{"id":13450,"date":"2025-04-11T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/?p=13450"},"modified":"2025-04-09T09:54:39","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T13:54:39","slug":"thriving-not-just-surviving-how-i-learned-to-advocate-for-myself-as-a-neurodivergent-student","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/2025\/04\/11\/thriving-not-just-surviving-how-i-learned-to-advocate-for-myself-as-a-neurodivergent-student\/","title":{"rendered":"Thriving, Not Just Surviving: How I Learned to Advocate for Myself as a Neurodivergent Student"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Navigating college as a neurodivergent student can feel like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Traditional academic spaces aren\u2019t always built with neurodivergence in mind, making things like rigid deadlines, sensory overload\u200b and unclear expectations overwhelming. I learned this the hard way when I transitioned from high school to college, where the shift in structure caught me completely off guard.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In high school, everything had a rhythm. Teachers checked in regularly, assignments were broken down into smaller tasks\u200b and there was always a sense of guidance. When I got to college, that structure disappeared. Suddenly, I was responsible for keeping track of deadlines buried in lengthy syllabi, navigating dense readings on my own\u200b and juggling multiple projects with little oversight. I quickly realized that my usual strategies weren\u2019t going to cut it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve always thrived in creative and collaborative environments\u2014brainstorming ideas, working on hands-on projects\u200b and engaging in discussions where ideas flow freely. But when it came to self-regulation, time management\u200b and long, detail-heavy tasks, I struggled. I lost track of deadlines, underestimated how long assignments would take\u200b and often found myself overwhelmed, unsure of where to even begin. At first, I thought I just needed to “try harder” or be more disciplined, but that only led to burnout and frustration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The real turning point came when I started recognizing my challenges for what they were\u2014not personal failures, but signs that I needed to work with<\/em> my brain, not against it. I reached out to my school\u2019s disability services office and learned about accommodations that could help, like extended deadlines and note-taking support. I also started being more upfront with my professors, explaining that I sometimes needed alternative ways to process information or organize my work.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advocating for Yourself in Academic Spaces<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Self-advocacy isn\u2019t always easy, but it\u2019s one of the most important skills I\u2019ve developed in college. If you\u2019re neurodivergent and struggling to navigate academic spaces, here are a few things that have helped me:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Know Your Needs<\/strong> \u2013 Understanding what works for you is the first step. Take note of what helps you focus, process information\u200b or stay on track. If you\u2019re unsure, reflect on past academic challenges and consider what could have made things easier.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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    • Use Campus Resources<\/strong> \u2013 Most schools have disability services, tutoring centers\u200b and academic advisers who can help. Even if you don\u2019t think you qualify for formal accommodations, there may still be resources available to support you.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • Communicate with Professors<\/strong> \u2013 It can feel intimidating, but most professors want to see their students succeed. If you need flexibility or accommodations, reach out early in the semester. A simple email or office hours visit can open up a conversation about what adjustments are possible.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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        • Find a Support System<\/strong> \u2013 Surround yourself with people who understand and respect your needs. Whether it\u2019s neurodivergent student groups, mentors\u200b or understanding friends, having a community makes a huge difference.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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          • Embrace the Way You Learn<\/strong> \u2013 Instead of forcing yourself to fit into a rigid academic mold, find ways to work with your neurodivergence. Use assistive technology, adjust your study environment\u200b and break tasks into smaller steps. Your brain works differently, and that\u2019s okay.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            College isn\u2019t designed with neurodivergent students in mind, but that doesn\u2019t mean we don\u2019t belong here. Advocating for myself has been a learning curve, but it\u2019s also been empowering. The more I embrace the way my brain works, the more I realize that my neurodivergence isn\u2019t a barrier\u2014it\u2019s just a different way of approaching the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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            Ajay Benmoin is a third-year public relations and sports \u200b&\u200b\u200b\u200b entertainment marketing student at California State University, San Bernardino. She is the vice president of CSUSB\u2019s PRSSA \u200bC\u200bhapter and a PR intern at Society House PR, where she hones her skills in entertainment communications. Passionate about storytelling, inclusivity\u200b and community engagement, she also works at the San Bernardino County office of education, adapting curriculum for blind and visually impaired K-12 students. Ajay also enjoys traveling, discovering new music\u200b and spending time with her cats, Mateo and Penelope.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Navigating college as a neurodivergent student can feel like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Traditional academic spaces aren\u2019t always built with neurodivergence in mind, making things like rigid deadlines, sensory overload\u200b and unclear expectations overwhelming. I learned this the hard way when I transitioned from high school to college, where the shift in structure caught […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":13451,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2893,1555,3776],"tags":[2221],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13450"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13450"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13450\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13453,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13450\/revisions\/13453"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}