Presentation Summaries

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:

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

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.

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.

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