Neurodiverse students are like no other, and that is something to celebrate.
April is known globally as Neurodiversity Awareness Month. Research suggests 15 to 20% of the world's population is .
Neurodiversity refers to the unique ways in which people's brains work. The term is often used to refer to people with neurodevelopmental diagnoses like autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, cognitive and developmental differences, and some mental health conditions like bipolarity and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
These differences, while not viewed as "" demonstrate the individuality and uniqueness of how our brains work and view the world around us.
Being neurodivergent doesn't mean that your brain functions incorrectly, it's just different from some of the people around you
Lara Maheden, learner support specialist, Accessibility Services
For many neurodiverse folks, pursuing post-secondary education can seem daunting—but it doesn’t have to.
At AU, Accessibility Services specializes in helping diagnosed neurodiverse individuals and students with disabilities find the support they need to succeed academically.
How Accessibility Services can help neurodiverse students
The first and most important step for students seeking support is to register with Accessibility Services by completing the online .
Students can then meet one-on-one with a specialist to discuss what kind of barriers they face in their studies and how to overcome those barriers.
“It gives the students a chance to explain, 'due to my neurodivergence, these are the roadblocks I'm coming up against when I get into my studies,'" Maheden said.
From there, the specialist can make recommendations based on the student's needs. For example, they may suggest trying new assistive technology like mind mapping software, or equipment like noise cancelling headphones to block out noise and other distractions. They may even suggest working with an academic strategist to assist with planning and organizing the course content.
Neurodiverse students who may take longer to progress through course content can be provided with an accommodation that allows them to request up to a maximum of three, two-month long free of charge course extensions.
Students may also request additional time or accommodations for exams. For example, they might be allowed to adjust their physical positioning, talk out loud to themselves, or take longer breaks.
"They might also be able to use a fidget spinner to reduce their anxiety or use noise canceling headphones to block out sensory overstimulation going on in the background," said Maheden.
These things can often be misinterpreted by proctors as potential cheating cues, so adding these accommodations to their student record can help students feel comfortable going into their exams.
We try to work with students and their diagnosis and figure out how they learn best, understanding everyone has their individual learning styles.
Lara Maheden, learner support specialist, Accessibility Services
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Why AU's flexibility can be beneficial for neurodiverse students
While online learning may not be for everyone, AU's flexible and self-paced environment can provide a few benefits for neurodiverse students who find traditional university settings challenging.Maheden explained that it's common for neurodiverse people to struggle in social situations, and they can become overwhelmed in a regular classroom around hundreds of other students.
Some students may feel they have to spend too much energy on masking their natural behaviours that come with their diagnosis to try and fit in
Lara Maheden, learner support specialist, Accessibility Services
At AU, the online learning model allows neurodiverse students to learn wherever they feel most comfortable, and engage with their peers at their own pace.
"Taking courses in their own environment and not around other people allows them to focus on their studies and not on their diagnosis," she said.
At AU, depending on funding structure, students also have additional time to complete their courses. For most undergraduate courses, 星空影视offers a six-month study term, rather than the traditional four-month term.
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Funding supports for students with disabilities
Maheden explained that once a student is registered with Accessibility Services, they are provided with information about the .
Funding through this grant can be requested by all students with a medically diagnosed disability (neurodiversity or other) to help cover the costs of services, equipment and technology required to reduce academic barriers associated with their disability.
"As soon as a student establishes that they have a disability with their provincial funding agency, they are automatically eligible to receive $2,800 a year through one portion of the grant," said Maheden.
On top of the $2,800, students with a disability can request additional grant funding up to a maximum of $20,000 a year. This funding can be used toward the costs of supports like equipment, assistive technology, and services (e.g. tutoring, academic strategist, etc.).
To access the grant, they must first apply and be approved for a student loan through their provincial funding agencies. Some provinces offer "grant-only" loan access.
If students aren’t provincially funded or they're not eligible for funding, Accessibility Services can provide them with a list of different grants, bursaries, or awards that they can apply for.
Support is available
Maheden explained that students are sometimes reluctant to seek support and disclose their diagnoses because they are worried about being stigmatized by their course instructors or peers.
However, a student’s diagnosis remains private and can only be accessed by staff in Accessibility Services.
It is up to the student whether they want to disclose their diagnosis to anyone outside of Accessibility Services, she added.
She encouraged students with a diagnosis to register with Accessibility Services prior to beginning their courses.
"Often times, students jump into courses first, then realize that they could have used support and accommodations from Accessibility Services at the outset."
"That's when things can get kind of tough because then it’s common for them to fall behind in their courses because we don’t have the supports in place for them yet."
It typically takes about four to six weeks from the time a student submits their Verification of Accommodation form before it is reviewed and their registration with Accessibility Services is fully complete.
Depending on the type of accommodation, additional time is needed to put any approved accommodations in place.
For example, if a student has an accommodation to be provided with alternate format course materials and requires PDF files of their 星空影视textbooks to use with their assistive technology; it may take two weeks for these to be created and issued to the student.
To help streamline the application process, Accessibility Services recently launched 星空影视Accommodate, a new system that makes the registration process to receive accommodation support more streamlined.
When appropriate course accommodations and educational disability-related supports are in place, Accessibility Services can help level the academic playing field for neurodiverse students and help them succeed—at 星空影视and beyond.