Communicating with Neurodiverse Students in the College Classroom
Start Date
12-4-2024 3:45 PM
Location
CASB 101
Document Type
Presentation
Abstract
The term neurodiversity, originally coined to describe and advocate for people on the autism spectrum, has more recently gained currency with scholars and practitioners alike, to include other kinds of learning disabilities. In college classrooms particularly, neurodivergent students are expected to take responsibility and advocate for themselves, however not all students are able to do this successfully. Particularly students who do not have documentation, often struggle silently because of stigma or because they are unable to articulate what they need, or both. Moreover, faculty in the vast majority of higher education institutions typically receive no training on how to address the kinds of neurodiversity they are likely to encounter in the classroom, unless they have degrees in such fields as special education or psychology; others are simply left to handle these situations as best as they can. Students with “documented disabilities” often produce a document asking for accommodations such as extra time on exams, however the faculty member has no idea about the specific challenge the student faces and the extent to which the said condition impacts the student’s learning, unless the student discloses this information. Communication is central to learning more about the needs of a student, yet in the case of neurodiverse students it must be done with sensitivity and without violating the privacy of the student. Based on in-depth interviews with faculty members and students at a 4-year liberal arts college, this paper explores the various ways in which neurodiversity emerges in the classroom and how faculty communicate with students to address their diverse needs. The findings reveal that while programs such as TRIO and offices of disability services support students in various ways, there is little support or training for faculty on most college campuses on this subject. Therefore this paper argues for more training for faculty focused on appropriate and effective communication strategies to work with the most common kinds of neurodiversity we encounter in higher education classrooms.
Keywords
neurodiversity, communication, faculty training, higher education
Communicating with Neurodiverse Students in the College Classroom
CASB 101
The term neurodiversity, originally coined to describe and advocate for people on the autism spectrum, has more recently gained currency with scholars and practitioners alike, to include other kinds of learning disabilities. In college classrooms particularly, neurodivergent students are expected to take responsibility and advocate for themselves, however not all students are able to do this successfully. Particularly students who do not have documentation, often struggle silently because of stigma or because they are unable to articulate what they need, or both. Moreover, faculty in the vast majority of higher education institutions typically receive no training on how to address the kinds of neurodiversity they are likely to encounter in the classroom, unless they have degrees in such fields as special education or psychology; others are simply left to handle these situations as best as they can. Students with “documented disabilities” often produce a document asking for accommodations such as extra time on exams, however the faculty member has no idea about the specific challenge the student faces and the extent to which the said condition impacts the student’s learning, unless the student discloses this information. Communication is central to learning more about the needs of a student, yet in the case of neurodiverse students it must be done with sensitivity and without violating the privacy of the student. Based on in-depth interviews with faculty members and students at a 4-year liberal arts college, this paper explores the various ways in which neurodiversity emerges in the classroom and how faculty communicate with students to address their diverse needs. The findings reveal that while programs such as TRIO and offices of disability services support students in various ways, there is little support or training for faculty on most college campuses on this subject. Therefore this paper argues for more training for faculty focused on appropriate and effective communication strategies to work with the most common kinds of neurodiversity we encounter in higher education classrooms.