This session explores how community engagement can support Black neurodivergent students in the NYC K-12 public school system and their transition into higher education. Drawing from the 2020-2021 Annual Report, the session highlights alarming disparities: Black students make up only 26% of the student population but are overrepresented in special education by 40%. These numbers reflect systemic issues in identification, placement, and access to appropriate support. Through a roundtable discussion featuring a retired NYC special education administrator and a former assistant principal turned SETSS provider, we will examine the structural barriers these students face, the lack of representation in decision-making roles, and the urgent need for culturally competent support systems. A central case study, "Student X", will ground the conversation. Student X, a victim of the school-to-prison pipeline, stands in sharp contrast to their siblings, who benefited from timely community advocacy. One sibling is now in college; the other attends a therapeutic special education program. Their stories underscore the transformative power of informed advocacy, independent evaluations, and access to critical information. This session ultimately aims to equip participants with strategies to empower Black neurodivergent students and their families in navigating and challenging systemic inequities, ensuring more equitable and successful educational outcomes.

Additional Presenters: Juliet Adams, Retired NYC DOE Principal/ Wellness Educator/ NYC DOE SETTS Provider, & Tonya Cooper Champion, Education Consultant and Advocate Retired NYCDOE Deputy Network Leader, and Director of Special Education