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Course ID: SA121
Title: Supporting Neurodivergent and Autistic Students in Residence Halls: Strategies for a Success
Date: Thursday, November 12 , 2026
Time: 1pm EST (lasts approx. 1 hour)
Facilitator: Dr. Jane Thierfeld Brown and Amy Rutherford-Moody
Price: $75
This is a LIVE WEBINAR presented via Zoom.

OVERVIEW
This session equips disability services and residence life professionals with practical strategies to support neurodivergent and autistic students as they transition to campus living. Through guided discussion, participants will examine common challenges — including disrupted routines, roommate relationships, unfamiliar foods, and changing daily schedules — and leave with approaches for partnering with students and families while fostering student autonomy, self-advocacy, and a successful college transition.

DESCRIPTION
The transition to residence hall living can disrupt the routines and support systems that neurodivergent and autistic students relied on before college. Roommate relationships, unfamiliar foods, changing schedules, and new expectations for independence may create barriers to belonging and academic success. In this interactive session, disability services and residence life professionals will discuss realistic campus scenarios and identify strategies for collaborating with students and families while strengthening student autonomy and self-advocacy.

Residence Hall living is a totally different experience for new college students. Most have never shared a room before or been completely responsible for themselves. As college professionals we see all students struggle somewhat with this developmental leap. Neurodivergent/Autistic students may have an even wider leap to navigate.

Intensive high school supports and home assistance may have inadvertently underprepared this population for the transition to independence. Community living in a college environment requires skills that parents may have forgotten. Developing life skills is crucial in college and many families abandon that effort in pursuit of higher achievement in academics.

This session will assist disability and res life professionals in strategies to support neurodivergent/autistic students in a satisfying experience in living on campus.

LEARNING GOALS

• Develop strategies to address parental concerns while prioritizing student autonomy.
• Participants will develop techniques to engage students in supporting their self-advocacy, decision-making, and resilience – building as part of their college experience.
• Participants will gain strategies for developing an inclusive environment for daily living and for events/activities.

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Dr. Jane Thierfeld Brown is a nationally recognized authority on supporting neurodivergent students in higher education. She is the founder of College Autism Spectrum, former Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale Child Study Center, Yale Medical School, and retired Director of Student Services at the University of Connecticut School of Law. She brings over 43 years of experience in Disability Services and is the author and co-author of several books on the topic.


Amy Rutherford-Moody is a Licensed Counselor with nearly two decades of experience in higher education and autism support services. She co-founded one of the first Autism college support programs in 2008 and served as its director for 16 years. She currently serves as Director of College Autism Spectrum, where she facilitates trainings and provides coaching to help institutions create more neuroinclusive campus environments. A published author, educator, and practitioner, Amy integrates professional expertise with lived experience to offer practical, compassionate, and actionable strategies that support neurodivergent students and the professionals who work with them.

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