Neurodiversity Updates
by Karin Wulf and Warrenetta Mann
Two years ago John Robison officially kicked off the W&M Neurodiversity Initiative with his standing-room-only talk to hundreds of campus and community folks about autism and how to Be Different (the title of his second of three NYT bestselling memoirs of life on the autism spectrum). This year, Robison was appointed as a Scholar-in-Residence at the College. His appointment is testament to the expansion, success and ambition of the Neurodiversity Initiative .
Student Advocacy: Neurodiversity Student Group members planned a set of activities for April, Autism Acceptance Month to include an Autism 101 talk for the campus community by Joel Carver; a panel discussion on living with Aspergers at W&M featuring Danielle Thomas, Joel Carver, and Hayley Outlaw; and a media discussion called “Deconstructing Sheldon” to address the character on the hit series “The Big Bang” and representation of Autism in media.
Counseling and Campus Support: The Counseling Center has hosted a number of events for neurodiverse students, including a “small talk” workshop in conjunction with the Career Center, focused on creating more comfort with important social skills, and a lunch series for students to meet with the speakers who have come to campus. Warrenetta Mann has provided a workshop for new Resident Advisors on Neurodiversity and campus life.
Prospective Students and Parents: Josh Burk, Warrenetta Mann, Joel Schwartz, and Karin Wulf have regularly met and spoken with students drawn to the College by the Neurodiversity Initiative, with students already planning to apply or attend who were looking for support and resources and by alums with children they believe could thrive at their alma mater with the right support.
Curriculum: A 2012-13 University Teaching Project (UTP) led by Psychology and Neuroscience professor Josh Burk, and including Cheryl Dickter (Psychology), Karin Wulf (History and the Omohundro Institute) and Janice Zeman (Psychology) developed resources for best practices in classroom inclusion and a PowerPoint presentation for classroom use by instructors and students (“The Hidden Rules of Seminars”). This presentation has been posted on the Neurodiversity Working Group website for use on campus and beyond.
