Western Washington University organizes many events to uplift those in the community during Autism and Neurodivergence Celebration Month. These events aim to bring awareness to the condition and support students in the neurodivergent and autism community.
The Disability Access Center and Disability Outreach Center have partnered up with the Institute for Critical Disability Studies and the Counseling and Wellness Center to provide an event lineup constructed to educate, support and unify neurodivergent individuals. Events held this month include a fidget-making workshop, community “lunch and learns” and Neurospace Affinity group meetings. According to Western’s website, these events act as a celebration for those in the neurodivergent and autism community at Western.
All of the events were planned and organized months in advance with the help of committees formed from staff and students to ensure the quality of the events, Axel Cichocki, access manager for Neurodiversity Inclusion said in an email. The Neurodiversity Inclusion Collaborative is a working group of Western students, staff and faculty who aim to create a more “inclusive and accessible campus for neurodivergent people,” according to Western’s website.
“The Autism and Neurodivergence Celebration Month Planning Committee was made up of students, including a student co-chair, staff and faculty members, and met on a weekly basis throughout February and March to plan events and activities for this month,” Cichocki said in an email.
While there is a continued effort to push for events that are geared towards neurodivergent students' wants and needs at Western, many said they feel that the university's priorities should be set on improvements to the education system as a whole.
“If I had the opportunity to work with people and actually get help with the symptoms of ADHD, that would be helpful,” said Cooper Whittington, a third-year marketing student. “I think a lot of people feel similarly, where they want to have tangible solutions to their problems.”
Western offers numerous resources for students who struggle to manage their ADHD. Some of these resources include the Disability Access Center, the Disabled Peer Mentorship Program and the Counseling and Wellness Center.
The DAC assists students in getting accommodations for classes to address the barriers that might come with taking college-level classes. The Disabled Peer Mentorship Program is a program that offers first-year, new transfer and newly diagnosed students with ADHD or other forms of neurodivergence mentorship by another student as they adjust to the transition. According to The Disabled Peer Mentorship application site, the program improves the success and retention of students while developing community leaders . The Counseling and Wellness Center offers resources for students to be assessed for ADHD, among other behavioral health services.
Many students with ADHD struggle to gain a diagnosis and support despite the resources offered at Western.
“I'm one of only two neuropsychologists that work with young people in this area. … Western Washington University has several different services for students with ADHD, and that's important,” said Tara Reagan, neuropsychologist of Bellingham Neurodevelopmental Services. “Making sure that there are those resources to have people evaluated is also important.”
There are developments in new services coming to Bellingham to help young adults who have ADHD. Hallowell Todora, an ADHD & Behavioral Health Center originally located in Seattle, has opened a location in Bellingham with the hopes of making an impact on improving access to care, according to Nick Mabbott, clinical director of Hallo Todora.
“[Though] we specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD, we just expanded our reach, adding the behavioral health and mental health aspect,” said Nick Mabbott. “ADHD doesn’t live alone.”
Jaimee Wacker (she/her) is a campus life reporter for The Front. She is a visual journalism major. Outside of The Front, she can be found making videos and interacting with the many ethnic student clubs here at Western. You can reach her at jaimee.thefront@gmail.com.
