In this webinar, Angela Tran, alternate media specialist at Santa Ana College discussed ways that college staff and faculty can make their course materials more accessible for all students. The webinar reviewed why document accessibility is important for neurodivergent students and reviewed key accessibility topics. Angela walked through examples using Microsoft Office Word and Powerpoint, as well as Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. Topics covered included plain language, presenting information in multiple modalities, checking color contrast, strategies for improving screen reader access (e.g., use of headings), meaningful links, and built-in accessibility checkers.

Hosted in collaboration with the California Association for Postsecondary Education and Disability (CAPED) ASD-ID special interest group, the goal of this webinar was to share information about the broader landscape of systems and supports that work with college students with disabilities. Specifically, the UCLA Tarjan Center hosted panelists from the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) and Regional Centers to learn about DOR and Regional Center eligibility, referral processes, engagement and collaboration opportunities, and the types of available services and supports that may promote the success of community college students with developmental disabilities, including autism and intellectual disability. This knowledge is essential for any college staff working directly with students with developmental disabilities, as many students may be interacting with or would benefit from connecting with these different systems.

Our panelists from Regional Center were Arturo Cazares, the Director of Community Services from the Regional Center of Orange County, and Katherine Rougelot, the Employment Specialist of San Andreas Regional Center. From DOR, we were joined by Elizabeth Musgrove and Christina Canevari, who are currently serving within the Student Services section of DOR.

In this webinar, the UCLA Tarjan Center hosted Lori Cooney, M.Ed., a Program Director of Inclusive Education & Curriculum Design at the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston and part of the Think College team. Lori dived into cutting-edge and highly effective methods for creating an inclusive learning environment that engages students of all backgrounds and abilities. The webinar provided concrete ideas on how to incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and utilize emerging technologies in the college classroom. In particular, this webinar shared multiple web-based tools and platforms, with a focus on AI, that can serve to promote student learning but also remove obstacles to implementation that educators often face. By utilizing these AI features, faculty can quickly and easily make their classroom and teaching methods more inclusive!

The UCLA Tarjan Center hosted a webinar introducing educational coaching, a practice that supports student skills in organization, executive functioning, study habits, stress management, self-advocacy, social interaction, and accessing resources on campus and beyond. Recent data from the California Community College system and beyond suggest that educational coaching may be effective in enhancing the persistence and success of college students with developmental disabilities, such as autism and intellectual disability. Tarjan’s own Dr. Christine Moody was joined by Rachel Martinez and April Fante from the San Diego and North Orange Community College Districts, respectively, to share about the use of educational coaching in the College to Career programs. We were also joined by Jennifer Tabb and Mia Keeley at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, who shared that educational coaching is an allowable expense within broader Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) funding – paving the way for expanded availability of this support service. Practical considerations for implementation were also shared.

The UCLA Tarjan Center hosted Fresno City College staff to share information about their Transition to College (TTC) team, an innovative model within Disabled Students Programs & Services (DSPS) office designed to increase college enrollment for all students with disabilities. In this webinar, the Fresno City TTC Team described some of the key elements of their outreach and engagement efforts that raise college expectations for students with disabilities and facilitate quick connection to DSPS services and supports that enhance student success. Through partnerships with K-12 districts, the TTC Team provides a seamless and supportive pipeline for these students, reducing the burden on students and DSPS counselors. This type of support is especially important for students on the autism spectrum and students with intellectual disability, who are less likely to expect to enroll in and take steps to prepare for college (Lipscomb et al., 2017).

The UCLA Tarjan Center hosted Sue Sawyer, president of the California Transition Alliance, who was part of the workgroup that made recommendations related to new legislation creating an alternate pathway to a diploma for students with intellectual disability. In this webinar, Sue Sawyer provided a practical understanding of this alternate pathway to a diploma, which opens opportunities for students with intellectual disability who have traditionally received certificates of completion in lieu of a diploma. The webinar also discussed the implications for students, K-12 systems, and community college through changing expectations and anticipated impacts on college readiness, financial aid access, and employment.

The UCLA Tarjan Center hosted the developers of NeuroPREP, Dr. Sasha Zeedyk of Cal State Fullerton, and Dr. Yasamin Bolourian, an analyst at TNTP, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending educational inequality. ‘NeuroPREP’ [Professors’ Relationship and Education Program] is a set of four training modules designed to prepare college faculty to work with neurodivergent students and to create conditions specifically aimed at benefiting these students in the classroom. In this webinar, our speakers discussed the research that inspired the creation of NeuroPREP and the development process that went into creating the faculty training modules. Such programs are essential as students with autism and/or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) represent increasing neurodiversity in college; yet no training or intervention resources directly target the professors who teach and provide accommodations to neurodivergent students daily. For more information about the NeuroPREP modules and specific content, as well as options for accessing NeuroPREP, please contact neurodiversityprep@gmail.com.

The UCLA Tarjan Center hosted a screening of the documentary, Autism Goes to College, which highlights the diverse experiences of autistic college students, including their challenges and successes. Following the film screening, we were joined by Dr. Jan Blacher (Distinguished Research Professor at UC Riverside and UCLA), Dr. Michael Hoggatt (DSPS faculty at Saddleback College), and two students on the spectrum, whose experiences were documented in the film, Jasmine Board and Guillermo Guzman. Panelists shared ways in which the film and associated resources can be used by colleges to promote faculty and community awareness, and shared factors that support autistic student success.

The Tarjan Center at UCLA, in collaboration with Cypress College and North Orange Continuing Education (NOCE), will host a webinar on Holistic Supports for Students with Autism, Intellectual Disability (ID), and Mental Health: Establishing a Wellness Program. Casey Souza, Christine Lakeman, and Alli Stanojkovic shared that disability supports for postsecondary students often involve accommodations and modifications for academics; but for many students with disabilities, holistic supports for non-academic areas are lacking. The believe that many students attending college may be struggling with social skills development, executive functioning, stress management, relationships, and overall wellness. The presenters believed it is important for Disability Support Services (DSS) staff to be aware of the many areas that contribute to student success and provide holistic supports to students with disabilities. Students, Cecilia Cupul and Daniel Ramos shared based on their lived experiences.

The UCLA Tarjan Center, in collaboration with IGNITE Collective Inc, hosted a 60-minutes webinar on “Returning to Campus for College Students with Intellectual and Other Developmental Disabilities (I/DD): An Educational Perspective”. Through this webinar, Dr. Molly K. Rearick Day shared insights from students and educators and strategies for supporting college students with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD) as they return to college campuses. Takeaways included specific approaches and resources.