The next talk in the Neurodiversity Series will take place Friday, September 23, from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Zoom. Please register here for the talk, “Real-World Application of Universal Design: An Overview and Tips for Implementation in the Higher Education Setting.”

We are excited to host Dr. Emily Helft of Landmark College. Dr. Helft works at Landmark College’s Institute for Research and Training as their Assistant Director of Professional Development. She works directly with educators to champion accessibility through education, outreach, and professional development opportunities. While she was born less than 50 miles from the Landmark College campus in Putney, Vermont, she currently calls Richmond, Virginia home.

Universal Design (UD) is a critical aspect of providing an inclusive, accessible educational experience for the richly diverse learners of the modern classroom, particularly as it relates to Executive Functioning (EF) support. This presentation will introduce the concepts of both UD and EF to help educators better understand the foundations behind successful utilization of Universal Design in their courses. Following roughly 45 minutes of content delivery, a Q&A session will be offered to target attendee questions and interests.

Following Dr. Helft’s presentation, we are honored to host a panel of community college educators who will share their experiences with UDL:

• Kim Grewe, NOVA, instructional designer
• Naomi Simpson, Laurel Ridge Community College (Warrenton, Va.), communication studies professor
• Z. Zinter, Holyoke Community College (Mass.), psychology and business professor

Staff and faculty who will be on-campus during the session are invited to view the presentation on “the big screen” at the Annandale Center for Contemplative Practice in CM-332. If you have any questions or comments about the Neurodiversity Series, please contact Melissa Chabot at mchabot@nvcc.edu.

Please access registration for the Neurodiversity Events HERE

Based off of feedback from the focus group we held, The Neurodiversity Project has evolved into an informative series targeted to two main groups on campus: Students and Faculty/Staff. Our goal is to provide information about neurodiversity and provide each audience group with action steps. Our hope is that members of the NOVA Community feel more informed and empowered to support our neurodiverse students, staff, and faculty.

 

Events geared toward faculty*:

Friday, September 9, 1-3

“Understanding and supporting neurodiverse learners” followed by a brief dyslexia simulation

HYFLEX option/in-person & online

 

Friday, September 23, 1-3

“Universal design for learning as a tool of equity in the classroom” followed by a panel of community college instructors sharing how they use UDL in the classroom.

HYFLEX option/in-person & online

 

*Faculty attending both workshops will receive a certificate of attendance.

 

Events geared toward students:

TBD October

“What I wish my professor knew” panel of neurodiverse students.

In-person only location TBD

 

TBD October

“Finish the semester strong” group coaching in executive functioning skills.

In-person or HYFLEX TBD

 

In addition to these sessions, we have collaborated with the Annandale Library’s collection librarian, Melanie Medina, to develop the neurodiversity resources easily accessible to the NOVA community. We are currently in-process of developing a webpage, which will be developed to offer more information about the grant, resources, and event recordings. https://blogs.nvcc.edu/neurodiversity/

The Neurodiversity Campaign is a collaboration between Accommodations and Accessibility Services Counselor, Susie Ko and Communication Studies Assistant Professor, Melissa Chabot. This communication campaign has the goal of bringing awareness of  neurodiversity on our NOVA Campuses, and to create a space that respects our neurodiverse students, staff, and faculty as the key purveyors of knowledge about their experiences. 

The principle of diversity provides the foundation to accept disability as part of human variation. Social structures and policies restricting or ignoring the rights of people with disabilities often lead to discrimination and exclusion. Neurodiversity is a normal variation of the human experience. With this belief, individuals will be treated humanely, and with more understanding of different ways of learning and experiencing the world.

Imagine a NOVA that celebrates neurodiversity

Imagine a NOVA campus atmosphere where students who learn differently can be recognized for their strengths. Imagine a NOVA student who identifies as neurodiverse, finds a community that understands and supports their goal of attaining a degree. Imagine an autistic student, walking through campus to attend a speaking event with an autistic individual who shares their experiences. Imagine a NOVA student struggling with a learning disability, on their way to an executive functioning workshop focused on students with similar challenges. Imagine an instructor, walking through campus, seeing awareness of their own neurodiversity recognized through this campaign.

Imagine our community of students, staff, and faculty, walking through campus, recognizing the important role each of us plays in our community. We envision a NOVA campus that supports and creates space for neurodiverse students to be successful in our college community.