It is a great honour and pleasure to announce the 4th Triennial Meeting of the International Alliance of Academies of Childhood Disability (IAACD) and the 37th Annual Meeting of the European Academy Of Childhood Disability (EACD) in the beautiful city of Heidelberg, Germany, from June 24th to 28th, 2025.
Following three world congresses in Stockholm/Sweden 2016, Anaheim/USA 2019 and Melbourne/Australia 2022, the 4th IAACD triennial meeting is coming back to Europe, and will be held together with the EACD annual meeting under the motto “Developing networks – networks for development”.
Leading researchers and clinicians will discuss the many aspects of childhood disability and developmental disorders, presenting their cutting-edge research. Parent representatives and persons with lived experiences will get a voice, and will engage in a lively exchange with scientists, therapists, and stakeholders at large. The 2025 meeting will be the first hybrid IAACD meeting, allowing participants from across the world to meet and to communicate both on-site and virtually. This conference will provide a wonderful opportunity to obtain an international perspective of childhood disability and developmental disorders. The planning and scientific committees are more diverse than ever before, representing researchers and clinicians from 21 countries and 17 specialties. Together, they will organize a comprehensive program, showcasing the most recent research, evidence-based practice recommendations, and multiple networking opportunities.
The meeting will also provide an international platform for parent representatives and persons with lived experiences. The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Nazi regime, which systematically discriminated against and murdered innumerable individuals because of their disabilities. Therefore, 2025 also stands for 80 years of respect, inclusion and integration of children with lived experiences and their families, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.