Promoting Neurodiversity in Engineering Through Specialized Outreach Activities for Pre-college Students

Authors

  • Constance M. Syhara University of Connecticut
  • Alexandra Hain University of Connecticut
  • Arash E. Zaghi University of Connecticut

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33423/jhetp.v20i14.3856

Keywords:

higher education, neurodiversity, engineering, pre-college, outreach, summer program

Abstract

While a large body of literature suggests that students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) possess significant creative and risk-taking potential, they remain highly underrepresented in engineering programs. High school students with ADHD have significantly lower GPAs and are over eight times more likely to drop out than their peers without ADHD, which makes them significantly less likely to enter college engineering programs. To support the development of a more diverse engineering pipeline, this work summarizes outreach efforts to high school and middle school students with ADHD with the intention of boosting self-esteem and increasing interest in engineering.

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Published

2020-12-20

How to Cite

Syhara, C. M., Hain, A., & Zaghi, A. E. (2020). Promoting Neurodiversity in Engineering Through Specialized Outreach Activities for Pre-college Students. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 20(14). https://doi.org/10.33423/jhetp.v20i14.3856

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Section

Articles