Developing an Inclusive Campus for Autistic Students

Autistic students in higher education are an often-overlooked group despite autism often being associated with unique perspectives and strengths such as honesty, thinking "out-of-the box"; a keen sense of right and wrong, and intense focus on favorite subjects. The need for a neurodiversity-affirming approach is further underscored by the stigma, isolation, and inaccessible classroom environments that autistic students frequently face. This practice brief outlines specific neurodiversity-affirming approaches for educators in higher education, and further describes how neurodiversity-affirming approaches benefit all students. We draw on the principles of Universal Design for Learning to outline five key domains of classroom inclusion: sensory and movement, punctuality and structure, group work and presentation, tests and evaluation, and sense of security and belonging. Within each domain of inclusion, we provide concrete suggestions for educators. We additionally provide specific suggestions to help educators implement student-centered approaches which facilitate a sense of belonging. Finally, we extend these principles beyond the classroom to describe broader systemic changes that universities can implement to increase neurodiversity inclusion with a particular emphasis on intersectionality.