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Abstract This work-in-progress research paper presents a collaborative inquiry connected to neurodivergence in engineering education. We initiated our collaboration to fulfill unmet needs for neurodivergent community between engineering education researchers by engaging in discourse that 1) exposes less visible concepts of in/accessibility, 2) challenges ableist structures and practices, and 3) cultivates neurodivergent engagement and inclusion. As a means to build community, we explored the following question: What are the ways that the EER infrastructure/community supports and doesn't support neurodivergent students, staff, and faculty? Thus far, our project has involved semi-regular meetings coupled with individual reflections on a variety of topics related to being neurodivergent. We are now at the analytical stage of identifying key shared and contrasting experiences and understanding the implications of those experiences for engineering education research and practice. This paper presents the background and methods of a longer archival paper in preparation, as well as some preliminary results; the conference presentation will offer a preliminary analysis for feedback from the community. This paper will be of interest to the broader community because it increases visibility of neurodivergent folks and mechanisms that marginalize us in the field. This paper also contributes to a growing body of collaborative inquiry-based research to help practitioners navigate their careers, help practitioners better understand their students and colleagues, and help administrators/mentors develop an asset-based and systemic-based understanding of neurodivergence.
Tsugawa et al. (Sun,) studied this question.