Fall 2026 UA DS 'All Access' Neurodiversity Workshop Series

Fall 2026 UA DS 'All Access' Neurodiversity Workshop Series

September 3, 2026

WORKSHOP 1
Understanding Neurodivergence in Higher Education
Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. Alaska time, 3 p.m. Pacific time
This session is designed for University of Alaska faculty and staff across roles and campuses. All are welcome.

WORKSHOP 2
Supporting Neurodivergent Students and Others: How to Accommodate Within Class and When to Refer to Disability Services
Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. Alaska time, 2 p.m. Pacific time
This session is designed for academic administrators, faculty, staff, and instructional designers. All are welcome.

Session Summary:Participants in this 90-minute interactive workshop will have the opportunity to share experiences, ask questions and learn new ways to support, teach and assess neurodivergent students, as well as provide a flexible environment for all students. We will examine proactive as well as responsive ways to ensure not only legal ADA compliance but true inclusion and accessibility. We will explore designing curriculum and assessments to deliver an accessible educational experience to all students, and particularly neurodivergent students, including weaving classroom accommodations into pedagogy. For nonfaculty staff, we will translate these practices into practical applications for supporting students outside the classroom. Participants will come away with information they can implement right away that will make a difference in student access and response. Resources for future learning will be shared as well.

Before the session, you will be invited to complete a pre-session survey when you receive your confirmation email.

WORKSHOP 3
Navigating Classroom Challenges
Nov. 20 at noon Alaska time, 1 p.m. Pacific time
This session is designed for academic administrators, faculty, and instructional designers. Student affairs professionals may also wish to attend. All are welcome.

Session Summary:Participants in this 90-minute interactive workshop will have the opportunity to share experiences, ask questions and explore proactive and responsive classroom management tools for higher education environments. We will review past learnings and consider correlations between course design and delivery and student regulation. Participants will explore how to establish classroom expectations and create relationships at the start that will support student behavioral management and intervention. We will identify current practices you are already using and answer questions you have coming into the workshop, as well as those that arise throughout. Participants will come away with practical tools they can implement right away that will make a difference in the student and faculty experience. Resources for future learning will be shared as well.

Before the session, you will be invited to complete a pre-session survey when you receive your confirmation email.

'All Access' Neurodiversity Presenter Bio
"Neurodivergence is part of the diversity of this region. It is not something to be fixed. It is something to be welcomed and celebrated."
Sara Sanders Gardner

Sara Sanders Gardner (they/them) is an Autistic neurodiversity professional with more than 25 years of experience advancing understanding in higher education and the workplace. Their work brings together lived experience, research, and practical implementation to help organizations better understand, support, and engage neurodivergent people.

Sara created and directs Bellevue College's nationally recognized Neurodiversity Navigators program, one of the first college-based neurodiversity support programs of its kind in the nation. The program uses strengths-based education, self-advocacy, identity development, and Collaborative Problem Solving™ to help neurodivergent students navigate college and prepare for meaningful careers. Sara also taught college courses for more than a decade, designing curriculum specifically for neurodivergent students.

Sara has designed and delivered Neurodiversity Cultural Responsiveness training for Microsoft's Neurodiversity Hiring Program since 2015 and developed neurodiversity e-learning used across seven countries for Amazon Web Services. As founder of Autistic at Work LLC, they also provide workshops, training, and consultation to colleges, universities, corporations, and other organizations seeking to strengthen their understanding of neurodiversity.

Sara's expertise is grounded in both professional and lived experience. They are the parent of an adult Autistic child and were raised in an Autistic family. Sara also served as technical editor for Wiley's Neurodiversity For Dummies and Autism For Dummies, bringing a depth of lived and professional experience that informs their practical, engaging approach to neurodiversity education.