Presenters: Jaime Vitrano, Erin Reilly, Jenny LaMonica, Audra Cerruto, Susan Alimonti, Cari Rose-Tomo, Leigh Weilandics, and Michelle Altamurra, Molloy University

Neurodivergent students face numerous barriers when transitioning to college. Programs that help support students transitioning to college can help them academically and socially, increase skills such as self-advocacy and self-determination, and can also address the varied mental health challenges that they face. This presentation is a description of a summer college program for neurodivergent college-bound and early college students that emphasized a neuroaffirmative approach to a college education. The college transition program took place over two summers. We will describe the program and how it changed based on feedback from participants, staff, and families. One of the activities that was included in the year two summer program was a mask-making art activity led by a faculty member in the Art department. Through making masks, students explored and identified many aspects of their identity which are visible and invisible, and learned about metaphorical thinking and nuance. We will lead conference participants in this experiential, mask-making art activity, with the goals of engaging participants and sharing this activity so that it may be used successfully by others.