In spring 2025, Illinois State University celebrated Neurodiversity Week, with the overarching goal of increasing awareness of neurodiversity on campus and enhancing the sense of belonging for neurodivergent students, faculty, and staff. The week’s events, organized by the Center for Integrated Professional Development (CIPD) and Student Access and Accommodation Services (SAAS), were considered highly successful by participants and organizers alike.
Event reception and impact
The weeklong celebration was well received by both students and faculty. According to Mayko Nakamura, of CIPD, and Lori Henehan, of SAAS, the event successfully raised awareness and encouraged a supportive environment. Recent research and focus groups conducted with neurodivergent students revealed experiences with faculty, staff, and other students. The event aimed to address these issues by presenting topics that would help faculty and staff increase their awareness and learn how to better support neurodivergent individuals in classrooms and across campus.
Autism Goes to College: Screening and discussion
One of the highlights of Neurodiversity Week was the screening of the documentary Autism Goes to College, followed by a panel discussion. Here are some key takeaways from the documentary:
- Diverse perspectives enhance campus life: Autistic students contribute unique viewpoints and skills that enrich both the academic and social environments of college.
- Essential support systems: The success of autistic students often depends on personalized support, including mentoring, counseling, and accommodations. These can make a significant difference in helping autistic students thrive in a college environment.
- Creating inclusive spaces: Faculty, staff, and peers play a crucial role in supporting inclusive settings by being attentive, adjusting communication methods, and showing flexibility, thereby helping autistic students feel valued, understood, and empowered.
The film highlighted the experiences of five autistic students navigating college life, providing insights from faculty, parents, staff, and friends. The subsequent panel discussion featured three neurodivergent Illinois State students and one faculty member who shared their individual experiences, highlighting the supports and accommodations that have contributed to their success. They also discussed experiences in the classroom and beyond that have shaped their educational journey. Attendees gained valuable perspectives on the strengths and abilities of neurodivergent students and their passions for the future.
Dr. Jeff Wagman is a professor in the Department of Psychology and neurodivergent. He was a member of the panel discussion and described the college classroom as such: “The challenges are in creating an environment in which a person’s unique set of strengths can be maximized and unique set of weaknesses can be minimized. … This takes ingenuity, persistence, and most of all, support from classmates, professors, and the University in general.”
Rebecca Reidy, a senior at Illinois State, described her college experience as hard. “My biggest challenges in college have been reading assignments, communication, and burnout.” Reidy was diagnosed with a learning disability related to language, which makes reading and comprehension more difficult for her. “What would normally take someone an hour to read could take me up to three hours,” Reidy said. “I had a professor assign me videos that covered the same topic rather than reading an article. This was a huge breakthrough for me, and I started to use this tool in other classes as well.”
Feedback and personal reflections
Henehan, who has worked in Access and Accommodations for over 20 years, shared her thoughts: “For me, it was eye-opening to see members of our audience feel comfortable sharing their own experiences with neurodivergence. Whether it was experiences with a family member, student, or personal experience, our audience felt comfortable speaking up, sharing their own experiences, and asking questions of the panel.
“It provided a sense of belonging where there may have been previous barriers to feeling comfortable sharing that information or feeling the need to mask who they truly are. I felt a sense of pride, strength, and belonging from those in the room.”
Lori also noted: “I noticed a willingness to improve our campus and make our spaces more accessible physically, environmentally, and especially in our attitudes. One of the premises of neurodiversity is ‘Nothing About Us Without Us.’ These events and the showing of Autism Goes to College further exude this concept as steps are taken that include and ask what it is that is needed of neurodivergent students, faculty, and staff.”
“Generally, being neurodiverse in college comes with a lot more work than the average student,” said Reidy. “I have found that compared to my roommate, friends, and classmates, I had to spend a lot more time reading directions, understanding instructions, communicating questions, and getting every piece of writing proofread.”
Another student on the panel, Aidan Marcikic, said: “College students who are neurodiverse experience a range of triumphs that are like their neurotypical peers: they ace their finals; they go on research trips and make friends. But specifically, for many with autism, there needs to be a robust and gentle support system to navigate a system not designed for them.”
Embracing Neurodiversity in the Classroom
Another significant session was “Embracing Neurodiversity in the Classroom,” which covered topics such as the paradigm shift from normal versus abnormal to neurodivergent versus neurotypical. College provides a unique space for neurodivergent students to explore their interests and find their vocational paths. Nakamura shared results from student focus groups, discussing effective pedagogies for neurodivergent students. The workshop concluded with discussions on various scenarios faced by neurodivergent students and strategies for understanding, accepting, and accommodating their needs.
“Once I transferred to ISU, the large campus environment changed all that,” Marcikic said. “I grew in my social and professional life and joined a variety of campus RSOs. From my experience at ISU, I hope to pursue a MSW to mentor and help others facing similar challenges.”
Best practices for supporting neurodivergent students
The sessions recommended several strategies for supporting neurodivergent students:
- Provide formal accommodations and remain open to additional requests from neurodivergent students.
- Utilize neurodivergent students’ strengths and provide support in executive functioning, group work, and social engagement.
- Design a course with Universal Design for Learning.
- Consider a balanced approach to flexibility and structure.
- Be mindful of sensory needs.
Future plans and personal stories
Looking ahead, Nakamura and Henehan hope to continue these events next year, potentially featuring speakers, book discussions, and further exploration of neurodiversity. Individual experiences shared during the week highlighted the importance of creating inclusive spaces where neurodivergent individuals feel comfortable and supported.
“Academics is a wonderful home for neurodivergent people,” Wagman said. “Not only is academia accepting of diversity in all forms, but the day-to-day life of being an academic particularly suits many of the strengths of neurodivergent people, from curiosity, focus, creativity, exactingness, imagination, to many others.”
Neurodiversity Week at Illinois State provides a platform for faculty and staff to deepen their understanding of neurodiversity, creating a more accessible and inclusive campus environment. Whether through in-person attendance, virtual participation, or individual exploration, the event offered valuable opportunities for learning and growth for everyone, and they were able to explore at their own comfort. “Sponsored by the Center for Integrated Professional Development and Student Access and Accommodation Services, our hope was for faculty and staff of ISU to gain perspective in the area of Neurodiversity and deepen their own understanding which we hope will further shape accessibility and belonging at ISU,” said Henehan.
