WEBVTT 00:00:00.920 --> 00:00:02.300 align:center [MUSIC PLAYING] 00:00:02.300 --> 00:00:04.400 align:center Supporting Neurodivergent Learners 00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:07.610 align:center on Campus. 00:00:07.610 --> 00:00:09.000 align:center I'm Scott Bellman. 00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:11.360 align:center I'm the manager of the DO-IT Center at the University 00:00:11.360 --> 00:00:12.620 align:center of Washington. 00:00:12.620 --> 00:00:15.660 align:center When I think about the term neurodiversity, 00:00:15.660 --> 00:00:18.500 align:center I think about all of the human brain's on the planet 00:00:18.500 --> 00:00:22.220 align:center and how they are all unique and very different from one another. 00:00:22.220 --> 00:00:24.810 align:center And when I think about the term neurodivergent, 00:00:24.810 --> 00:00:28.220 align:center I more often think about the brains that 00:00:28.220 --> 00:00:31.310 align:center perceive the world differently, or brains 00:00:31.310 --> 00:00:34.430 align:center that process differently or learn differently. 00:00:34.430 --> 00:00:37.280 align:center And those types of brains may be with people 00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:39.890 align:center who experience conditions such as a learning 00:00:39.890 --> 00:00:44.120 align:center disability, perhaps, or attention deficit disorder, 00:00:44.120 --> 00:00:47.250 align:center or maybe someone who is on the autism spectrum, 00:00:47.250 --> 00:00:50.310 align:center or some other condition where their brain operates 00:00:50.310 --> 00:00:52.310 align:center a little differently than what some people refer 00:00:52.310 --> 00:00:57.290 align:center to as neurotypical, or a more common type of processing. 00:00:57.290 --> 00:00:58.950 align:center My name is Kim Thompson. 00:00:58.950 --> 00:01:01.800 align:center I'm the Senior Director of Disability Services 00:01:01.800 --> 00:01:04.319 align:center at Seattle University. 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:08.730 align:center We have for a long time been able to support students 00:01:08.730 --> 00:01:11.800 align:center in wheelchairs, students who need Braille. 00:01:11.800 --> 00:01:14.700 align:center But we haven't really addressed, how 00:01:14.700 --> 00:01:18.310 align:center do we help the invisible disabilities. 00:01:18.310 --> 00:01:20.880 align:center How do we support, and not just support, but how 00:01:20.880 --> 00:01:25.290 align:center do we facilitate the success of neurodiverse learners 00:01:25.290 --> 00:01:26.645 align:center on the post-secondary campus. 00:01:26.645 --> 00:01:27.870 align:center [MUSIC PLAYING] 00:01:27.870 --> 00:01:30.253 align:center Challenges Facing Neurodivergent Learners. 00:01:32.760 --> 00:01:34.510 align:center My name is Marky. 00:01:34.510 --> 00:01:36.550 align:center I am a second-year student. 00:01:36.550 --> 00:01:40.600 align:center I'm studying atmospheric science with a minor in chemistry. 00:01:40.600 --> 00:01:43.222 align:center I've always known that I was dyslexic. 00:01:43.222 --> 00:01:45.430 align:center I've been struggling with it since elementary school, 00:01:45.430 --> 00:01:50.080 align:center and I didn't get my autism diagnosis until I was 18. 00:01:50.080 --> 00:01:52.470 align:center I think the most important thing for faculty 00:01:52.470 --> 00:01:54.090 align:center to know about neurodiverse learners 00:01:54.090 --> 00:01:57.010 align:center is that every case is a special case. 00:01:57.010 --> 00:02:00.530 align:center Sometimes I need more time with assignments. 00:02:00.530 --> 00:02:03.490 align:center I get very little sleep regularly 00:02:03.490 --> 00:02:05.620 align:center because it just it takes me a longer time 00:02:05.620 --> 00:02:08.800 align:center to do the assignments than my neurotypical peers 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:13.450 align:center because, well, it'll be so hard for me to read. 00:02:13.450 --> 00:02:15.310 align:center My name is Ronda Jensen. 00:02:15.310 --> 00:02:20.860 align:center And I am an Associate Professor at Northern Arizona University. 00:02:20.860 --> 00:02:26.890 align:center I think it's really important that our post-secondary 00:02:26.890 --> 00:02:29.840 align:center programs-- colleges, universities, 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:34.300 align:center whether community colleges to graduate programs-- 00:02:34.300 --> 00:02:38.830 align:center recognize our neurodiverse learners 00:02:38.830 --> 00:02:42.340 align:center as part of their overall commitment 00:02:42.340 --> 00:02:46.310 align:center to the diversity of all of their learners, 00:02:46.310 --> 00:02:50.450 align:center the diversity of their community of learners. 00:02:50.450 --> 00:02:53.750 align:center We like to say that moving forward, 00:02:53.750 --> 00:02:55.570 align:center our universities are going to see 00:02:55.570 --> 00:02:58.190 align:center an increase in neurodiverse learners. 00:02:58.190 --> 00:03:00.060 align:center I hope that's really true. 00:03:00.060 --> 00:03:02.750 align:center But I also think there are a lot of neurodiverse learners 00:03:02.750 --> 00:03:06.030 align:center who are already in our universities, 00:03:06.030 --> 00:03:09.620 align:center and we could help better support them. 00:03:09.620 --> 00:03:10.800 align:center My name is Rae. 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:12.900 align:center I'm dyslexic, and spelling is hard. 00:03:12.900 --> 00:03:16.790 align:center I will forget what I'm doing writing the rest of the sentence 00:03:16.790 --> 00:03:21.020 align:center as I'm trying to spell and have it be legible. 00:03:21.020 --> 00:03:22.560 align:center Hi, I'm Piper. 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:25.560 align:center I'm going to be a sophomore at Western Washington University. 00:03:25.560 --> 00:03:28.100 align:center I had a teacher when I was, oh, I 00:03:28.100 --> 00:03:33.500 align:center think in early high school that insisted that we handwrite all 00:03:33.500 --> 00:03:36.510 align:center of our documents for this particular class, 00:03:36.510 --> 00:03:39.230 align:center and they all needed to be in this one notebook. 00:03:39.230 --> 00:03:44.490 align:center And I spoke up, I went up and tried to advocate for myself. 00:03:44.490 --> 00:03:46.320 align:center And I said, you know, I have dysgraphia. 00:03:46.320 --> 00:03:48.120 align:center This is really a challenge for me. 00:03:48.120 --> 00:03:51.680 align:center So I think that's one thing that I have encountered 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:55.070 align:center as a student is teachers who get caught up 00:03:55.070 --> 00:03:57.290 align:center in some of the methods of doing things 00:03:57.290 --> 00:04:02.280 align:center and maybe unintentionally get stuck on that. 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:03.980 align:center [MUSIC PLAYING] 00:04:03.980 --> 00:04:08.960 align:center How Faculty Can Support Neurodivergent Learners. 00:04:08.960 --> 00:04:10.710 align:center My name is Shannon Garcia. 00:04:10.710 --> 00:04:14.300 align:center I'm the Program Manager of Access Text and Technology 00:04:14.300 --> 00:04:16.730 align:center at Disability Resources for Students here 00:04:16.730 --> 00:04:18.180 align:center at the University of Washington. 00:04:18.180 --> 00:04:20.300 align:center I think the most important thing for faculty 00:04:20.300 --> 00:04:23.240 align:center to know about supporting neurodivergent learners 00:04:23.240 --> 00:04:27.620 align:center or supporting neurodiverse approaches to education 00:04:27.620 --> 00:04:30.200 align:center is that almost any change that they 00:04:30.200 --> 00:04:35.210 align:center make to a part of their class, or almost anything 00:04:35.210 --> 00:04:37.460 align:center that they implement on behalf of one 00:04:37.460 --> 00:04:40.303 align:center specific neurodivergent student, honestly, 00:04:40.303 --> 00:04:42.720 align:center it's going to help almost all the students in their class. 00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:45.750 align:center And so a lot of the things that we recommend, 00:04:45.750 --> 00:04:47.390 align:center although they might be accommodations 00:04:47.390 --> 00:04:50.370 align:center for a particular student, honestly, 00:04:50.370 --> 00:04:53.480 align:center good universal design is really what's 00:04:53.480 --> 00:04:54.980 align:center going to make the biggest difference 00:04:54.980 --> 00:04:56.450 align:center for a lot of students. 00:04:56.450 --> 00:05:00.090 align:center Making your syllabus as clear as possible, 00:05:00.090 --> 00:05:03.990 align:center making your assignments and your assignment schedules 00:05:03.990 --> 00:05:07.330 align:center and your reading schedule as clear as possible. 00:05:07.330 --> 00:05:12.120 align:center And that will greatly benefit both your neurodivergent 00:05:12.120 --> 00:05:14.320 align:center learners, because then they can plan ahead. 00:05:14.320 --> 00:05:16.560 align:center But also, that's going to benefit every single person 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:21.210 align:center in your class because one of the most confusing things for a lot 00:05:21.210 --> 00:05:23.670 align:center of neurodivergent students, especially in a higher ed 00:05:23.670 --> 00:05:26.740 align:center environment, is not doing the homework, 00:05:26.740 --> 00:05:29.670 align:center it's finding the homework. 00:05:29.670 --> 00:05:31.260 align:center I'm Lindsay Oseran. 00:05:31.260 --> 00:05:33.180 align:center With papers, I was always losing them, 00:05:33.180 --> 00:05:35.827 align:center like I'd stuff them into my notebook or in my backpack. 00:05:35.827 --> 00:05:38.160 align:center And it's like, well, I had totally forgotten about that. 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:41.040 align:center So I was always missing assignments too, or finding out 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:44.230 align:center that they were due, like wait, that's due tomorrow? 00:05:44.230 --> 00:05:46.800 align:center When did that happen? 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:48.390 align:center Students also tell us 00:05:48.390 --> 00:05:54.900 align:center that not all settings are conducive to their learning. 00:05:54.900 --> 00:06:00.560 align:center So sometimes faculty can have flexibility in the environment, 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:04.720 align:center so it might be a classroom space, how it's set up, 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:09.170 align:center is there choice in where students sit? 00:06:09.170 --> 00:06:12.070 align:center Do they have options to move around 00:06:12.070 --> 00:06:14.270 align:center while thinking and learning? 00:06:14.270 --> 00:06:21.170 align:center Do they have options to orient their body to the learning 00:06:21.170 --> 00:06:26.300 align:center whether it's on a slide, a video, group settings. 00:06:26.300 --> 00:06:30.790 align:center Sometimes it's about preference of windows and daylight, 00:06:30.790 --> 00:06:32.510 align:center where the door is. 00:06:32.510 --> 00:06:39.580 align:center Students also tell us that navigating a group project 00:06:39.580 --> 00:06:44.440 align:center can be difficult or nearly impossible. 00:06:44.440 --> 00:06:48.470 align:center But that doesn't mean they don't want to do it. 00:06:48.470 --> 00:06:50.830 align:center So often, the neurodiverse learner, 00:06:50.830 --> 00:06:55.250 align:center we make a presumption of they don't do social well, 00:06:55.250 --> 00:06:56.990 align:center so they don't want to do it. 00:06:56.990 --> 00:06:58.770 align:center And that's not the case. 00:06:58.770 --> 00:07:02.130 align:center They want to do the social aspects of learning. 00:07:02.130 --> 00:07:06.647 align:center They want to learn alongside their peers. 00:07:06.647 --> 00:07:07.980 align:center Hi, my name is Kameron. 00:07:07.980 --> 00:07:11.360 align:center I plan on attending Central Washington University 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:13.910 align:center for engineering in the fall. 00:07:13.910 --> 00:07:17.520 align:center So my teacher was trying to check in on people, 00:07:17.520 --> 00:07:20.120 align:center like seeing who worked well with who 00:07:20.120 --> 00:07:26.540 align:center and put people who were more willing to help with people 00:07:26.540 --> 00:07:27.862 align:center who maybe needed more help. 00:07:27.862 --> 00:07:29.070 align:center I'm Christine. 00:07:29.070 --> 00:07:30.510 align:center I use she/her pronouns. 00:07:30.510 --> 00:07:32.660 align:center I, for the University of Washington, 00:07:32.660 --> 00:07:35.660 align:center work at the Disability Resources for Students Office, 00:07:35.660 --> 00:07:38.450 align:center or DRS Office for UW Seattle. 00:07:38.450 --> 00:07:39.960 align:center I am the Intake Coordinator. 00:07:39.960 --> 00:07:43.470 align:center I identify as ADHD, neurodivergent. 00:07:43.470 --> 00:07:46.640 align:center And so for faculty, I think it's really important 00:07:46.640 --> 00:07:50.630 align:center to stay in tune with what your students need 00:07:50.630 --> 00:07:53.940 align:center for every single quarter, semester, whatever it might be. 00:07:53.940 --> 00:07:55.730 align:center Every single student, every single class 00:07:55.730 --> 00:07:57.510 align:center is going to be a little bit different. 00:07:57.510 --> 00:08:00.970 align:center Nobody's asking them to modify standards. 00:08:00.970 --> 00:08:05.220 align:center Nobody's asking them to reduce the curriculum 00:08:05.220 --> 00:08:06.370 align:center that they're teaching. 00:08:06.370 --> 00:08:09.540 align:center We're asking them to think differently 00:08:09.540 --> 00:08:11.880 align:center about how to assess learning. 00:08:11.880 --> 00:08:13.860 align:center We're asking them to think differently 00:08:13.860 --> 00:08:17.880 align:center about finding ways for students to show what they know. 00:08:17.880 --> 00:08:21.840 align:center And in doing that, I really believe retention 00:08:21.840 --> 00:08:25.560 align:center for all students increases. 00:08:25.560 --> 00:08:28.860 align:center Be really, really patient and also 00:08:28.860 --> 00:08:32.010 align:center willing to listen to what students need. 00:08:32.010 --> 00:08:36.956 align:center And maybe if you have pre-made notes or something, 00:08:36.956 --> 00:08:38.039 align:center it could be really useful. 00:08:38.039 --> 00:08:41.159 align:center Because I know for me, the way like brain works 00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:43.870 align:center is that yes, I theoretically can take notes, 00:08:43.870 --> 00:08:47.910 align:center but sometimes my brain can't separate the very important 00:08:47.910 --> 00:08:50.820 align:center things from the random things. 00:08:50.820 --> 00:08:56.250 align:center But just being patient and willing to go slow and repeat. 00:08:58.910 --> 00:09:02.897 align:center And maybe breaking down tasks or stuff. 00:09:02.897 --> 00:09:05.230 align:center If you get a large enough group of people 00:09:05.230 --> 00:09:07.510 align:center together, it is all but guaranteed 00:09:07.510 --> 00:09:09.790 align:center that some people of that group will have 00:09:09.790 --> 00:09:11.990 align:center neurodiverse characteristics. 00:09:11.990 --> 00:09:15.700 align:center And when you think about a large college campus, 00:09:15.700 --> 00:09:17.300 align:center the same applies. 00:09:17.300 --> 00:09:20.840 align:center These neurodivergent learners are on our campuses. 00:09:20.840 --> 00:09:22.340 align:center They are in our dorms. 00:09:22.340 --> 00:09:24.650 align:center They're participating in social activities. 00:09:24.650 --> 00:09:29.080 align:center And we really need to understand ways to support them and let 00:09:29.080 --> 00:09:31.360 align:center them know that we value them and we welcome them 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:33.778 align:center in our communities. 00:09:33.778 --> 00:09:36.070 align:center I had one teacher that let me take her chemistry 00:09:36.070 --> 00:09:40.300 align:center exams on a whiteboard, and it radically transformed my success 00:09:40.300 --> 00:09:41.540 align:center as a chemistry student. 00:09:41.540 --> 00:09:42.890 align:center It was incredible. 00:09:42.890 --> 00:09:45.880 align:center And so just those willingnesses to try 00:09:45.880 --> 00:09:49.840 align:center new approaches transformed my school experience. 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:51.550 align:center So some things my professors 00:09:51.550 --> 00:09:54.880 align:center have done that have actually helped with that would be using 00:09:54.880 --> 00:10:01.640 align:center larger text, easier-to-read fonts, shorter paragraphs, 00:10:01.640 --> 00:10:05.140 align:center color coding things, anything to distinguish 00:10:05.140 --> 00:10:07.840 align:center the ideas from each other. 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:11.060 align:center We know there's a need in the STEM workforce. 00:10:11.060 --> 00:10:17.960 align:center We know there's a need for creative problem solving, 00:10:17.960 --> 00:10:20.530 align:center noticing and looking at solutions that others 00:10:20.530 --> 00:10:22.660 align:center may overlook. 00:10:22.660 --> 00:10:26.155 align:center And our neurodiverse students who 00:10:26.155 --> 00:10:31.460 align:center have a different way of thinking, learning, processing, 00:10:31.460 --> 00:10:41.950 align:center noticing the world around them, adds richness to learning, 00:10:41.950 --> 00:10:48.475 align:center and eventually in richness to our STEM workforce. 00:10:48.475 --> 00:10:51.100 align:center We are trying to slowly transform an institution 00:10:51.100 --> 00:10:53.060 align:center that can be accessible to them. 00:10:53.060 --> 00:10:56.080 align:center And it's a good thing because these are incredibly creative 00:10:56.080 --> 00:10:59.660 align:center and interesting minds that bring new approaches to problems 00:10:59.660 --> 00:11:00.930 align:center that we haven't had before. 00:11:00.930 --> 00:11:01.800 align:center And so we want that. 00:11:01.800 --> 00:11:04.370 align:center That's something that we need. 00:11:04.370 --> 00:11:07.650 align:center They bring a lot of strengths to the table. 00:11:07.650 --> 00:11:10.080 align:center They can be incredibly creative. 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:13.250 align:center They can be very direct in their communication. 00:11:13.250 --> 00:11:17.210 align:center They can be very passionate about certain topics. 00:11:17.210 --> 00:11:21.440 align:center They can be very persistent, incredibly persistent learners, 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:23.930 align:center and many more strengths. 00:11:23.930 --> 00:11:26.550 align:center And while every human being is different, 00:11:26.550 --> 00:11:29.990 align:center the neurodiverse learners really do bring some unique talents 00:11:29.990 --> 00:11:31.110 align:center to the campus. 00:11:31.110 --> 00:11:34.477 align:center And I really hope that faculty members keep that in mind 00:11:34.477 --> 00:11:35.935 align:center when they're interacting with them. 00:11:35.935 --> 00:11:38.122 align:center [MUSIC PLAYING] 00:11:39.560 --> 00:11:42.680 align:center To learn more about how you can support neurodiverse 00:11:42.680 --> 00:11:46.220 align:center learners, visit the Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners 00:11:46.220 --> 00:11:49.680 align:center website hosted by the University of Washington, 00:11:49.680 --> 00:11:59.910 align:center uw.edu/doit/programs/nnl. 00:11:59.910 --> 00:12:02.520 align:center Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners 00:12:02.520 --> 00:12:06.250 align:center provides hands-on experiences in neuroscience disciplines, 00:12:06.250 --> 00:12:09.000 align:center networking opportunities, and resources 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:11.160 align:center to high school and early post-secondary 00:12:11.160 --> 00:12:13.963 align:center students identified as neurodiverse learners. 00:12:16.620 --> 00:12:19.830 align:center The Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners project 00:12:19.830 --> 00:12:23.550 align:center is funded by the National Science Foundation, grant number 00:12:23.550 --> 00:12:28.420 align:center DRL-1948591. 00:12:28.420 --> 00:12:32.010 align:center Any questions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations 00:12:32.010 --> 00:12:34.950 align:center expressed in this material are those of the author 00:12:34.950 --> 00:12:37.200 align:center and do not necessarily reflect the views 00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:39.630 align:center of the federal government. 00:12:39.630 --> 00:12:43.146 align:center Copyright 2024, University of Washington. 00:12:45.810 --> 00:12:48.360 align:center Permission is granted to copy these materials 00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:51.310 align:center for educational, non-commercial purposes, 00:12:51.310 --> 00:12:52.920 align:center provided the source is acknowledged. 00:12:52.920 --> 00:12:55.070 align:center [MUSIC PLAYING]