Bowie State Looks to Increase Resources for Autistic Students

Disability Awareness Month Event Examined Shifts in Higher Education

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Jonathan Saxon, jsaxon@bowiestate.edu, 301-860-3607

(BOWIE, Md.) – Bowie State University marked Disability Awareness Month with a day- long conference on Oct. 20 centered around understanding neurodiversity and autism in the university setting and strategies to support students and faculty.

Dr. Lorraine Wolf, Boston University’s director of disability and access services, shared her insights on how efforts to include autistic students in higher education settings have shifted in her 40 years of clinical experience.

“It really has changed over the years,” said Dr. Wolf. “When we started talking about Asperger’s coming to your campus, people got up and left. Now, it has shifted to how do we include all disabilities, but particularly neurodivergence and autism, within our inclusion models.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 36 third graders in the U.S. have autism. Dr. Aquila Mitchell, director of counseling services, said that autism is “very prevalent” at Bowie State, which presents barriers for students and professors to connect with each other.

“A lot of these students are taking courses just like everyone else, and a lot of the faculty don’t know how to engage and interact with them,” said Dr. Mitchell. “They’re just like any other student trying to gain an education. It’s important for faculty to be educated in a way that they can work with these students.”

Despite those challenges, autistic students can perform well in the classroom, but they may have trouble adapting socially on campus. To help address this issue, Bowie State’s Disability Support Services and Counseling Services are working to start a support group for autistic students to help equip them with tools and strategies to flourish in various social settings while in school.

“What we hope to do with this particular population is assist them in their social and class time and, hopefully, have a better idea of how to retain those students and help them graduate in their own time,” said Dr. Keith Hicks, a Bowie State counselor.

Bowie State’s efforts mirror the larger trend of universities figuring out how to put resources in place that allow all students to grow and thrive as they matriculate through school. Dr. Wolf notes that autistic students will continue to have a presence on campus, and it’s up to the schools to develop wholistic strategies so no students fall through the cracks.

“Those eight-year-olds are coming to college,” said Dr. Wolf. “We have to embrace that. How do we support faculty, so they can address the needs of the classroom? It all starts with awareness, a willingness to understand and training.”

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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.