Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners (NNL) is an NSF-funded Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) project led by the University of Washington’s Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology (DO-IT) Center and Center for Neurotechnology (CNT). NNL provides hands-on experiences in neuroscience disciplines, networking opportunities, and resources to high school and early postsecondary students identified as “neurodiverse” learners—those with academic challenges related to conditions such as dyspraxia, dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyscalculia, autism spectrum disorder, and Tourette syndrome—and disseminates findings to teachers of courses that are related to neuroscience and, more broadly, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The goal of NNL is to enhance student interest in and skills to successfully pursue STEM fields, as well as empower educators to serve these students more effectively.

DO-IT has decades of experience in developing hands-on programs for youth with disabilities and designing welcoming, accessible, and usable courses, research, websites, videos, and electronic documents, while the CNT boasts world-class research and a highly-rated, innovative neuroscience education program. Grounded in theory and research, the project takes a student-centered approach that embraces cutting-edge neuroscience, the social model of disability, social justice education, disability as a diversity issue, universal design, and a multi-faceted view of student engagement and retention.

Day 1: Thursday, April 6th (Pacific Time Zone)

UW Campus, Husky Union Building, Room 332

8:00am – 9am
Networking Breakfast

9am – 9:30am
Welcome, Introductions, and Day 1 Agenda
Scott Bellman, NNL Project Director
This session included introductions, an overview of the Institute agenda, and a welcome message from CBI organizers. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and share resources.

9:30am – 10:30am
What is Meant by Neurodiversity and What do Neurodiverse Students Want?
Ronda Jenson, Northern Arizona University, and Scott Bellman, NNL Project Director
Neurodiverse learners are a varied group with a wide range of talents. This session included an overview of characteristics of neurodiverse learners and information provided by neurodiverse students that share what they view as helpful in learning environments.

10:30am – 10:45am
Break

10:45am – 11:45am
How Can Universal Design Impact Neurodiverse Learners?
Sheryl Burgstahler, NNL PI 
Universal design (UD) is the process of creating products and environments that are accessible to people with a wide range of abilities, disabilities, and other characteristics. UD wasdiscussed in terms of supporting postsecondary neurodiverse learners.

11:45am – 1:15pm
Networking Lunch and Discussion
Over lunch, on-site participants enjoyed networking opportunities as they further discuss how neurodiverse students can be supported in postsecondary learning environments. 

Lunch Discussion Question
Building on information shared during morning sessions, what other strategies, opportunities, and activities could potentially support neurodiverse postsecondary students? What resources would you like to see shared more broadly with postsecondary faculty and staff? What new resources are needed?

1:15pm – 2pm
Disability Representation in the Media
Kayla Brown, DO-IT Project Coordinator
Disability representation in the media, especially representation of neurodiverse individuals, can impact the way we perceive members of our campus community. By examining examples of media representation, we can better understand how such examples impact our expectations and interactions with others.

2pm – 2:15pm
Resources that Help Support Neurodiverse Students
Scott Bellman, NNL Project Director
Learn about free resources to help postsecondary educators better serve neurodiverse students. Examples include the STEM Educators Community of Practice, the NNL website, an online Knowledge Base, common campus-based groups/services, and more. 

2:15pm – 2:30pm
Break

2:30pm – 3:30pm
Interactive Panel with Postsecondary Support Services Professionals
Eric W. Trekell, NNL Project Coordinator, and Service Provider Panel
Support services professionals on campus help students implement reasonable accommodations and other supports to help ensure equal access to campus for all learners. This panel presentation explored accommodations for neurodiverse students and allowed participants an opportunity to ask questions.

3:30pm – 4:30pm
Networking and Optional Filming with UWTV
Participants continued networking, sharing information, exploring resources, and asking questions. Participants volunteered to be filmed for a DO-IT video production about supporting neurodiverse students in postsecondary environments.

4:30pm
Adjourn

Day 2: Friday, April 7th (Pacific Time Zone)

UW Campus, Husky Union Building, Room 332

8:00am – 9am
Networking Breakfast

9am – 9:30am
Welcome, Introductions, and Day 2 Agenda
Scott Bellman, NNL Project Director
This session included introductions, an overview of the Institute agenda, and a welcome message from CBI organizers. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions and share resources.

9:30am – 10:45am
Conversation with Postsecondary Neurodiverse Students
Eric W. Trekell, NNL Project Coordinator, and Student Panel
This conversation featured a number of postsecondary students who identify as neurodiverse. They shared stories, described access barriers and solutions, and answered questions from the audience.

10:45am – 11am
Break

11am – 11:45am
Assistive Technology and Neurodiverse Learners
Gaby de Jongh, University of Washington
Assistive technology has great potential to help neurodiverse students capitalize on their strengths. We reviewed this technology and presented ways to help students explore and use it.  

11:45am – 12:45pm
Networking Lunch and Discussion
Over lunch, on-site participants enjoyed networking opportunities as they further discuss how neurodiverse students can be supported in postsecondary learning environments.

Lunch Discussion Question
Building on information shared during the student panel and other CBI sessions, what do you plan to do differently at your campus to better serve students? What additional training or resources would be helpful for faculty and staff on your campus?

12:45pm – 2pm
Networking and Optional Filming with UWTV
Participants continued networking, sharing information, exploring resources, and asking questions. Participants volunteered to be filmed for a DO-IT video production about supporting neurodiverse students in postsecondary environments.

2pm
Adjourn

What is meant by Neurodiversity and what do Neurodiverse students want?

Ronda Jenson, Northern Arizona University and Scott Bellman, NNL Project Director

Video Link (Length: 1:03:05)

As shared by Scott Bellman, DO-IT’s Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners (NNL) project provides hands-on experiences in neuroscience disciplines, networking opportunities, and resources to high school and early post secondary students. The project also provides resources for educators and stakeholders such as a website and online knowledge base, workshops, video productions, and publications.

Neurodiverse learners we work with in the NNL project face academic challenges related to specific learning disabilities (e.g., dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia), attention deficit disorders (ADD, ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Tourette syndrome, and other conditions impacting cognitive processing.

Within the NNL project, high school and early postsecondary students learn about and engage in scientific communication, social skills and teamwork, college preparation, leadership building, self-advocacy, neuroscience and neural engineering, and ethics related to emerging technologies.

NNL uses principles of universal design (UD) by proactively designing materials and activities that are accessible and inclusive for individuals with a broad range of characteristics, including disabilities. Below are examples of how we implement these principles:

• Offerings are available both on-site and online.
• All activities provide dedicated spaces for reflection and quiet.
• Materials are provided in a variety of formats, and captions are provided for videos and video conferencing activities.
• Students are offered multiple ways to engage in learning.
• Project staff prepare “social narratives” to describe what students can expect before an activity occurs, or before coming to campus. For example, prior to NNL's annual summer camp, students are sent images of the campus, buildings, and classrooms where they will be conducting work. The images are supplemented with descriptions of each space.

The project offers hands-on learning and student-guided learning. For example, during summer camp activities, students are asked about topics they would like to explore, and then the topics are added to the camp curriculum. Such student-driven topics have included the effect of meditation on the brain, the impact of music on the brain, and neuroscience in movies. 

The project promotes near-peer leaders, defined as neurodiverse STEM students who are slightly older than our main project participants. Near-peer leaders are very effective at helping students navigate the learning content, participate in discussions, and engage in activities.

Another project that focuses on neurodiverse students is the Discover Your Unique Advantage in STEM (DYNA STEM) project. DYNA STEM has gathered information to elevate the voices of 21 neurodiverse undergraduate students in STEM across three states: Arizona, Missouri, and Ohio. The project encourages developing an understanding of universal design, adult learning principles, trauma-informed approaches, and embracing intersectionality. It offers the following suggestions for STEM educators:

• Acknowledge undergraduate students as adult learners who bring diverse learning histories to the classroom.
• Acknowledge that learning histories may be positive, negative, or indifferent.
• Acknowledge the intersectionality of cultural backgrounds, identities, and personal histories.
• Acknowledge differences in the ways undergraduate students perceive, approach, and interact with new information and skills.

The students who engaged with DYNA STEM shared what they want in education settings:

1. Specific, clear instructions 
2. Flexibility for self-guided learning
3. Balance of peer learning, hands-on, and direct instructions (aka-not just lecture or not just group project)
4. Choice: Options to choose and not choose activities or steps
5. Visuals and graphics, not just text-based
6. Opportunities to be creative
7. Clear, logical applications to real-world STEM work
8. Sensory stimuli focused on specific tasks
9. Physical space options for standing and sitting, with options for orientation in the space
10.  Clear social expectations

Through interactions with neurodiverse students, educators are encouraged to explore the following questions:

• What does intersectionality mean to undergraduate neurodiverse students?
• In what ways do we acknowledge neurodiverse undergraduate students as adult learners?
• What can we do to show respect for the trauma-histories neurodiverse undergraduate students may have?

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How Can Universal Design Impact Neurodiverse Learners?

Sheryl Burgstahler, NNL PI 

Video Link (Length: 1:00:52)

An inclusive environment embraces all potential participants who meet requirements with or without accommodations and makes sure everyone feels respected and engaged. Ability exists on a continuum, where all individuals are more or less able to see, hear, walk, read printed material, communicate verbally, tune out distractions, learn, or manage their health. This is also true of abilities related to neurodivergence, such as learning differences and differences in cognitive processing–such differences exist on a continuum.

Most disabilities of neurodiverse learners have invisible disabilities—meaning they aren't obvious to most people—and many students don’t report their disabilities to postsecondary disability service offices. Regardless, we want to ensure that students have access to the classes and labs we teach, as well as the learning resources we share. 

Students’ identities are also multi-faceted, which means we must take an intersectional approach that acknowledges that some students are from more than one underrepresented group. Students who are neurodiverse may also identify as black or African American, a woman, or other minority identities. It is important to listen to students and to be sensitive to their identities and ways they have been discriminated against.

How society views disability has changed throughout the years. People with disabilities historically have been eliminated or excluded from society, segregated from the general population, aimed to be cured, rehabilitated, accommodated, and finally, accepted and included as they are. The modern approach has its roots in social justice and aims to allow all people to feel included, including those with disabilities.

There are two approaches for making college and university campuses accessible: accommodations and universal design (UD). Accommodations are reactive and address the inaccessible features of a product or environment to make it more accessible to a particular individual (e.g., captioning a video when a student with a hearing impairment requests it). Universal design is a proactive approach for creating a product or environment accessible to the most diverse group possible (e.g., captioning all videos by default). A building with stairs at the entrance and a separate ramp for people with wheelchairs is technically accessible, while a building with a single entrance that everyone can use is universally designed.

Universal design doesn’t just help people with disabilities—sloped entrances help people moving carts, and captions help those learning English or in noisy environments, as just a few examples. Universally designed technology should have built-in accessibility features and ensure compatibility with assistive technology.

UD is an attitude that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. It can be implemented incrementally, focuses on benefits to all students, promotes good teaching practice, does not lower academic standards, and minimizes the need for accommodations. UD can be applied to all aspects of learning, including class culture and climate, physical environments, delivery methods, products, and information resources, delivery of feedback, and assessments. 

To review an easy to use checklist, visit Equal Access: Universal Design of Instruction. For more tips, you can follow the 20 Tips for Teaching an Accessible Online Course.

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Disability Representation in the Media

Kayla Brown, DO-IT Project Coordinator

Video Link (Length: 0:30:32)

Media representation is the way in which the media portrays particular groups, communities, and experiences. This includes the accuracy of portrayals, the diversity of perspectives, and whether those portrayals perpetuate negative stereotypes. It's not just about quantity—it's about quality. This session explored common tropes in the media about disability and examined examples of neurodivergent characters.

Examining the media is important because television and movies influence the way people think. If portrayals exhibit negative stereotypes, this will affect how we see groups of people as a whole. One unique aspect of many neurodiverse characters is that they are coded as having a disability. Coding characters means that they are written in a way to imply something about them, such as having a disability. A character may have the behavior of someone with autism, but it is not confirmed explicitly through dialogue or from the writers. 

If we can increase the number and quality of media representation of people with disabilities, we can begin to introduce the world to more accurate depictions of people with disabilities. We can start a real conversation about disabilities and establish points of reference for it. In this way, fictional characters in television and movies have the power to alter prevailing ideologies and attitudes in society.

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Accessible Technology for Neurodiverse Learners

Gaby de Jongh, University of Washington

Video Link (Length: 0:52:09)

Accessible electronic and information technology can be used by people with a wide variety of abilities and disabilities and incorporate the principles of universal design. Assistive technology can maintain or improve functionality and provide numerous benefits to neurodiverse learners by addressing specific learning needs, supporting strengths, and promoting independence. Assistive technology helps remove barriers to learning by providing accessible alternatives to traditional methods. It can accommodate various learning styles, sensory sensitivities, and physical challenges, ensuring equal access to educational materials and opportunities.

Assistive technology should be selected based on individual needs and preferences, and it should be accompanied by appropriate guidance and support from professionals and educators to ensure effective training and implementation. There are many examples of assistive technology that may benefit neurodiverse learners:

• Social communication aids, such as social skill training apps, video modeling tools, or augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices
• Social engagement opportunities and classes or discussions on communication skills
• Text-to-speech software that reads text aloud, making it easier to comprehend and process information--text-to-speech software can adapt to the specific needs, preferences, and pace of neurodiverse learners, which allows for individualized instruction, customization of learning experiences, and easier engagement
• Visual schedules, reminders, task managers, and digital planners that help learners stay organized, manage time effectively, and improve executive functioning abilities
• Noise-canceling headphones, ambient sound generators, or apps that block distractions, enhance concentration, and create a more conducive learning environment
• Sensory-friendly interfaces, adjustable lighting, and/or noise reduction options create a more comfortable and inclusive learning environment

Interactive Panel with Postsecondary Support Services Professionals

Full Video Link (Length: 1:02:23)

Panelist Introductions and Opening Statements

• Katie Abrams & Genna Kieper, Director and Employment Services Coordinator, respectively, WSU Roar (Length: 00:07:05)
• Kim Thompson, Senior Director, Seattle University Disability Services
• Shannon Garcia, Program Manager of Accessible Text & Technology, University of Washington Disability Resources for Students
• Facilitator: Eric W. Trekell, Program Operations Specialist, University of Washington DO-IT Center 

The Transition Cliff

Shannon talked about the challenging transition students face coming to a big university. That segued into a comment by Eric that, in his prior experience as Director of the Center for Disability Services at Everett Community College, he spent about 40% of his time at accommodations planning meetings educating parents and students on the significant differences between accommodations, modifications, and services, including the very different accommodations processes between K-12 and higher education. Katie shared what WSU’s Responsibility, Opportunity, Advocacy, and Respect (ROAR) program refers to as the “Transition Cliff'' that students with disabilities face in leaving high school and going into any postsecondary setting.

Success vs. Access

Kim raised the topic of “success vs. access.” She encouraged further thinking about the idea of success vs. access and noted that she is not arguing for modification of course outcomes. She notes that rigid schedules of institutions and postsecondary educators seem designed for the convenience of faculty and staff, while the K-12 system has more transparency in teaching. The gap between secondary education and higher education seems to be getting wider, which reduces both access and potential for success. 

Activate Caring

Many individuals at the Institute care about disability for one reason or another. They may have a disability or have a child with a disability, or care about the topic for some unknown reason. But how about those faculty who are disconnected from the subject, other than receiving an accommodation notification from the campus disability services office?  How do you help “activate” caring in others? How do you make it urgent and important? Some solutions involve looking at disability through a social justice, equity, and diversity lens. 

Getting Others Onboard

Continuing the “activate caring” discussion, how do we reframe this message for the people in power, the people who can provide funding on our campuses? How are we meeting students from diverse backgrounds? 

Trauma-Informed Lens

Considering the pandemic, how are disability services professionals approaching this work from a trauma-informed lens? Are disability services professionals partnering with other Student Affairs offices such as Counseling Centers? 

Intersectionality

There’s evidence that non-white students with disabilities are the least likely students to seek services with the DS office. How do you address that issue? Solutions can include discussing “culturally relevant pedagogy,” seeing the student as a whole person. Recognize that many students may not find connections within disability services office staff. Such staff can create relationships with other groups on campus such as the Black Student Union, LGBTQIA+ centers, and Indigenous People centers. Be responsible for bringing students together. 

Washington State University’s (WSU) Responsibility, Opportunity, Advocacy, and Respect (ROAR) Program

More information specifically on the WSU ROAR program and how it operates on the WSU campus. WSU ROAR connections with the Access Center and other WSU student support centers. 

Documentation

This section of the panel included a conversation about medical documentation and inequities in the US healthcare system, the rise of the student self-report as documentation, and documentation as a gate-keeping mechanism.

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Panel: A Conversation with Postsecondary Neurodiverse Students 

A panel of University of Washington students shared their experiences and answered questions about access and inclusion. The panel was facilitated by Eric W. Trekell, Program Operations Specialist at the University of Washington DO-IT Center.

Student Introductions and Experiences 

Students were asked to begin by introducing themselves, and then to spend eight to ten minutes sharing some of their experiences in academia. They were asked to reflect on barriers experienced because of their neurodivergence and to share thoughts on what post secondary staff members (e.g., faculty members, advisors, resident assistants) could do to reduce barriers and make those experiences better. 

Senior in Biophysics 

I am a senior in biophysics (he/him) who identifies as a Mexican man with ADHD. I was diagnosed at 14 or 15 and received pretty standard accommodations in high school. Going into my post‑secondary education, I didn't have many issues receiving additional accommodations, though I did sometimes feel isolated from the mainstream track for students. It was hard for me to create study groups with students if I struggled with a schedule or was tested differently; this then could make it harder to get the most out of my coursework.

I did find help from the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity, which has an instructional center. I spent a lot of time there with a tutor, which helped me stay engaged. I did well enough that I became a tutor and that engaged me further and gave me motivation in my own free time to really look at the material deeply and come to class more prepared, which helped me adhere to a schedule. Tutoring helped me become more invested in the UW and really feel like I was a part of something.

Junior in Atmospheric Science and Chemistry

I am a junior in atmospheric science and chemistry (she/her), who identifies as African American, with dyslexia and autism spectrum disorder. I also love the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity tutoring center! I would also like to highlight the fact that I am one person—I don’t represent all people within my communities and identities. There is no one accommodation that makes everything better. 

One thing I want my professors and teaching assistants to do is ask their students to be respectful of the conditions their peers might be going through. I have experienced negative language in the classroom. I can't tell you how many Autism jokes and ADHD jokes or comments I hear, and it makes me feel afraid of my peers. It’s hard to focus in a classroom when you feel like that. 

Another thing is accessible visuals: People don’t seem to know how dyslexia actually works. I see things in my head from different angles, which causes paragraphs to swap around, and words to flip in sentences. I've gotten good at reading due to a lot of practice. However, this three-dimensional thinking makes me good at physics, chemistry, and math. 

My advice for educators and students: Try to make visuals dynamic in a classroom, use dynamic colors and large fonts and separate paragraphs so it is easier to distinguish the sentences. Furthermore, do not just come up and pet my service dog. I cannot tell you how often people come up to me and just start petting her without asking.

Ph.D. Student in Computer Science

I am a Ph.D. student (they/them) majoring in computer science, and studying sociology and social work, who identifies as having self-diagnosed autism spectrum disorder. For the majority of my life I presented as a white, cis, neurotypical boy and I fit the gendered, racial, and educational profile of a middle class family; all of the stereotypes of who is expected in higher ed spaces. I've come out about seven times at this point in my life, and at some point I just stopped. Many people don’t understand how hard it is to make friends when you are just a little bit different from others. You can only bend so much into fitting societal expectations, and masking constantly is draining and unhealthy.

In my undergraduate, I felt like I fit in computer science, but it was hard working within a community that conveys “If you can't follow directions perfectly without making any mistakes, then you shouldn't be a computer scientist or engineer.” In my Phd program, I had the privilege of sharing a lab with someone who was out and proud and autistic, which really let me come out as queer and autistic.

Now I am out in many ways, and I get all of the harmful nonsense; I speak at conferences and get responses like “Is it hard being here and autistic? You don't look autistic! Trans people can't be autistic! Oh, you talk way too well to be autistic!” But still, there's a beautiful community that I have with other folks and I have made strong connections due to my identity.

Master’s Student in Computer Science

I’m a master’s student in computer science (she/her) who identifies with child onset fluency disorder (formerly diagnosed as stutter). I have always stuttered, and it didn’t bother me until elementary school when other kids started commenting. In fourth grade, someone made the comment like “It is so annoying that you talk like that, and I don't want to be friends with you!” From that moment on I realized it wasn't normal and I tried to hide it as much as possible. 

I went to speech therapy in middle school. My therapist tried to teach me strategies to get rid of my stutter; they didn't work at all and honestly made it worse. At the time I blamed myself; I thought I wasn't working hard enough to be normal. I didn't meet anyone else who stuttered until I went to college. I got really good at hiding my stutter by switching words and running everything through in my head before I said it; this may sound like a good solution, but it’s exhausting when you have to do it while you are talking. I ended up staying quiet most of the time. 

In college, I took a presentation and networking class where you could meet other students. There were all of these presentation assignments and graded discussions where you have to say something insightful a certain number of times to get full points. This class was such a nightmare for me. I would stutter through my name and my presentations, and other students would quickly stop talking to me. I finally disclosed to my teacher; that was a big deal, because I had never told anyone before. She was really nice about it and gave me the option to do a different assignment besides presentations and considered my stutter when evaluating my assignments. 

I started to disclose more to people after that. It didn't always go as smoothly. Some people thought I was stupid, or if I didn’t stutter a lot in the moment, then people wouldn’t believe me. My sophomore year, I joined the group Students Who Stutter; we talked about ways to request accommodations. That was helpful for all of us in the club. I also started a club called ABILITY. We now have over 100 members and 3 events per quarter.

Senior in Communications and International Studies

I am a senior (she/her) in communications and international studies who identifies as a white woman with dyslexia and processing disorder. For me, the best definition of dyslexia is to imagine you see or read something, but when you look again, it is a completely different word or image. That happens to me all the time. It makes me feel like I am constantly deficient in the English language.

Having a disability, I was segregated from my classmates a lot. Kids notice when you disappear for two hours a day going to speech therapy or the “special room.” My mother had to pick which classes I would miss to go to speech therapy. That disadvantaged me because then I had to spend extra time catching up. 

Even in college there are affects. For example, the classmate who asks “Where were you? There was a test today.” I have to decide if I want to disclose my disability or not each time. Or if a professor sets me up to differentiate me by saying “No laptops allowed in the class,” but I have an accommodation for a laptop, which results in “Why does she get a laptop but I don't?” I feel like professors can try to force students to focus in a specific way, which then affects other students who need other ways to learn or focus.

I also have a lot of internalized ableism. Mentors often tell me to introduce myself and disclose to professors. I don't follow that. I encourage students I mentor to do that when I help them, and it is a great thing. But I am still fighting the stigma I feel, and I’m so used to masking or pretending to be normal. I am lucky to have attended a high school where a teacher recommended me to the DO-IT Scholars program, which offered me free support and technology to help with my disability and supported my transition to college. 

Audience Questions

The floor was then opened up for audience members to ask questions and all participants were given the opportunity to answer.

Would you rather work with a disability service provider who then coordinates with faculty, or would you rather work directly with faculty to get your accommodations met?

• As a student, I am going to talk to whomever I am most comfortable talking to.
• If faculty seem friendly, I’m going to talk to them. 
• Sometimes faculty are more understanding than the disability office staff.
• I’m weary about always having to disclose my autism; I don’t know how many stereotypes I’ll trigger by disclosing.
• Whoever folks feel comfortable with. If that’s the disability office? Phenomenal. Faculty? Even better. 
• I had a great TA once who said “I received this letter; do you want to come to the office to talk about it?” Usually I’m the one who has to reach out and it’s exhausting. 
• I had a professor reach out and offer to discuss accommodations over email. That was great; I didn’t have to do the work.
• I think for the faculty being proactive and reaching out to students is great. It makes me feel like I won’t waste a whole hour going to their office hours on my own initiative to talk about my accommodations.

Somebody mentioned it feels like a full‑time job having to talk to professors. What can you suggest to access advisors and disability service providers to make your lives easier?

• Don’t be stingy with accommodations! There are a lot of things I’ve asked for that fit “reasonable” that I had a hard time receiving.
• It’s important for access advisors to understand that a lot of students transferring from high school with IEPs are not taught how to advocate for themselves. 
• Provide resources that will help students prepare for their appointments with you. Especially initial appointments. Make information about your office and your services easy to find.
• I would encourage you to develop a tool that students can take to their first classes, to help them talk to their faculty. 
• I used extended time on exams every time. But I have to submit the request to use the extended time, every time, too! Rework the system so there’s less maintenance the student has to do. 
• Avoid giving your new students “the starter pack”. The set of accommodations that students always get for Anxiety such as extra time on exams, copies of materials, approval to record. Do a deeper dive and listen carefully to each student. Check in with them and ask if they felt listened to. 

How have you come to feel comfortable disclosing and talking about your disabilities? What else would you recommend to students and faculty to help students come to this same point?

• I love who I am. I love all the pieces of me and I wouldn’t change anything about who I am. That’s a privilege for me and my experience; not everyone has my experience. 
• I’m fortunate to run into more people who care than people who don’t. But I can’t say I’m entirely comfortable being up here. 
• My advice would be to focus on the people who care and want to know. This is a safe room, full of people who care, so it’s easier. 
• I think students with intersecting identities have more practice at this. Students for whom disability is only one aspect of identity - we deal with others - racism, sexism, homophobia, classism. We get tired of it and start pushing back and speaking out. 
• Look at us - every one of us has several intersecting identities. 

Is it helpful if faculty disclose their disabilities to their students?

• If faculty talk about who they are at the start of class, that’s all they can do. It’s up to students to then decide when they will start advocating and fighting for themselves. 
• Faculty can give students comfort and even a sense of community when they disclose.

Some of you have mentioned struggling to get some of your accommodations. Do you feel like you might face a threat of retaliation if you speak out for yourself or other students?

• One thing I’ve found helpful is knowing my rights. There is legislation that protects us. I had to fight a lot for many accommodations and I was willing to be audacious in pushing. I was willing to scare them and talk about lawsuits. So teach other students their rights. 
• I appreciate you asking this question - looking at the audience in this room, a lot of people seem surprised, even horrified that there are students who have to fight so hard to get some accommodations and still don’t get what they need. 
• If the official channel isn’t working, we have other options, if we’re willing to be activists.

Participants answered the following questions in small groups. Answers were recorded and are shared below. 

Building on information shared during morning sessions, what other strategies, opportunities, and activities could potentially support neurodiversity postsecondary students? What resources would you like to see shared more broadly with postsecondary faculty and staff? What new resources are needed?
 

• Focus on PDF elimination and switching to HTML-based resources.
• Make it a regulation for course instructors and program leaders to provide disability services contact information and example accommodations to all students within the first two weeks of study.
• Encourage and promote students speaking with disability services. Disability services professionals know what accommodations are available, what documentation is required, and how to work with students to provide guidance and pair those accommodations appropriately. Some students think that they need to know what accommodations they need before they can reach out for support—let’s encourage the idea that they don’t need to know anything about accommodations before contacting disability services.
• Provide social narratives for getting accommodations through disability services.
• Change formal language into case studies that focus on story and emotional investment instead of dry jargon.
• Separate knowledge checks and skill practice in classes.
• Have professionals provide communication seminars and training opportunities for faculty and staff who work with neurodiverse learners.
• Create a space with no judgment, where staff and faculty can ask questions.
• Promote educators or schools having all students fill out an anonymous first day survey, inviting students to share how the instructor might enhance their learning experience.
• Create a faculty community, possibly led by the department chair or director, that rallies other faculty to make changes. Create a TA community interested in taking on accessibility issues.
• UD can be overwhelming for faculty; encourage faculty to make incremental, small changes.
• Update facilities to meet students’ needs.

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Building on information shared during the student panel and other CBI sessions, what do you plan to do differently at your campus to better serve students? What additional training or resources would be helpful for faculty and staff on your campus?
 

• Work more closely with our Disability Support Services Office to reduce barriers. In particular, templates for starting conversations about accommodations for both students and faculty.
• Host listening sessions focused on neurodivergent students.
• Add welcoming language to campus tours and orientations.
• Identify training on multiple disabilities, intersectionality, and assistive technology (for neurodiverse learners).
• Host a panel of neurodiverse students and post a recording on our instructional learning web page.
• Create resources on building social narratives.
• Develop a website that features resources highlighted at the institute and resources from our own campus. Promote the website at our faculty resources office.
• Host a “Just Do One Thing” for accessibility at faculty meetings.
• Pass along take-homes to our teaching support team.
• Change the way we create Canvas announcements and organize documents to be more easily read by screen readers. 
• Offer training on how to improve web page and document design to be more accessible across campus.
• Ask instructors to remind students to not approach service animals without permission.
• Be proactive when receiving letters of accommodation; reach out to the student to see if they would like to discuss their accommodation(s).

Sixty-seven people attended the event online and in-person. Attendees in-person on the University of Washington campus included the following:

Kathryn Abrams
Director, WSU ROAR, Washington State University

Scott Bellman
Project Manager, Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners

Kayla Brown
Program Coordinator, Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners

Sheryl Burgstahler
PI, Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners

Gaby de Jongh
Assistive Technology Specialist, University of Washington

Jane Dolliver
Executive Assistant to the Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning, College of the Environment, University of Washington

Tam'ra-Kay Francis
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry, University of Washington

Rachel Goodwin
Coordinator, Student Accessibility Services College of Alameda

Melissa Graham
Senior Lecturer in Mathematics, Eastern Washington University

Mike Graham
Senior Lecturer in Mathematics, Eastern Washington University

Overtoun M Jenda
Assistant Provost for Special Projects and Initiatives, Professor of Mathematics, Auburn University

Ronda Jenson
Associate Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences and Research Director, Arizona University Center on Disabilities, Northern Arizona University

Genna Kieper    
Employment Services Coordinator, WSU ROAR, Washington State University

Earl Lattimore
Instructor & MPH Program Coordinator, Meharry Medical College

Qingxia Li
Associate Professor of Mathematics, Fisk University

Helen Maiko Luckow
Instruction & Classroom Support Technician, Cascadia College

Andrea Mano
Technology Specialist, Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners

Heidi Schnebly
Associate Dean of Students, Eastern Washington University

Kim Thompson
Senior Director, Disability Services, Seattle University

Eric Trekell,
Project Coordinator, Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners

Sisavath Virasak
Instructor, Computer Science, Linn-Benton College

Norah Wang
Instructor, Computer Science, Linn-Benton College

Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners (NNL) compiles and creates resources for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educators working with neurodiverse students.

Community of Practice

NNL project staff and faculty leaders engage in an online Community of Practice (CoP) that includes key stakeholder groups that impact efforts to make neuroscience activities accessible for everyone (e.g., faculty, students, disability service units, informal science learning programs, teaching and learning centers, diversity programs, professional organizations). CoP participants share ideas and assist in the creation and dissemination of resources to encourage others to help a broader range of students and patrons learn about universal design and accessibility in neuroscience educational settings.

CoP members take part in the following:

• Identify and share ways to better serve neurodiverse students in classroom settings.
• Offer strategies for recruiting a wide variety of stakeholders to participate in project activities.
• Share disability-related and universal design content to be incorporated into classes.
• Learn about NNL events, training videos, resources, and publications.
• Identify unmet needs and useful products for the project to develop.
• Provide input for a project video and related online resources.
• Suggest future project activities.

Individuals can join the STEM Educators Community of Practice by contacting doit@uw.edu.

Knowledge Base

The NNL Knowledge Base currently contains over 650 Case Studies, Promising Practices, and Q&As regarding the accessibility of technology, college, graduate school, and careers for individuals with disabilities. Many articles focus on serving neurodiverse students effectively. Example articles include the following.

Promising Practices

• Across Campus and Beyond: A Promising Practice to Increase Conversations about Neurodiversity in the Engineering Classroom
• The Neurodiversity Initiative: A Promising Practice for Promoting Disability Awareness in Higher Education

Q&As

• Are there employment resources specifically designed to serve neurodivergent job seekers?
• What do “neurodiverse” and “neurodivergent” mean?

Case Studies

• Collaboration Struggles in an Engineering Lab: A Case Study About a Student with Autism
• Inaccessibility in a Calculus Course: A Case Study on Educating Faculty and Staff about Learning Disabilities
• Kim and Biology: A Case Study on Accommodations for Learning Disabilities
• Jan and Large Lectures: A Case Study on Accommodations for Psychiatric Disorders

Other Web Resources

Find informational briefs and videos on the NNL website.

• STEM and Neurodiversity: A Capacity Building Institute for Faculty at Community and Technical Colleges (2022)
  Summaries and video presentations from the 2022 NNL CBI.
• Equal Access: Universal Design of Neuroscience Education and Research
  Learn how to create neuroscience facilities and resources accessible to people with disabilities.
• Promising Practices That Engage People with Disabilities in the CNT
  A series of strategies for including people with disabilities in other engineering research centers.
• Checklist for Making Engineering Labs Accessible to Students with Disabilities
  Designing engineering labs so that all students can fully participate.
• Equal Access: Universal Design of Engineering Departments
  Guidelines on creating an accessible engineering department using universal design.
• Equal Access: Universal Design of Your Engineering Research Center (ERC)
  A checklist for making ERCs welcoming, accessible, and usable.
• Equal Access: Universal Design of Your Project
  A checklist for making projects welcoming, accessible, and usable

Campus Resources

Many post-secondary campuses will house organizations and groups that are supportive of students with disabilities, including neurodiverse learners. Examples at the University of Washington campus include the following.

• Huskies for Neurodiversity: Huskies for Neurodiversity is a student-led initiative that promotes visibility and acceptance of neurodiversity at the UW campus and beyond through articles, lived experience interviews with neurodivergent people, interactive website, and panel events. Their goal is to destigmatize and educate about neurodiversity and disability accommodations on campus to students and faculty, as well as provide a platform for neurodivergent individuals to share their stories and experiences in their own voice.
• Associated Students of the University of Washington Student Disability Commission: The Commission was established to create communities for individuals with disabilities and their allies by providing programming, resources, and a safe accessible space.
• UW Disability and D/deaf Culture Center: The UW Disability and d/Deaf Culture Center fosters a climate of social justice and pride, centered on universal design, access, and diversity. It cultivates disability and d/Deaf pride by promoting social justice through an inclusive environment, sharing resources for self-advocacy, developing educational programming, engaging stakeholders with principles of universal design, and promoting a transforming socio-cultural understanding of disability.
• Mad Campus: Mad Campus is a peer group for students identifying with or experiencing madness, mental illness, and/or neurodiversity. Mad Campus meets throughout the school year on a semi-weekly basis.
• Disability Studies Program: Disability studies at the UW involves a multi-campus interdisciplinary group of faculty, staff, students, and community members, who share an interest in questions relating to society’s understanding of disability. The undergraduate disability studies minor and the individualized studies major in disability studies provide opportunities for students to develop a strong interdisciplinary foundation in the social, legal, and political framing of disability.
• Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology (DO-IT): The DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Center is dedicated to empowering people with disabilities through technology and education. It promotes awareness and accessibility—in both the classroom and the workplace—to maximize the potential of individuals with disabilities and make our communities more vibrant, diverse, and inclusive.

The April 2023 Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners Capacity Building Institute was funded by the National Science Foundation (grant #DRL-1948591). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the CBI presenters, attendees, and authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the University of Washington.

DO-IT’s Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners
University of Washington
uw.edu/doit/programs/nnl

© 2023 University of Washington. Permission is granted to copy this publication for educational, noncommercial purposes, provided the source is acknowledged.