Higher Education Faculty & Staff Resources
Want to learn more about autism and neurodiversity? Start here.
Student Support
- What is Neurodiversity? First-Person definition by John Elder Robison
- Don’t Mourn for Us by Jim Sinclair - An early essay although directed at parents, discusses Autistic identity, which is critical to conceptualizing disability as diversity.
- 10 Things Faculty Need to Understand About Autism by Maggie Coughlin, Lessons she has learned in understanding her autism and in working with her neurodivergent students.
- Learn about autism from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network
CAARES and their partners have developed a variety of supports, resources, and information to support higher ed faculty and staff interested in supporting Neurodivergent students and advancing inclusivity in university settings.
Presentations
Neurodivergence in Higher Education: Strategiest to Support our Students by Dr. Lauren Lestremau Allen and Dr. Noor Syed (CAARES) - October 25, 2023
This presentation includes an overview of neurodivergence and autism, the social vs. medical model of disability, universal supports, and discusses case scenarios.
Validating and Improving the College Experience for Autistic and Neurodiverse Students, session at the 2022 Brain Awareness Symposium at Empire State University by Dr. Noor Syed & Dr. Lauren Allen, CAARES - March 22nd, 2022
Autistic and Neurodiverse individuals are attending college in increasing numbers. However, research continues to highlight the need for increased understanding of the Autistic or Neurodiverse college experience to inform effective services and supports. Background related to models of disability, the neurodiversity movement, and identity will be provided. Student outcomes, differences between K-12 services and higher education, and student perceptions of barriers and supports will be discussed. Drs. Noor Syed and Lauren Allen will share recommendations for faculty and staff centered on a Universal Design approach in addition to strategies for Autistic and Neurodiverse focusing on self-advocacy.
Recommendations for Supporting Autistic and Neurodivergent Students: A Universal Design Approach
Drs. Noor Syed & Lauren Lestremau Allen (CAARES) and Melissa Zgliczynski & Andrea Piazza (Office of Accessibility Resources & Services) discuss the critical role that a Universal Design approach can play in more effectively supporting Neurodivergent students in higher education.
SUNY Access for All Webinar Series: Supporting Our Diverse Student Body By Dr. Noor Syed and Dr. Lauren Allen
Webinars discuss universal strategies to support student success in higher education environments.
Building an Inclusive Higher Education Environment by Dr. Noor Syed & Armando
Bernal Writing discusses the development of CAARES and their proactive approach to creating an inclusive environment, while addressing benefits and challenges through the process.
Learn more about the considerations students experience regarding disclosing their disability and obtaining their accommodations.
Workshop, Invisible and Visible Disabilities Training Rockefeller Institute of Government held February 11th, 2020 by Melissa Zgliczynski (Director, Accessibility Resources and Services, SUNY Empire), Andrea Piazza (Disability Specialist, Accessibility Resources and Services, SUNY Empire), Mary Van Haneghan (CEO, ARC-Austin) Workshop focused on data-driven methods of supporting college students with both visible and invisible disabilities, including the principles of Universal Design. An overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act, along with the mission of SUNY’s office of Accessibility Resources and Services.
Website, Neurodiversity Navigators – Faculty Resources Hub Neurodiversity Navigators, a Bellevue College program, offers educational opportunities and advocacy supports to neurodivergent college students. The Faculty Resources Hub providings guidance and trainings for faculty and staff to help them in supporting neurodivergent students.
YouTube, Stephen Shore on Universal Design for Learning by Dr. Stephen Shore, Professor of Special Education at Adelphi University In a short video, Stephen Shore shares powerful examples of Universal Design for Learning within the college setting.
Accommodations for Neurodiversity in the Classroom by Dr. Dave Caudel, Frist Center for Autism and Innovation at Vanderbilt University An introduction for supervisors looking to accommodate autistic or neurodiverse employees in the workplace. Over 80% of autistic adults are unemployed or underemployed, this video touches on some strategies for helping them be successful at work.
- Tips for Creating Inclusive coursework from the University of Virginia
- Inclusive Course Content & Universal Design from Northwestern Distance Learning
- Incorporating Universal Design for Learning into a College Course by Dr. Peterson-Ahmad and Dr. Luther
- How to Use DEI in Online Courses from the Chronicle of Higher Education
- Open Access text, Universal Design in Higher Education: Promising Practices, Edited by Sheryl E. Burgstahler
- Learn more about a variety of strategies to support student executive functioning in this collaboration between CAARES and Steve Motto of CUSP Educational Services
- Closed Captioning as a Learning Aid
- Learn more about Social Annotation and watch a video tutorial from Dr. Allen and a presentation on social annotation by Dr. Allen and Daniel McCrea.
- Is your student-facing content accessible? Evaluate with this checklist.
- Learn more about text to speech and share resources with your students
- Learn more about speech to text and share resources with your students
- Faculty tip sheet for guided notes by Dr. William Heward
- Graphic organizers by subject area
Contact
CAARES
SUNY Empire Students, Faculty, Staff And Professional Employees:
For support, resources, consultation, and collaboration
Community Connections:
For support, consultation, and resources
