Earlier this week, we attended college orientation for our son as a family. Many schools also offer a parent/supporter orientation to ready parents for this transition. This is what my partner and I attended while our son went to his part of the program.
For anyone who hasn’t been to a college orientation, the goal is usually to prepare your student to attend that university. A secondary goal is to make sure they (as well as their parents) are excited about their choice to go to that school. As a family with two neurodivergent members, I can say that this particular university orientation failed in their secondary goal with us.
My guess is that this university orientation program – and likely many others – has not considered the needs of their neurodivergent students and families. It can certainly be difficult to recreate this program in a system with as much red tape as universities have. Having worked most of my career on college campuses, I certainly understand this. However, I believe there are a few things universities – and other event planners – can consider to make their events more neurodivergent-friendly. Here are five budget-friendly ways you can improve your event for neurodivergent participants.
Communicate clearly. Then communicate again.
In her book The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker states that “your gathering begins at the moment your guests first learn of it.” This means invitations should be as carefully constructed as the event itself. When sending communications out about your event, make sure you use plain language and avoid cliches as much as possible. Make directions extremely clear – who needs to register or RSVP for what, and what is the deadline?
Once someone has registered for an event, make sure follow-up communications – yes, I said communications, plural – include things like a detailed schedule and rules of engagement for the event. Many neurodivergent folks have anxiety about social situations where they don’t know the rules or agenda, so sending these ahead of time – both as soon as they register and shortly before the event – can help reassure them.
Consider sensory needs.
When we arrived to our orientation session, there was loud music playing near the check-in. During the first session, the orientation leaders entered the room yelling and cheering and led the entire room in foot stomping and cheering. We were, unfortunately, at the front of the room and could not escape step out during this. As someone who is especially sensitive to sound, despite having my earplugs in, I was struggling to not melt down amidst all the noise.
Many neurodivergent people have sensory issues – whether that’s sound, like me, or something else like sensitivity to bright light, to strong smells, etc. Since hype music and cheering can be fun ways to get some people excited, I’m not suggesting cutting these out completely. Instead, consider having a secondary check-in station that is more sensory-friendly: perhaps without music playing and lower lighting if possible. Let participants know that there will be loud noises and/or bright lights as part of sessions, and allow them to sit near the back so they can step out if necessary. Provide sensory-friendly spaces where they can take breaks throughout the event as needed.
Provide space for movement.
Many neurodivergent people use movement to stim – especially when they’re overstimulated. This means they often benefit from having room to move. Many of the sessions my family and I attended throughout the day were in classrooms and auditoriums with seating that went all the way to the back wall or in a packed room with no space to spare. When possible, use rooms with space at the back or on the sides so that individuals can stand up and pace as needed during sessions or events. Make sure presenters are aware of this option and share it with the audience, as well, so neurodivergent folks feel “allowed” to get up and move. Many of us are strict rule-followers!
Stick to the schedule and provide context.
Neurodivergent folks can struggle with sudden schedule changes or upheavals. It is important that once you have shared the schedule with your participants that you stick to it. This means ensuring presenters end on time – even if you have to cut them off. It also means that if you do have to make a sudden schedule change – things happen, and we sometimes need to flex for them – you should communicate as far in advance as possible, including how this will impact the rest of the schedule.
At my job recently, we have begun adding additional context to our meeting agendas when possible. What are the goals of a particular session? What do participants need to know going on? Is this session interactive or a presentation? All of this additional context has been extremely helpful to those of us who are neurodivergent and eased our anxiety about staff meetings greatly. Consider adding additional context to your schedule when possible. The more a neurodivergent person knows about the schedule, the easier it can be for them to understand necessary – but still hopefully infrequent – schedule changes.
Consider dietary restrictions.
Many event planners are already well-versed in dealing with gluten-free, vegetarian, and other dietary restrictions, but it can be challenging to plan for participants with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). There are a few things you can provide that may be helpful for those experiencing ARFID, however. Consider having at least some blander foods available as part of the overall selection. It can also be helpful to provide additional rooms for participants to eat in so they do not have to eat in front of others. Minimize events happening during mealtimes, or ensure that there is some padding around these events so participants can eat before or after the event without missing out.
Better yet, provide information about the menu and venue in advance. This will allow participants to plan ahead, bring their own food if they need it, or let you know if they need someplace else to eat.
Provide training and information for presenters.
Possibly one of the most important things you can do as an event planner – in addition to making the event space neurodivergent-friendly – is ensuring that your presenters understand the needs of their audience. If a presenter doesn’t understand about stimming, it may unsettle them to see a participant stand up and begin to pace – or they may discourage it, making that audience member even more uncomfortable than they were already. If they are planning interactive elements of their sessions, consider asking them to include ways individuals with social anxiety can participate without having to make small talk – could they journal their responses instead of talking to the person next to them?
When a presenter’s goal is to encourage every person to talk – like so often happens in classrooms and smaller group sessions – it can feel frustrating when someone doesn’t engage the way they expect. And those of us who are neurodivergent often know we’re the ones disappointing them – whether it seems like we do or not. Help both your presenters and your participants enjoy their sessions by preparing them ahead of time.
Many of these suggestions do not require a lot of extra work, but they do require some intentional planning by whoever is putting together an event. But as the number of neurodivergent folks attending events continues to increase, it’s important to take the time to consider their needs as a significant part of your audience. There are many resources out there sharing information on this topic, so I hope you’ll take the time to explore, learn, and figure out what works best for your event.
