In June 2025 FNDA representatives took part in a Symposium in partnership with the Neurological Foundation and Victoria University. The FND Language Matters Symposium was the first meaningful gathering of people with an interest in this problem.
You can watch the symposium presentations here
Please be careful when watching Melanie Grace's presentations. The content of these two films is triggering. Melanie discusses the results of our research - trauma, the abuse of FND patients, suffering and the death of FND patients.
You can read about the Symposium here.
"Aotearoa’s first symposium on functional neurological disorder (FND) reflects a need for local FND education and research. It is a step toward restoring dignity for the underserved FND community and upskilling healthcare professionals crucial to this task. Recognising language as key to challenging stigma, the symposium aims to connect researchers, clinicians, and people with FND to form a network that will drive collective work of education and change."