From Accommodations to Accessibility: Redesigning Engineering Education for Neurodivergent Learners

According to the 2024-25 National College Health Assessment, conducted by the American College Health Association, 35% of students in higher education institutions reported having neurodivergent learning disorders like autism spectrum disorder, ADHD or dyslexia. An uptick from 24% in 2019. 

Jason White, a professor of teaching in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Davis, is researching diverse teaching styles that can make engineering classrooms more inclusive toward neurodivergent learners and provide pathways to education to best showcase everyone’s strengths.  

“When we think about students who are neurodivergent, we tend to think about deficits and accommodations they might need,” he said. “As individuals, we all have our needs and differences, and I want to make sure everyone’s perspective is valued.” 

And White’s point of view is that it’s not up to the student to “fix” how they learn. It’s up to the system to redesign how it makes learning accessible and better reflect how students actually learn. 

White has demonstrated his commitment to students by redesigning his senior capstone course to be more inclusive of neurodivergent learners using principles outlined by the Universal Design for Learning, or UDL. UDL is an educational framework based on brain science that aims to reduce learning barriers and was developed by the nonprofit organization Center for Applied Special Technology. 

“The way we used to do things needs to change to meet students where they’re at,” he said. “Universal Design for Learning is really a benefit to everybody.” 

Redesigning for Accessibility

White has been slowly incorporating UDL principles into his courses over the past few years. 

One of those changes was on a syllabus for one of his classes. Where he had previously included a section titled “Accommodations” that directed students who needed accommodations to reach out to the UC Davis Student Disability Center, he changed it to “Accessibility” and indicated that, as their instructor, he values different ways of learning, aims to create a welcoming environment and wants to know if anything prevents someone from participating fully in class. 

A student approached White on the first day of that class, explaining that she was neurodivergent and that his acknowledgment of accessibility made her excited to be part of the class. At the end of the course, she told him she had been nervous about being in an engineering classroom and appreciated the opportunity to learn how to succeed.  

Seeing how these small changes affected his students' learnability, White decided to be more intentional about incorporating UDL into his classrooms. 

During a 2025 sabbatical, White took a weeklong intensive course on UDL through the UC Davis Center for Educational Effectiveness, which allowed him to focus his energy on redesigning a course with accessibility principles in mind. 

While he plans to eventually implement UDL recommendations into all of his classes, White first focused on “Process Economics & Green Design.” This is the first class in the chemical engineering senior design sequence, which spans two quarters and features extensive group work, culminating in a group research project. 

Meeting Students Where They Are

In his lectures, White observed that he uses a lot of engineering-specific vocabulary. So, he made a course-specific dictionary with definitions of key terms from each lecture. He also uses alternative text in his PowerPoint slides for students who need screen readers. 

Instead of assigning in-class work where students are required to work with someone and turn it in at the end of class, White offers multiple ways to participate in class. Students can come and participate in the discussion and do work there — alone or in groups — or they can watch the recorded lecture and submit the activity within 24 hours. 

“I appreciate that there are some people who may not feel comfortable with being tossed in with a partner or can’t come to class because they are feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated that day,” he said. 

In his out-of-class assignments, which are typically small projects that require a short, written product, White strives for authenticity and transparency. 

He includes sections called “The Takeaway” and “The Task” that outline the assignment's clear purpose, goals and deliverables. Assignments are worth more to the overall grade than one high-pressure exam. And this year, students can submit either a written document or a video with their project.

Deadlines are flexible within reason. Students have two extra days to turn in their assignments, with the caveat that they provide notice to White — just that they need it, not the “why” behind it. White has survey data from previous years when he included the grace period in his curriculum, and the data show that this approach reduces students' anxiety. Additionally, White feels that this reflects what students will encounter in future jobs. 

“There are some deadlines that can’t be moved, but for the most part, if my kid gets sick and I have to bring them to the hospital, I will usually be given some grace,” he said. “Learning time management is important, but thinking of students who may struggle, as well as the rigors of an engineering program, they might need one or two extra days for their mental health.” 

Group work can unintentionally marginalize neurodivergent students, so White’s approach has also changed. When grouping design teams, White puts them through a “forming” exercise in which they discuss communication processes, preferences and goals for the assignment. The students are also encouraged to share their strengths and what they can offer the group, as well as areas they would like mentorship with. 

“The groups now have a better picture before they get to work,” White said. “Now they have an agreement on how they’re going to communicate, and they know that this individual seems to really enjoy simulation but wants some mentorship in economics. They learn what they can offer and how they can help each other.”

Creating Pathways to Engineering

White believes that creating avenues for neurodivergent learners in engineering spaces will only open up more opportunities for people with diverse perspectives to be included in devising creative solutions to the world’s problems. 

“I don’t think engineering is for everyone and that’s fine,” he said, “but for folks who could be fulfilled and successful and happy, we want to include them, and we want them to succeed in our program.”