By Carla Chugani, PhD, LPC, Vice President of Clinical Programs at Mantra Health

Neurodiversity is a term that, broadly speaking, is used to describe all of the variations in how the human brain works. This includes behavior, sensory and information processing, self-regulatory processes, and much more. 

The term itself has been around for 30 years and is used as a way to combat stigma, particularly against those with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and learning disorders. 

Defining Neurodiversity

The traditional medical model characterizes these neurodevelopmental differences as pathology or disordered and suggests that they don’t work “properly,” therefore causing challenges with meeting culturally normative expectations or milestones. In contrast, framing these differences as diversity acknowledges that there isn’t a “correct” way for the human brain to work. 

While it’s true that neurodiverse individuals do experience various challenges, much of this stems from having to try to adapt to a society that has been constructed for neurotypical individuals. And when we’re not included, aren’t given the same opportunities, and don’t get access to reasonable accommodations, this is going to have a cascade of effects on us and our ability to be successful in the world.

The value of neurodiversity

Neurodiversity enriches communities, including college communities. With more and more neurodiverse students arriving on campus, it’s important for higher education leaders to recognize and celebrate these students. 

Neurodiverse students bring a unique set of experiences, perspectives, and strengths. Take students with ADHD, for example, who often harbor creative and unconventional ways of thinking and solving problems. These students may be more willing to take risks and try new things, which is critical for innovation – and they are often highly empathic, resilient, and open to new ideas and experiences.¹ 

It’s precisely because of these special strengths and qualities that neurodiversity is coming to be seen as a competitive advantage in the workforce. While some neurodiverse individuals may not act in the same ways as their colleagues, they are bringing skills and focus to the table that far outweighs the cost of the reasonable accommodations they might need.

Challenges facing neurodiverse students

Research shows that neurodiverse students tend to have less favorable experiences on campus relative to their peers in a number of domains. This includes higher rates of mental health problems, higher rates of dropout, lower overall educational attainment, and lower employment rates.²

In some of my own research, students described the challenge of being at the mercy of their professors when it comes to their ability to access accommodations. While faculty are used to providing certain standard types of accommodations such as extended testing time or distraction free testing environments, students with other types of needs sometimes find themselves having to reveal their protected health information (PHI) to help faculty understand why they deserve an accommodation that has already been granted by the disability services office. While this is a clear violation of student’s rights, it unfortunately occurs on a far too common basis.

Ways to offer support

Dwyer and colleagues published a 2023 paper “Building Neurodiversity-Inclusive Postsecondary Campuses: Recommendations for Leaders in Higher Education,”³ in which they gave clear action steps for making institutions more inclusive of neurodivergent students. 

First, they encourage institutions (and higher education leaders) to recognize neurodiversity as a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issue. Even if your campus doesn’t utilize the term “DEI,” you should view neurodiversity from this lens. They also suggest focusing on making strategic improvements to accommodations and supports, and adapting communication and engagement options to improve access. 

What does this look like in practice? Some of their recommendations include:

• Establishing Disability Cultural Centers
• Providing campus-wide neurodiversity training
• Fostering neurodivergent leadership
• Making eligibility requirements less onerous
• Respecting students’ decisions to involve support people
• Providing more comprehensive mental health services

When you adapt structures and systems to better suit the needs of neurodiverse students, you inevitably make your campus more inclusive and accessible for all students. Learn how Mantra Health can help support the neurodiverse students at your institution. Fill out this form to get started.

About the author:

Dr. Carla Chugani is a clinical and translational scientist and researcher whose work is focused on increasing equitable access to high quality mental health care for college students. She is currently Vice President of Clinical Programs for Mantra Health, where she oversees the clinical design and strategy of digital mental health products and services designed to support access to high quality care for college students. Prior to joining Mantra Health, she was an assistant professor of pediatrics, psychiatry, and clinical and translational science at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Health, where she still remains as an affiliated faculty member. Her research lies broadly at the intersection of mental health and higher education, and she has published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles in this area. Dr. Chugani is also a clinical expert in the practice of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a Linehan Board Certified DBT Clinician, board member, and co-chair of the conference for the International Society for the Improvement and Teaching of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (ISITDBT).

Citations: 

1. Nordby, E. S., Guribye, F., Nordgreen, T., & Lundervold, A. J. (2023). Silver linings of ADHD: A thematic analysis of adults’ positive experiences with living with ADHD. BMJ Open, 13(10), e072052. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-072052 ↩︎
2. Coduti, W. A., Hayes, J. A., Locke, B. D., & Youn, S. J. (2016). Mental health and professional help-seeking among college students with disabilities. Rehabilitation Psychology, 61(3), 288–296. https://doi.org/10.1037/rep0000101 ↩︎
3. Dwyer P, Mineo E, Mifsud K, Lindholm C, Gurba A, Waisman TC. Building Neurodiversity-Inclusive Postsecondary Campuses: Recommendations for Leaders in Higher Education. Autism in Adulthood. 2021;3(2):146-155. doi:10.1089/aut.2021.0042. ↩︎