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Fred Zinn, the College of Education’s Associate Director for Digital Learning, and Rachel Adams, Disability Services’ Associate Director of Education and Training, were recently featured on Episode 138 of the Think UDL podcast to discuss neuroinclusive advising, specifically how faculty and staff can better support and advise neurodivergent students. 

The Think UDL podcast, created by Lillian Nave, a Senior Lecturer and the Universal Design for Learning Coordinator at Appalachian State University, hosts conversations on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and neurodivergent inclusivity in teaching. UDL is a teaching strategy that centers on the diversity of learning styles among students, and provides guidelines for educators to best promote engagement, representation, action, and expression in their classrooms. 

An avid listener of Nave’s podcast, Zinn elaborates, “...universal design principles are a very effective way to address the many ways that students learn, especially those with disabilities and divergent cognitive processes. So I was very excited to meet a familiar voice, and even more excited when Lilian invited us to record an episode with her.” 

Adams and Zinn, who presented on neuroinclusive advising strategies at last year’s POD Network Annual Conference, spoke on Think UDL about differing learning styles, advisors’ role and relationship with students, time blindness, barriers neurodivergent students face in higher education, and much more.

According to Zinn and Adams, the question of whether or not to disclose one’s neurodivergence to their university is a significant question students face, especially when transitioning to a new learning environment. Adams elaborated, “...the expectations that are imposed or assumed on to students as they’re going through these transitions, and you know, thinking about how, essentially, a lot of students are coming in and thinking about the experiences of they’ve had…masking trying to perform as if they are neurotypical, and that takes a huge cognitive and mental and emotional load for students to have to navigate those kinds of barriers.” 

In the case of disclosing to a university and/or an advisor, fears can arise among students that further prevent them from wanting to disclose, as Zinn noted, “...only 37% of undergrads with disabilities will disclose to their universities…when you’re dealing with an advisor, this is somebody you want to impress. Maybe someone recruited you, somebody who’s really encouraging you at the beginning. How do you go about disclosing to this person? Do you want to disclose? Do you not want to disclose?”

Listen to Episode 138 of Think UDL’s podcast to hear more on neuroinclusive support. For more information about advising strategies and resources, visit the College of Education’s Digital Learning Group website. For more information on the Universal Design for Learning, visit the creator’s website

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