By: Mary Burke
A University of Maryland student is currently developing a student organization for neurodivergent members of the campus community, filling a much-needed space for these students to interact with their peers.
Kelin Zhu, a freshman mathematics major, is working to start a Neurodiversity Club for members of the campus community who may have difficulty finding opportunities to share their experiences with other students.
“This is a space where neurodivergent students can really be comfortable with each other, or at least…I want to make it that way,” said Zhu.
The term “neurodiversity” typically refers to a large spectrum of learning disabilities, including autism, ADHD and Down syndrome.
Alongside providing a chance for students to feel a stronger sense of belonging, Zhu also hopes that these discussions can help facilitate change for students on the neurodiverse spectrum.
“It’s almost like a mobilizing force for the issues that neurodivergent students face in…college,” Zhu said.
The initiative is also supported by several faculty members who work with neurodivergent members of the community.
Kathy Dow-Burger, director of Neurodiversity and Autism Transition Services at the university, believes that the club could have “lots of benefits” for students struggling to adapt to campus life. The NATS program, a subdivision of the university’s Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, aids neurodiverse students in adjusting to college life.
“To me, it’s really important to be able to have neurodivergent students supporting neurodivergent students, and having that leadership and…vision,” said Dow-Burger.
Although there are resources available for neurodivergent students on campus, such as the SIGNA program, there is a lack of space for students to voice their concerns in a casual, non-medicalized setting.
According to Zhu, “these programs don’t necessarily…offer an extensive amount of social space,” noting that meetings with faculty-led organizations typically focus on evaluating students’ progress in transition programs.
Zhu’s observations are shared by other members of the neurodivergent campus community.
“I feel like it’s hard to find resources for people with more extreme neurodiversities,” said Kira Noyes, a junior neuroscience major.
They added, “The benefits of a club based around neurodiversity is that people would be able to see that they aren’t alone in their struggles with neurodiversity.”
The club’s development coincides with a growing interest in a group dedicated to connecting neurodiverse peers, among students and parents alike.
“I’ve had people…mostly parents, reaching out, saying, ‘Can you sponsor a club?’” said Dow-Burger.
The organization represents an effort to revive a student-led neurodiversity community on campus, left vacant by the dissolution of the Autism Student Group in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic.
“I just wanted a chill space for neurodivergent students to…hang out and find each other,” said Zhu.
The group’s first meeting took place on Nov. 19 in HJ Patterson Hall. The club is planning to launch as an official student organization sometime during the spring semester.