Tuesday, April 9, 2024, 3 – 5pm PDT
Workshop Description: Neurodiversity is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of disorders including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, and others. More recently, the term neurodiversity has been used to encompass individuals who identify as neurodivergent but who may or may not have a medial diagnosis, and who may or may not receive accommodations in their educational trajectory. Neurodivergent students report challenges in academic settings including (a) difficulty in transitioning to a new environment, (b) changes in structures, supports, and routines, (c) feelings of isolation, anxiety, and overwhelm, (d) fear of stigmatization if they disclose a diagnosis, (e) perceived need to conform to academic norms (Clouder et al., 2020). Educators can support neurodivergent students both in practical strategies in the classroom, by teaching the “hidden rules” and expectations of academic culture (Payne, 2018) and by intentionally fostering a sense of belonging and encouraging “brave spaces.” Specific equity-minded teaching practices that will be introduced through a neurodiversity lens include building intrapersonal awareness, developing transparently designed assignments, and critical discourse analysis of student-faculty interactions.
For questions about accessibility or to request reasonable accommodations, please contact Som Sayasone at ctl@csus.edu at least five (5) business days in advance or as soon as possible. You can also complete our CTL Event Accommodation Request Form.