UC Berkeley Neurodiversity Initiative

Origins of the Initiative:

The UC Berkeley Neurodiversity Initiative was inspired by earlier work co-led by William Carter and Peter Cornish, and supported by Renee Starowicz in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023. The momentum generated led to the formation of the Student Services Neurodiversity Initiative.

The UC Berkeley Neurodiversity Initiative has its roots in the larger context of the Division of Student Affairs' 3-5-year Initiative to enhance support for student services. Within this initiative, a specific "Health Justice and Holistic Wellbeing" priority emerged, leading to the formation of the UC Berkeley Neurodiversity Initiative. This endeavor is a collaborative effort jointly led by UHS Student Mental Health and the Disabled Students Program.

This initiative's significance lies in its commitment to a co-design model, actively engaging the campus community and incorporating diverse perspectives. The team, with William Carter as the chair and Martha and Peter as co-mentors, plays a central role in this student-led, community-engaged approach, ensuring that the needs of neurodiverse students are understood and addressed comprehensively. 

Co-Design and Implementation 

The initiative's approach centers on "nothing for us without us," emphasizing the importance of co-designing with neurodivergent students and organizations advocating for social justice and inclusion. The co-design process focuses on three key elements:

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1. Identifying Service Gaps:

Collaborative exercises with staff, faculty, and student stakeholder groups to identify and confirm neurodivergence gap service areas require further development within our service model.  

2. Populating the Framework: 

In alignment with the Okanagan Charter, this initiative is engaging with campus stakeholders to populate our service model framework with accessible programming for supporting intersecting neurodiverse, cultural, racial, and gender identities.  

3. Synergistic Community Engagement:

The process for campus engagement, rooted in the ancient principle of synergy, establishes conditions that facilitate an integration of many diverse voices and conflicting perspectives, producing a healing, restorative energy that is greater than the sum of the parts. This process aims to mitigate inequities, harms, and oppression resulting from the dominant capitalist scarcity paradigm. 

Proposed Approach

Building upon the foundation established in the previous sections, the UC Berkeley Neurodiversity Initiative outlines a comprehensive approach designed to address the unique needs of neurodivergent students. There is a phased approach to this proposal, and any recruitment will be stagged to allow for co-design, student engagement, and adequate training and institutionalization. Furthermore, attention will be paid to data gathering, to ensure that students are receiving the best care, and we are constantly learning and adapting, and to ensure that data is available for both scaling up and applying for bigger grants.

Phase 1: UC Berkeley Campus Outreach and Connection Building (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2028)

In this initial phase, the initiative is engaging with the UC Berkeley campus community through surveys and town hall meetings. The goal is to understand existing work related to neurodiversity and establish a dialogue with students, staff, faculty, and community members. In this phase, an additional goal will be to identify and apply for grant opportunities to help cover the start-up costs of phasing open this clinic. 

Phase 2: Neurodiversity Clinic Development and Launch (January 1, 2024 - June 30, 2028)

Building on insights gathered during the previous phases, the initiative will finalize the design of the Neurodivergent Care Team at UC Berkeley. This will involve sharing initial reports with stakeholders and presenting at a UC Regents Meeting to garner support for the project and ensure that other Student Mental Health Centers in the UC are aware of our initiative. The team clinic will begin to launch in Fall 2024, following a staggered, phased approach as staff are hired and trained. This service will be primarily funded through student insurance reimbursement. Services will include individual and group therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, and community-defined evidence practices. 

Phase 3: UC System-wide Outreach, Scaling Engagement Sessions and Grant-Writing (April 1, 2024 - March 31, 2028) 

The initiative aims to document and develop its service model as a replicable model for other UC campuses. This phase seeks to improve services for neurodivergent students system-wide. The grant-writing will build on earlier identifications of grant opportunities in phase one. In this stage it is hoped through the hiring of a research team and research supervisor, the clinic can start to apply for larger grants to better secure data on this initiative, and scale up and institutionalize this as long-term campus infrastructure. 

Phase 4: Co-Design UC Berkeley Multicultural Neurodiversity Community Wellness Spaces and Programming (July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2028)

Through the Neurodiversity Initiative and the establishment of the Neurodiversity Program, our aspiration extends beyond clinical services alone. We aim to develop broader community programming in collaboration with the Disability Cultural Center, acknowledging that diagnosis and identity may diverge. Understanding that individuals may identify as neurodivergent without a formal diagnosis or they may seek community engagement without clinical support, we are committed to offering programming that respects, affirms, and recognizes these diverse paths.

As part of this project, we intend to partner with the Disability Cultural Center to ensure that the community and individuals within it feel supported with resources and programming that align with their unique needs.

This project envisions a hybrid physical and digital space, bridging UHS and Student Mental Health's Anna Head Site with the Disability Cultural Center. This interconnected space will serve as a hub for neurodiversity, disability, and mental health-related programming, fostering inclusivity and holistic well-being for all members of our community.  

Proposed Services 

The Neurodiversity Clinic at UC Berkeley is committed to providing a wide range of services that cater to the unique needs of neurodiverse individuals. This proposal is a comprehensive outline of the services we intend to offer, taking inspiration and guidance from the services available at the Stanford Neurodiversity Clinic and UCSF Autism Center. 

It's important to note that this Neurodiversity Initiative and Neurodiversity Clinic Project is a draft proposal, and we anticipate that it will evolve as we gather feedback and actively engage in co-design with the community we aim to serve. We believe in building our services in collaboration with the voices and experiences of neurodiverse individuals. This list of services is intended to outline the minimum services offered and to act as a baseline for discussions. 

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1. Diagnostic Evaluation:

  • A comprehensive diagnostic assessment covering a wide range of neurodiversity profiles. 

2. Treatment and Support:

  • Clinical Services 

    • Psychiatric service (medication consultation and management).

    • Individual therapy options (depending on initial community feedback/outreach).

    • Nature/Art therapy options and group projects

    • Consultation services connected to the mobile crisis. 

    • Nurse Practitioner services for basic health needs such as STI testing, blood tests, health checks, and physical exams, as required for students who prefer additional time and resources and to do so in a safe and affirming space.

  • Support and Empowerment

    • Group services focused on emotional regulation and neuro-behavioral emotional regulation programs centered on a strengths-based approach. 

    • E mental health literacy and skill-building tools specially designed for neurodiverse students (e.g., MH gamification apps)

    • Neurodiversity coaching (ASD/ADHD). 
  • Advocacy and Resource Connection

3. Campus Services and Training:

  • Academic Support and workshops (e.g. workshops and specialized academic courses, in collaboration with DSP)
  • Campus Training
    • Specific training available for staff, faculty, and students (organizations/governments/DeCals).
    • Wider training for clinical staff to ensure neurodiverse awareness in health settings.  

4. Community Outreach and Organizing: 

  • Community outreach strategies and initiatives will be developed based on student and community input through non-traditional surveys, focus groups, and town hall meetings.

Proposed Staffing for Neurodivergent Care Team

  • Neuropsychologist 
  • Psychologist
  • Psychiatrist
  • ASD/ADHD/  Neurodiversity Coaches
  • Case Manager
  • Nurse Practitioner
  • Peer Supervisor
  • Peer workers (trained student workers)
  • Clinical Social Worker
  • Research Supervisor/Advocate 
  • Post Docs and Graduate Student Researchers

Defining Terminology

There are various sources for definitions, but our project co-leads were inspired from the definitions from Black Neurodiversity Website. Those definitions are noted with an *.

Access-intimacy*

The feeling of closeness, comfort, and connection created by a sincere and authentic understanding of a person's experience of dis/ability and access needs

Neuro-distinct*

A being who experiences developmental and acquired sensory, cognitive, and psychosocial distinctions

NeuroIndigenous*

To be neurodistinct and in conversation with, admiration of, and respect for ones indigenous and ancestral ways of knowing and being.

ADHD/ Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder*

(Variable Attention Stimulus Trait) - neurodistinction characterized by a spectrum of the control of an abundance of attention, focus, and distractibility, curiosity, creativity, and effort.

Autism Spectrum Disorder*

A neurodistinction characterized by a sensory, social, and behavioral presence hyperconnected to one's own being. 

Burnout*

A neurodistinct experience of chronic exhaustion (typically paired with depression, anxiety, and withdrawal) caused by unaccommodating social, work, and everyday environments,

Strength-based

Approaches focus on individual's strengths (including personal strengths and social and community networks) and not on their deficits 

Trauma-informed

Care acknowledges the need to understand a patient's life experiences in order to deliver effective care.

created using Adobe Firefly AI stock image generator. We really admired the connection between the earth, nature and neurodiversity - highlighting the cultivating care piece.

 Image created using Adobe Firefly and is AI generated.

Team Members of the Neurodiversity Initiative:

The Neurodiversity Initiative is a collaborative effort led by a diverse and dedicated team of individuals committed to enhancing support for neurodiverse students. This initiative's leadership team, chaired by William James Carter, comprises professionals from various backgrounds, clinical and non-clinical.

Core Group

A Photo of Will Carter

William James Carter (Chair) 

Fulbright Scholar, PhD Student, and Graduate Student Researcher for Student Mental Health, identifies as neurodivergent and has been active on campus supporting neurodiversity and disability justice initiatives.

Peter Cornish

Peter Cornish, PhD (Co-Mentor)

Co-Director of Student Mental Health at UC Berkeley and the Co-Founder of Stepped Care 2.0

A Staff Photo of Martha Velasquez

Martha Velasquez (Co-Mentor)

Director at the Disabled Students Program at UC Berkeley

Laura Gramling, PhD

Neuropsychologist at UHS Student Mental Health, is a key member of the core group and plays a pivotal role in assessing and supporting the mental health needs of students.

Renee Starowicz, PhD

Data Services Manager at the D-Lab and a Disability Studies Social Science Researcher with experience in Direct Support roles with disabled people.