The University of Cincinnati Clermont College is carving a path towards inclusivity, being selected as one of seven North American institutions to test the waters of the College Autism Network's Autism-Inclusive Campus Designation (AICD). This initiative recognizes colleges that create welcoming environments for autistic and neurodivergent folks. Details of these plans and the inspiration behind them, which align with principles learned from Ireland’s AsIAm model, were outlined in an article published by UC News earlier this week.
UC Clermont Professor Patty Goedl, accompanied by colleagues Kim Hunter and Meera Rastogi, is at the forefront of this neuroinclusive thrust. "We don’t want to just accommodate these students, we want to welcome them," Goedl expressed in a statement obtained by UC News. The initiative doesn't just stop at campus designation but extends into academia, with UC Clermont gearing up to launch the first public university-administered online degree programs that earn a seal of neuroinclusivity.
Advocating for online environments as a means to tear down barriers and adapt to diverse learning needs, the college's approach is anchored in providing course material in varied formats. With considerations like allowing breaks and segmenting content for digestibility, UC Clermont's initiative aims at a comprehensive reform of educational delivery. As per their published plans, these formats include a diverse mix of text, video, and graphics to cater to diverse learner preferences.
According to UC News, the endgame of this initiative is not only internal transformation. Good, along with her team, is developing neuroinclusive course design standards and certification processes, with sights set on enabling other institutions to embrace the model. Goedl and Rastogi are also in the process of editing "The Handbook of Evidence-based Neuroinclusive Teaching, Course Design and Student Support in Higher Education," a volume that is set to be published by Elsevier in spring 2025.
