# Economical Accommodations for Neurodivergent Students in Software Engineering Education: Experiences from an Intervention in Four Undergraduate Courses

**Authors:** Grischa Liebel, Steinunn Gróa Sigurðardóttir  
**arXiv:** [2306.07643](https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.07643)  
**Date:** 2023-06-13  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/arxiv-id/2306.07643v1/

## Key points

- Neurodiversity refers to variation in brain function among individuals, including conditions like ADHD and dyslexia
- Neurodivergent (ND) individuals have specific strengths like creativity and attention to detail
- Inclusion of ND individuals is important for economic, ethical, and talent reasons
- Higher education often lacks awareness and accommodations for ND students, leading to stress and dropout risk
- Intervention conducted in four undergraduate computer science courses at Reykjavik University focused on creating tailored course material for ND audiences based on accessibility guidelines
- Small changes made to course material such as left-aligned text, avoiding multi-column layouts, and using cream-colored backgrounds instead of plain white
- Adapting writing style by avoiding passive voice, using concise sentences, and avoiding jargon recommended
- Intervention implemented in three courses during fall term 2021 and one more course in spring term 2022
- Approximately 10% of students at Reykjavik University have a diagnosed ND condition
- Prior to intervention, accommodations for ND students were limited to extended exam times
- Implemented accommodations included style changes in assignments and lecture slides; improved clarity and structure; minor changes in sensory environment; raising awareness about neurodiversity and accommodations
- Results of two surveys showed overall positive response from both ND students and neurotypical (NT) students regarding interventions
- Majority agreed that the ND-friendly material helped them understand the course material better
- Higher percentage of ND students agreed that interventions were beneficial compared to NT students
- Study highlights importance of making small but impactful changes to accommodate ND students in higher education settings.

## Summary

Neurodiversity refers to the variation in brain function among individuals, including conditions such as ADHD and dyslexia. While neurodivergent (ND) individuals may face challenges in certain tasks, they also possess specific strengths like creativity and attention to detail. Inclusion of ND individuals is important for economic, ethical, and talent reasons. However, higher education often lacks awareness and accommodations for ND students, leading to stress and a risk of dropping out. To address these issues, an intervention was conducted in four undergraduate computer science courses at Reykjavik University. The intervention focused on creating course material tailored to ND audiences based on accessibility guidelines for different conditions. Small changes were made to the course material such as using left-aligned text, avoiding multi-column layouts, and using cream-colored backgrounds instead of plain white. Adapting the writing style by avoiding passive voice, using concise sentences and avoiding jargon was also recommended. The intervention was implemented in three courses during the fall term 2021 and one more course in the spring term 2022. Approximately 10% of students at Reykjavik University have a diagnosed ND condition. Prior to the intervention, accommodations for ND students were limited to extended exam times. The implemented accommodations included style changes in assignments and lecture slides; improved clarity and structure; minor changes in sensory environment (e.g., consistent lighting); and raising awareness about neurodiversity and accommodations. The results of two surveys showed an overall positive response from both ND students and neurotypical (NT) students regarding the interventions. The majority of participants agreed that the ND-friendly material helped them understand the course material better. Among ND students specifically a higher percentage agreed that the interventions were beneficial compared to NT students. Overall this study highlights the importance of making small but impactful changes to accommodate ND students in higher education settings.