Montana State workshop focuses on supporting neurodiverse learners

BOZEMAN - Dozens of individuals, including high school teachers, university faculty members, students, alumni and local parents gathered at Montana State University on Friday to discuss ways of supporting neurodiverse learners in educational settings.

Neurodiversity is not a medical term but instead is the concept that differences in the ways brains function - such as autism, dyslexia or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder - are normal variations that come with both strengths and weaknesses. Individuals or groups that exhibit those variations are considered neurodivergent or neurodiverse. The larger population is said to be neurotypical.

The Neurodiversity Workshop featured three panel discussions focused on perspectives about high school and transitioning to college for neurodiverse learners; college and post-college transition perspectives for neurodiverse learners; and current resources offered to neurodiverse learners at MSU. The workshop aimed to share how MSU and the Bozeman community can allocate resources and improve the transition outcomes for neurodivergent students in higher education.

"We don't have all the answers, and sometimes we are not asking the right questions," said Nadya Modyanova, an assistant research professor in the mechanical and industrial engineering department and one of the organizers of the event. "A goal for the workshop is to identify the right questions and work toward answers."

One panelist, a current MSU student, said that a special education class in high school helped him become less afraid of sending emails and asking questions. He said he learned to be more accepting of test results. Another panelist said that a high school class he took on social strategies helped him learn how to make friends and what clues to look for when trying to read body language.

Hannah Haygood, a high school special education teacher who helped develop the social strategies class, noted that part of her goal as an educator is "empowering students to understand they have a lot of value.

"We're not trying to change students, but to give them tools to perceive others' communication and to perceive how their communication is being perceived," she said.

A graduate of MSU's LIFE Scholars program, Karstyn Clawson, answered questions about her experience at MSU. The LIFE Scholars program was founded in 2018 and supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (LIFE stands for Learning Is For Everyone.) The inclusive post-secondary experience consists of three main components: academics, career development, and campus engagement. LIFE Scholars who have strong independent living skills can also live on campus.

Clawson said she loved making friends and living in MSU's residence halls. She added that she also loved her art classes. She said she now has a part-time job in the community and dreams of working for a video game company or developing an app.

The final panel discussion included information about resources currently available to support neurodiverse learners on campus. Those panelists included representatives from numerous MSU offices, including the Allen Yarnell Center for Student Success, MSU Library, Counseling and Psychological Services, Office of Disability Services, Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons. Representatives from MonTECH and HRDC also participated.

Several workshop participants noted a need for additional resources and support for neurodiverse learners, particularly for those students who may not need as much support as the LIFE Scholars program provides but more support than a neurotypical student. College of Education, Health and Human Development Dean Tricia Seifert, who participated in the second panel, noted that the event was a first step, and it was inspiring to see dozens of people attend the workshop.

"Forty people here today, including high school teachers, MSU instructors and faculty really want to understand what (neurodiverse) brains look like in their classrooms and support (those students)," she said. "This is an important beginning conversation."

The workshop was organized by Modyanova and Carolyn Long, a speech and language pathologist and founder of Social Optics, which is a computer-based instructional program to teach social and communication skills to children and young adults. The workshop was funded by an MSU Outreach and Engagementseed grant. Modyanova is also funded by a Montana INBRE grant to support her research on using hand gestures to improve language comprehension in neurodiverse children and adults, using eye tracking and EEG technology, as part of BioReD Hub, which is co-directed by Bernadette McCrory.

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