"At a time when neurodivergence is becoming more apparent, but is still too often misunderstood and pathologized, this book is especially timely. It brings together testimony, scholarship, and resistance while offering a powerful call to rethink who belongs—and can flourish—in higher education."—Mira Kallio-Tavin, Distinguished Professor of Art, University of Georgia
"The structure of the book is brilliant: The decision to divide the chapters into parallel sections focusing on topics ranging from ‘current academic work’ to ‘suggested accommodations’ both aids in the readability of the volume as well as allowing clear comparison among chapters. Hetrick’s final chapter beautifully brings these analyses together to offer clear and much-needed recommendations for academic administrators."—Sonya Freeman Loftis, author of Imagining Autism
Description
Neurodivergent Scholars Speak tells the stories of neurodivergent professors and scholars and their journeys through academia. Laura J. Hetrick brings together a range of authors who, many for the first time, share their struggles in their own words without being filtered through a neurotypical point of view. Authors with autism, ADHD, OCD, and other neurotypes gives the volume a well-rounded look into the unique realities faced by a diverse group of people.
Hetrick makes connections through these stories to offer concrete suggestions and accommodating steps for academic administrators to undertake. The volume not only dispels common misconceptions around neurodiversities but also provides a space for academics who may have the same neurodiversities to hear others’ stories and try their strategies for navigating academia. Equally important, by sharing their experiences, authors offer lived advice for academic institutions to aid neurodiverse faculty and students in succeeding in their own scholarly journeys.
About the Author
Laura J. Hetrick is an associate professor of art education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is the editor of Teaching Art, (Re)Imagining Identity and has published in Visible Magazine, Psychology Today, and Visual Arts Research.
6 x 9, 258 pages, 4 black and white illustrations
May 2027