Designed to challenge dominant narratives and broaden students’ understanding, the course centered neurodivergent perspectives not only in its materials, but also in its structure, classroom culture, and culminating projects. What emerged was a vibrant learning community where students engaged deeply with course themes and with one another—generating powerful, practical contributions for their campus and beyond.
Through the Periclean Course Enhancement (PCE) grant, Professor Jashnani was able to prepare thoroughly and meaningfully for this brand-new course. The grant helped Professor Jashnani connect with a neurodiversity educator and consultant, who not only provided helpful feedback on course goals, policies, themes, and readings but was also a guest lecturer for the course. In addition to the outside expert, Jashnani also used the funds to provide adequate support and accessibility for students throughout the semester by creating a stipend for an undergraduate teaching assistant.
With this careful preparation, Professor Jashnani found that the course had a significant impact on students through the sense of support and community fostered. Most students in the class identified as neurodivergent: students not only learned from the works and readings of autistic and neurodivergent people but also often drew from their own experiences. His students also had the opportunity to acknowledge the variety of experiences of neurodiversity.
A core component of the course involved students planning out and implementing a large-scale, semester-long project related to course themes, with the goal of creating a resource that would benefit someone other than themselves. Many students committed to projects that would help neurodivergent people broadly. Others focused specifically on creating resources for neurodivergent students at Hampshire College.
Students had artistic license for what the final project could be, producing a multitude of creative and academic resources and projects. Some highlights included a guide for incoming neurodivergent Hampshire students, data-informed playlists to help regulate emotions, and a movement-based workshop for autistic well-being.
Reflecting on the impact of the course, Professor Jashnani highlighted, “As a neurodivergent scholar and instructor working with largely neurodivergent students, the experience was rewarding beyond all expectations. I learned to more fully trust myself and my students.”
Through Professor Jashnani’s intersectional and interdisciplinary approach, students explored and better understood autism and neurodivergence as sites of activism and orientations toward the world.