The neurodiversity paradigm and the future of higher education

While traditional academic accommodations at the postsecondary level have focused on serving the needs of individuals with orthopedic, sensory, or learning challenges (including Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), an increasing number of neurodiverse students are pursuing higher education. The neurodiversity movement views disability from a social perspective, not from a medical framework. As discussed in this chapter, this initiative is most often associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder as the initial neurodiversity movement sought to reframe Autism as an identity not as a pathology. Subsequently, other disabilities have also begun to associate with the neurodiversity movement. In this chapter, we will address various types of neurodiversity, including the growing mental health challenges being reported by college students. We also discuss the increasing numbers of neurodiverse students attending post-secondary institutions and the supports and services they need in order to succeed in these environments.