// researchWe study how neurodivergent people actually live.
And we build tools and ideas that make that life better.
/*tl;dr*One flagship framework, CCM, explains why AI is a bridge rather than a shortcut.*Working papers cover social capital, AI as an ADA accommodation, and corporate accountability.*Everything is free to read. Full papers are available on request.*/
// 01 the ccm frameworkHow AI helps neurodivergent people participate.
/*tl;dr*Using an AI assistant to organize your thoughts or manage a complex task is not cheating. It is a tool that lets you participate in systems that were not built for you. CCM gives that claim the academic language and evidence to hold up in legal, medical, and workplace settings.*/
FLAGSHIP · WORKING PAPERWhen the Tool Becomes the Bridge
Cognitive-Capital Mediation and AI as a cognitive accommodation
If you have ADHD or another form of neurodivergence, you already know the world was not designed for the way your brain works. Meetings, paperwork, deadlines, long emails, complex scheduling: these systems assume a kind of cognitive processing that many neurodivergent people find exhausting or impossible without support.
The Cognitive-Capital Mediation (CCM) framework explains something neurodivergent people have been saying for years: AI tools are not a shortcut. They are a bridge. The framework is a dual-pathway model that integrates Bourdieu's theory of capital with digital-accessibility scholarship, and it positions AI-assisted work as a legitimate cognitive accommodation under ADA frameworks.
The paper uses the founder's own experience with AI as cognitive scaffolding as a real-world case study.
status: preparing for peer-reviewed journal submission · 2026Request the full paper// 02 social capitalHow communities connect, and why it matters.
/*tl;dr*Communities run on trust and informal networks. When those erode, neurodivergent people lose access first. We document how that happens across institutions.*/
Communities thrive when people trust each other, help each other, and stay connected. Researchers call this social capital. Neurodivergent people are especially affected when it erodes: ADHD, autism, and related conditions can make it harder to maintain connections, navigate bureaucracies, and access the informal networks most people rely on for jobs, healthcare, and support.
We have produced multiple papers examining how social capital works, and fails, across institutions and communities: an analysis of how NerdyADHD.org builds trust within the neurodivergent community, studies of how large technology companies and data centers affect the communities they enter, and cross-national comparisons of civic engagement.
status: working papers · available upon request// 03 ai as a disability accommodationAn accommodation, not a luxury.
/*tl;dr*A wheelchair ramp is an accommodation. A screen reader is an accommodation. We argue AI tools should be recognized the same way for neurodivergent people, and that denying them can violate existing law.*/
The ADA requires employers, schools, and service providers to offer reasonable accommodations. Right now many workplaces, schools, and healthcare providers treat AI use as optional, suspicious, or even as cheating. Our research documents how neurodivergent people actually use these tools, why they need them, and why denying access to AI-assisted cognitive support can violate existing disability rights law.
status: active research area · frameworks published at NerdyADHD.org// 04 accountabilityHolding companies accountable.
Neurodivergent people are frequently targeted by companies that exploit their vulnerabilities: confusing billing, misleading marketing, subscription traps, and low-quality diagnostic services. We produce formal research and advocacy documents that challenge these practices, written so individuals, attorneys, and regulators can use them.
status: various stages of development and publication// 05 speaking and presentationsOur founder has presented at the ADDA Annual Conference and other events focused on neurodivergence.
We welcome speaking invitations from academic, clinical, and advocacy organizations.
Invite us to speak
How communities connect, and why it matters.
Communities thrive when people trust each other, help each other, and stay connected. Researchers call this social capital. Neurodivergent people are especially affected when it erodes: ADHD, autism, and related conditions can make it harder to maintain connections, navigate bureaucracies, and access the informal networks most people rely on for jobs, healthcare, and support.
We have produced multiple papers examining how social capital works, and fails, across institutions and communities: an analysis of how NerdyADHD.org builds trust within the neurodivergent community, studies of how large technology companies and data centers affect the communities they enter, and cross-national comparisons of civic engagement.
status: working papers · available upon request