Events
Upcoming Events:
Feburary 25-27, 2024- John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
March 17-19, 2024- John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
April 14-16, 2024- John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
Past Events:
December 3-5, 2023- John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
December 4, 2023
Community Event. For more information see flyer here.
October 22-24, 2023- John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
July 28-30, 2023- Bridge Program
April 16-18, 2023- John Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
March 26-28, 2023- John Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
February 15, 2023 - Neurodiversity Workshop for Faculty
Support by an IDEA grant from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion
June 6-7, 2020 - Neurodiversity Course in D.C.
Open to W&M alums, students, and the general public!
https://wm.irisregistration.com/Home/Site?code=NEU2020
Day 1 students will learn about the concept of
Day 2 students will learn about skills that should be developed to be more prepared for the transition to higher education.
July 19-21, 2019 - Bridge Program
Dates: July 19 - 21, 2019
Program Cost: None. University-sponsored.
Registration: Available May 1, 2019
For Additional Information: Complete the W&M Bridge Interest Form
The purpose of the W&M Bridge program is to provide incoming neurodivergent students, both freshman and transfers, the opportunity to acclimate themselves to William & Mary. Neurodiversity refers to the diversity of brains and minds, including autism, Tourette Syndrome, epilepsy, seizure disorder, ADHD, etc. At William & Mary, we seek to improve the college experiences of neurodivergent students. Students will have the chance to meet and socialize with other neurodivergent students and will be introduced to campus resources. Please note that all costs (room/board, food, and other program fees) are covered by William & Mary. Participants are responsible for their transportation to and from campus and for bringing bed linens.
May 31, 2019 - Commonwealth Neurodiversity Summit in D.C.
Summit on Neurodiversity for institutions of higher education.
April 19 2019: 3:00 - 5:00 PM - Do I Qualify? Neurodiversity at Work Event in Tyler Hall 132
Neurodiversity is a hot topic among employers who do not have enough support for neurodiverse employees; however, neurological disorders should be celebrated and served in all venues of life. Our William & Mary Neurodiversity Scholar, John Elder Robison, extended to the idea of statewide rehabilitation services that disabled job candidates can qualify for. In addition, job qualifications and relevant anti-discrimination laws should be scrutinized to explore what causes a scarce population of autistic workers. Currently, SAP’s Autism at Work program seeks to educate all employers with the validity of the neurodiversity movement and to provide special supports and coaching.
This on-campus event will involve a student-led lecture followed by an alumni guest speaker and networking reception. Walk-ins are welcome, but RSVP is highly recommended! Link: https://forms.gle/
April 14-16, 2019 - John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
March 17-19, 2019 - John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
November 17-20, 2018 - John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
October 21-23, 2018 - John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
October 10th, 2018 - Free Screening of "Deej: Inclusion Shouldn't be a Lottery"
7:00 PM, Morton Hall Room 20. The screening is free and open to the public. We will have a question and answer period following the movie. Information about the movie:
"Abandoned by his birth parents and presumed incompetent, DJ Savarese (“Deej”) found not only a loving family but also a life in words, which he types on a text-to-voice synthesizer. As he makes his way through high school and dreams of college, he confronts the terrors of his past, society's obstacles to inclusion, and the sometimes paralyzing beauty of his own senses. In his advocacy on behalf of other nonspeaking autistics, he embraces filmmaking and poetry, and discovers what having a voice can truly mean." Find out more about the movie
September 8-11, 2018 - John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
September 1-4, 2018 - John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
August 28, 2018 - Services Outreach Support (S.O.S.) Fair during new student orientation
12:30 PM - 3:30 PM, Sadler Center lobby. Come meet our student group leaders!
July 20-22, 2018
William and Mary Bridge Program: Sstudents will have the chance to meet and socialize with other neurodivergent students and will be introduced to campus resources during this weekend-long, overnight event.
June 9-10, 2018 - William and Mary Neurodiversity Course in D.C.
This two-day course is offered to W&M students, alumni, and the general public and discusses a range of topics related to Neurodiversity.
February 26, 2018 - Zena Howard
Celebrated architect Zena Howard met with the Neurodiversity Working Group to discuss
July 28-30, 2017
W&M Bridge Program: New for Summer 2017! Additional details about this pre-orientation program, coordinated by W&M's Student Accessibility Services and the Neurodiversity Initiative, will be available soon.
April 3-4, 2017 - John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
March 26, 2017 - Lydia X. Z. Brown
5:00 p.m., Tucker 127A (Tucker Theater). Free and open to the public.
March 20-21, 2017 - John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
March 1, 2017 - Disability Day of Mourning Vigil
A vigil to remember the lives of people with disabilities murdered by their families and caretakers.
February 13-14, 2017 - John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
February 5, 2017 - Ari Ne'eman Talk
4:00 p.m., Tucker 127A (Tucker Theater). Free and open to the public.
January 23-24, 2017 - John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
April 18-19, 2016 - John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
April 17, 2016 - Donovan and Zucker "In a Different Key" book talk
7:00 p.m., Tucker 127A (Tucker Theater). Free and open to the public.
March 28-29, 2016 - John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
March 28, 2016 - John Elder Robison "Switched On" book talk
7:00 p.m., Free and open to the public.
March 1, 2016 - Disability Day of Mourning Vigil
A vigil to remember the lives of people with disabilities murdered by their families and caretakers.
February 29 - March 1, 2016 - John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
February 8-9, 2016 - John Elder Robison
Visiting the William & Mary campus
November 8, 2015 - Olitsky Family Foundation Neurodiversity Speaker Series with Steve Silberman
Steve Silberman, journalist
December 8, 2014 - "Life on the Autism Spectrum"
Community Outreach Event with John Elder Robison
John Elder Robison, New York Times Best-selling author
Monday, December 8 at
Jamestown High School Auditorium, Williamsburg
April 8, 2013 - "I Am W&M" week
The week of April 8 is “I am W&M” week, in celebration of campus diversity. The Neurodiversity Initiative will co-sponsor events during this week. Stay tuned!
Lydia Brown, Disability Rights Activist, Georgetown University Student
Politicizing Disability and the Crisis of Disabled Oppression
Monday, April 8 at
Commonwealth Auditorium, Sadler Center, William & Mary
Co-Sponsored by the Neurodiversity Working Group and the Student Assembly
Lydia Brown, a disability rights activist and student at Georgetown University, will speak on the history of the disability rights movement and the emergence of the neurodiversity movement. She will also discuss the current realities of erasure, oppression, and silencing. Q&A will follow the talk.
February 11, 2013
University Teaching Project on Neurodiversity participants Josh Burk, Cheryl Dickter, Karin Wulf, and Janice Zeman presented material on “Neurodiversity: Creating an Inclusive Classroom” to a lunch crowd of 30 faculty. Individual departments have expressed interest in a version of this presentation for a department meeting. See the “Resources” section for postings about this and other material for interested faculty.
“The Art of Small Talk,” a workshop “focused on developing conversation skills that can get you through any occasion” was held at the Counseling Center. For upcoming workshops contact Patrick Hudgins at pshudg@wm.edu.
February 6, 2013 - Dr. David Black, Stixrud Associates and NIH
Dr. Black met with the Neurodiversity Working Group for a brainstorming session about programs and support for autistic students, and gave a lecture, “Navigating College and Beyond with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.” The lecture was well attended by faculty and students, many of whom expressed interested in joining the Neurodiversity Working Group.
October 2012 - Garret Westlake, Arizona State Polytech and Stemforce Technologies
Garret Westlake met with faculty, staff and students to talk about how we can expand our services for students, and how we can connect students’ academic experience to service and to employment opportunities.
Garret Westlake's lecture: Disability as a Catalyst.
April 2012 - Launch
The William & Mary Neurodiversity Working Group was excited to host NY Times bestselling author, John Elder Robison, for the Group’s April 2012 launch. April, Autism Awareness month, was an excellent time for Mr. Robison, noted self-described Aspergian author and speaker, to visit the university. While here, he met with smaller groups of students, faculty
