Higher education must move beyond accommodations toward fully inclusive, student-centered learning environments that recognize the strengths of neurodiverse learners. This interactive workshop presents evidence-based strategies grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Transformative Learning (TL) to help educators and university staff create accessible, engaging, and participatory classrooms. Drawing from a cross-campus, international collaboration between CUNY's Kingsborough Community College (USA) and Salzburg University of Education (Austria), this session highlights a participatory research study where students with intellectual disabilities played an active role in shaping inclusive learning experiences.

Co-presenter Michael Lettmann, a Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program (MRHEP) student, will share his lived experiences and perspectives on how inclusive learning strategies impact neurodiverse students directly. Through interactive exercises, participants will explore how cross-neurotype collaboration, flexible learning pathways, and UDL-informed teaching strategies can foster a culture of engagement, self-advocacy, and agency for all students. Participants will engage in hands-on, research-backed activities that they can immediately apply in their teaching and institutional practices.

This session will provide concrete tools for improving representation, engagement, and equity for neurodiverse learners in university communities. Learning Objectives By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1.  Apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Transformative Learning (TL) principles to create inclusive, neurodiverse-friendly classrooms.
2. Develop strategies for effective cross-neurotype collaboration, drawing from participatory research with students with intellectual disabilities.
3. Implement alternative assessment and engagement techniques that empower neurodiverse students to demonstrate their learning in meaningful ways.
4. Strengthen community-building efforts in higher education by improving coordination between faculty, students, and disability support services.
5. Learn directly from a neurodiverse student's lived experiences, gaining insights into practical approaches that empower and support self-advocacy.

Additional Presenters: Ingrid Geier, PhD, MA  and Michael Lettman