What is neurodivergence?

Neurodivergence is an atypical neurological configuration or variation of mental processing that deviates from what is considered typical or normal functioning. Easier said neurodivergents have brains that function in ways that result in behaviors and ways of thinking that diverge significantly from the dominant societal standards of "normal".

When we say, Neurodivergent, we are usually referring to people with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Tourette's Syndrome, and other neurologically-based conditions. Neurodivergence does not mean a person has a cognitive or intellectual impairment. Neurodivergent students may have issues with executive functioning, social interactions, sensory sensitivities, future predictions, and changes in routines.

What accommodations are available to neurodivergent students, and what should students expect from colleges (or the process of getting them)?

Colleges and universities have disability and student services departments that work with students to provide accommodations as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student meets the criteria of having a disability under Section 504, the school will work with the student to provide reasonable accommodations.

However, the supports provided by colleges and universities may not be as tailored to the individual as an IEP from secondary school or high school. Students may be able to get accommodations for assistive technology, organizers, peer notetakers, and extended time for testing. Some schools offer tutoring, coaching, and mentoring services, often for an additional fee. 

Each university has its own process for accommodation requests. All students that require an accommodation will need to register as having a disability.  I recommend that students and parents research prospective schools and talk to advisors once enrolled. Even after the university grants a disability accommodation, the student needs to be proactive to confirm that each class instructor is aware of the student's disability and understands the accommodations required.

Where can neurodivergent students go for resources and support?

Neurodivergent students should proactively reach out to their school's disability student services department. Students should discuss the types of accommodations they need to be successful and work with their student support advisor to ensure they can get the additional time, structure, mentoring, or software they need to succeed. 

Students should be proactive with their instructors. Unlike k-12, students will need to advocate for themselves and ensure their instructors are aware of their needs for learning support and approved accommodations at the beginning of each term. Raising concerns early and having active engagement with the student services staff and course instructors will ensure that the student has adequate resourcing and support to be successful.

What advice would you give neurodivergent students for succeeding in their education?

Transitioning from high school to college is never easy, whether you are neurodivergent or neurotypical.  Being organized is the most critical component of successful undergraduate work. Reviewing the syllabus early, ensuring you understand assignment timelines, grading expectations, and how to prep for exams will be vital for your success.

In addition to requesting accommodations, find a classmate or peer mentor (if available at your school) to help stay focused and on track. Using task management apps or the calendar tool in Outlook to break down assignments and track completion will help you stay up to speed with course work. If you feel overwhelmed, raise your concerns with your instructor or student services before problems arise. Schools want their students to succeed.

What resources can you recommend for neurodivergent students?

Tools to stay organized: Most schools give students access to Microsoft Office and other software and organization tools. I highly recommend taking advantage of One Note and Outlook for notetaking, e-mail communications with teachers and classmates, and scheduling tasks and calendar reminders for classes.

Another recommendation to keep organized and find information quickly is to get books and articles electronically for use on your e-reader, tablet, or Kindle. E-books and PDF articles are searchable and allow you to highlight important information and take notes on the page; this makes searching for important details easier when writing a paper and reviewing content before an exam.

If your neurodivergence impacts attending to tasks, apps like Read and Write for Work can help overcome challenges with concentration, information processing, and concentration.

Help with notetaking: A few tools can help make capturing notes during class less stressful. One option is to record your course session (live or virtual) and use Dragon Naturally Speaking or the Otter.ai app to transcribe the class session. Another option is to use a tool such as LiveScribe for Notetaking. This pen can work as a recording device to capture sessions for dictation and allow timestamps on the notes you take during class – this feature will enable you to sync the recorded information and handwritten notes easily.

How can schools reduce barriers for neurodivergent students?

Schools need to continue to assess traditional learning delivery methods to ensure they are accessible to students with and without disabilities. Instructors need to design tests and assignments to ensure they measure content mastery and not focus on memorization skills through recall drills. Increased virtual course offerings and hybrid delivery methods provide students more flexibility in how they interact with the content and instructors.

Schools also need to be willing to accommodate reasonable requests from students and ensure that instructors honor these arrangements. Schools should be proactive in creating inclusive and accessible environments through universal learning principles that support students' various needs and explore different approaches to deliver learning. Most importantly, instructors need to ensure that learning objectives are clear and curriculums are designed to demonstrate competency, focusing on writing or project-based assignments over timed tests.

How can individual teachers or professors reduce barriers for neurodivergent students?

Instructors can help reduce barriers for neurodivergent students by being clear with expectations, being organized with their curriculum and assignments, and providing adequate time to prepare and take exams.  Pop quizzes and ambiguous assignments cause unnecessary stress and can put neurodivergent students at a disadvantage as they sometimes need more time to process information and prepare their responses. 

If instructors are uncertain on how to best support a neurodivergent student, they should ask the students for feedback on their approach and ways they can approve. Checking in with students through open discussion or formal evaluation surveys will help instructors learn what they do well and where they have opportunities to modify their approach to be more accessible to all.