Gradcast
• Robin and Andrew’s story | Australian Public Service Commission
• Andrew’s story | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
• Andrew’s TED talk (Neurodiversity: the untapped competitive advantage) | TEDxCanberra

Resources and guidance

• Accessible and inclusive employment resources for employers - Australian Human Rights Commission
• Creating an accessible and inclusive workplace - Australian Human Rights Commission
• Services, support and life outcomes for autistic Australians – Parliament of Australia (aph.gov.au)
• Assessment and support services for people with ADHD – Parliament of Australia (aph.gov.au)
• Developing the National Autism Strategy | engage.dss.gov.au