Learning Differently is an umbrella term used by DAS to describe individuals who face challenges in their learning journey—not only due to specific learning differences such as dyslexia, ADHD, or dyspraxia, but also as a result of other cognitive, emotional, behavioural, or environmental factors.

Many of these students may not have a formal diagnosis, or they may fall outside the strict criteria of recognised learning profiles. Yet they still struggle to thrive in conventional educational systems—and they deserve to be seen, understood, and supported.

This stream focuses on:

• The needs of struggling learners who are often overlooked or underserved

• Practical strategies that support learning without relying on labels or diagnoses

• Early intervention models and flexible frameworks that respond to learners’ needs in real time

• Insights into how educators, parents, and specialists can work together to build confidence, resilience, and positive learning identities

• The role of technology, AI, and digital tools in widening access to personalised support, especially for learners who might otherwise fall through the cracks

Empowering Those Who Learn Differently is about moving beyond a one-size-fits-all mindset. It’s about designing environments where difference is not just accommodated, but embraced. It’s about making sure every learner, regardless of label or level, is allowed to succeed on their own terms.

"I Learn Differently" is an advocacy stream.  Advocacy is an activity by an individual or group that aims to influence decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions.

UNITE includes an Advocacy stream to allow organisations and individuals to share how they may support students with learning differences. The Advocacy stream is dedicated to your story, how you can make a difference and how you can “close the gap” for students who struggle to learn.

Technology in Education explores how digital tools, platforms, and learning environments can be thoughtfully designed and used to enhance access, inclusion, and learning outcomes, particularly for those who learn differently.

Within this theme, presenters examine how technology can support literacy intervention, therapeutic practice, and inclusive education across school and higher education settings. s.

Rather than positioning technology as a replacement for professional expertise, this theme highlights its role as an enabler, extending the reach, flexibility, and impact of educators, educational therapists, and institutions when guided by evidence, empathy, and learner-centred design.

Early Identification and Intervention refers to the timely recognition of learning difficulties and the implementation of targeted support strategies that address individual needs before challenges escalate. The goal is to provide students with the right help, at the right time, so they can access learning effectively and build confidence from the earliest stages of development.

Today, advancements in educational technology and AI-powered tools are transforming how we detect learning differences and deliver personalised support. From adaptive learning platforms and AI-informed screening tools to data-driven progress monitoring, technology is enabling more responsive and inclusive practices.

The Identification and Intervention stream provides a platform for educators to showcase how teaching can be tailored to the unique needs and strengths of students with diverse learning profiles. This includes innovative applications of tech-enabled solutions that enhance access, engagement, and outcomes for those who learn differently.

This stream welcomes educators, specialists, practitioners, researchers, and parents who are committed to enabling students to realise their full potential through responsive teaching, evidence-based interventions, and strengths-focused support.

Together, we aim to shift the narrative from “catching up” to thriving through difference, with the support of both human insight and technological innovation.

The Youth & Adult Learners stream focuses on the evolving learning, wellbeing, and support needs of adolescents and adults, recognising that learning differences do not end with childhood and that effective support must adapt across life stages.

Presentations within this stream explore how young people and adults build confidence, independence, and lifelong skills in educational, vocational, and higher education contexts. Topics include practical and digitally supported strategies for workplace readiness, accessible online counselling and its role in help-seeking behaviours, and evidence-informed insights into the support needs of adolescents with ADHD from both learner and parent perspectives.

This stream emphasises the importance of holistic, learner-centred approaches that integrate academic, emotional, and social dimensions of development. It highlights the role of practitioners, institutions, and support systems in fostering connectedness, resilience, and self-advocacy, ensuring that youth and adult learners are not only supported to cope but also empowered to thrive.

The Early Childhood Education stream focuses on the foundations of learning, where early identification, intervention, and nurturing environments can make all the difference.

This stream will spotlight:

• Evidence-based practices for supporting preschoolers with emerging learning needs

• Early literacy strategies that promote language, phonological awareness, and engagement

• Intervention approaches that work in home, school, and specialist settings

At its heart is the goal to catch them before they fall, by giving young children the support they need before difficulties take root. This stream invites educators, therapists, researchers, and caregivers to share how we can build strong, confident learners right from the start.

Bilingual learners who use English and Chinese navigate two linguistically and cognitively distinct writing systems. Chinese is a morphosyllabic, character-based language that places heavy demands on visual-orthographic processing, morphological awareness and memory, while English relies more strongly on phonological decoding. For learners with dyslexia or other learning differences, these contrasting demands can result in unique profiles of strengths and challenges that may not align with monolingual models of reading development or difficulty.

Understanding how learning differences manifest in Chinese, particularly within bilingual contexts, is essential for accurate identification, effective intervention and equitable educational support.

The Chinese Intervention theme explores the cognitive-linguistic foundations of reading and spelling development in Chinese, with a particular focus on bilingual English-Chinese learners and those experiencing reading difficulties. Drawing on empirical and longitudinal research, this stream examines how dyslexia and poor reading present in Chinese, how learners can be meaningfully subtyped, and how error patterns differ between struggling and typically developing readers.

Together, these presentations deepen our understanding of Chinese literacy development and provide critical insights to inform assessment, intervention and instructional practice for bilingual learners.

At UNITE 2026, we recognise that learning differently is not simply about academic performance — it’s about how individuals think, plan, organise, and belong. This combined stream brings together two powerful drivers of student success and human potential: executive function and inclusivity.

Inclusive Practices

Inclusivity isn’t just a goal — it’s a practice. A mindset. A commitment.

This part of the stream is dedicated to showcasing:

• Innovative strategies for inclusive teaching and learning

• Research-informed approaches to building supportive, equitable environments

• Success stories from schools, workplaces, and communities that prioritise belonging, respect, and accessibility

• The role of digital platforms, AI, and assistive technologies in designing accessible learning experiences and reducing barriers

From Universal Design for Learning to classroom co-regulation, we’re exploring what it means to ensure everyone feels seen, heard, and valued, and how technology can support, but never replace, human connection.