For our new members we will hold our bi annual meeting that explores the question: "What is Neurodiversity?" Too often, the conversation starts and ends with ADHD or autism. But neurodivergence also includes conditions like epilepsy, POTS, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), migraine, Tourette’s, dyslexia, OCD, traumatic brain injury, seizure disorders, chronic fatigue, and other neurocognitive or neuroimmune conditions that shape how the brain processes information, emotion, and t

To begin the semester, we’re returning to our conversation on SDAO accommodations: who holds the power to decide what “access” means  — and what happens when students have to negotiate  for the basic tools they need to learn. With many of you sending you accommodation letters to professors this week this conversation seems important to keep returning to at the beginning of each semester. Drawing on research from MDPI’s study on staff knowledge, attitudes, and power dynamics i

So great meeting you all at the club fair today! Our first GBM will be this upcoming Tuesday 1/21. DNA meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 7PM in Rueben Cooke, Rm 207. All notifications about GBMs will be made here on the website as well as via the DNA GroupME and email listerv. If you haven't already please fill out the interest form  to be added to our mailing list and groupME. See you all soon!!

For Finals week we will be providing quiet co-working hours again on Tuesday and Thursday from 5-9PM in our usual room (Rueben Cook, Rm 207). If you have never attended a co-working hours before read below: Co-working hours provides a low-stimulus environment — soft lighting, minimal background noise, and built-in timed breaks — to help you stay productive. Bring anything you’re working on: papers, readings, problem sets, or planning your study schedule. DNA leadership will b

Happy Last Week of Classes. Like every semester DNA will be providing quiet co-working hours on Tuesday and Thursday from 7-10PM in our usual room (Rueben Cook, Rm 207). If you have never attended a co-working hours before read below: Co-working hours provides a low-stimulus environment — soft lighting, minimal background noise, and built-in timed breaks — to help you stay productive. Bring anything you’re working on: papers, readings, problem sets, or planning your study sch

Have a good Thanksgiving Break! No meetings this week!

This week, the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  are exploring interoception  — the brain’s ability to sense what’s happening inside your body — and how it’s often different for neurodivergent and chronically ill people. We’ll discuss how interoception shapes emotional regulation, sensory overload, and self-care — and how tuning into your body’s signals can change the way you live, study, and rest. We’ll explore: What interoception actually is (and how it links body to bra

With registration starting this week we’ll have seniors speak about which spring professors and classes are the most accommodating to learning differences like ADHD, dyslexia, visual processing disorders, slower processing speeds, and more. Some professors are more understanding and flexible than others — offering different assessment styles (like choosing between an exam or an essay for the final), recorded lectures, or e-book versions of required readings. Come hear firstha

This Tuesday join DNA  for a meeting on how the nervous system, digestion, and neurodivergence are all connected. We’ll explore: The “second brain” in your gut and how it affects focus and mood Why neurodivergent and chronically ill people often experience GI issues How anxiety, meds, and sensory sensitivities affect eating Gentle nutrition and realistic care for unpredictable bodies We will meet in Rueben Cooke at 7PM like always!

For many of us, fatigue isn’t about being tired — it’s about our bodies running on flight or fight .Join DNA  for a conversation on how neuroimmune conditions like lupus, POTS, or long COVID shape cognition, energy, and mood — and why they deserve a place in the neurodiversity conversation. We’ll discuss: How the immune system impacts the brain What chronic fatigue really feels like (and why rest doesn’t always help) The emotional toll of “fluctuating disability” How to pace

Ever reread the same page five times and still not absorb it? You’re not alone.Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for a discussion on “brain fog” — what it is, why it happens, and how to study when your brain just won’t cooperate. We’ll explore: The science behind cognitive fatigue and inflammation Low-energy study methods and pacing strategies How to communicate with professors when you’re struggling to focus Letting go of guilt around productivity

No GBM this Thursday! Enjoy your halloweekend!

Last year, we opened an honest conversation about Duke’s attendance and withdrawal policies — and how they often fail students living with chronic illness and neurodivergence.This year, we’re expanding that discussion. Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA) for a student-led forum on the systemic barriers that still make Duke an inaccessible place for many disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent students. Because accessibility isn’t just about extra time on tests

Have a good Fall Break guys!

This week, the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  are teaming up with the Student Disability Access Office (SDAO)  for an open conversation about accessibility on campus — what’s working, what isn’t, and how we can build a more neurodivergent-friendly Duke together. Too often, accessibility is talked about  rather than with  the people it affects. This meeting flips that script. SDAO staff will begin by briefly outlining what services and accommodations they provide — testi

This week, we’re bringing back one of our favorite meetings — the Peer Resource Swap!  This is an open, collaborative session where members share the tools, apps, habits, and strategies that make college life a little easier for neurodivergent and chronically ill students. Come ready to show or talk about: Your favorite study or organization tool (digital or paper). The best note-taking or focus trick you’ve discovered. Helpful campus resources, accessibility hacks, or routin

We’re so excited to welcome We’re thrilled to welcome Lisa Jurecic, LCSW back to the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for another conversation on how neurodivergent people adapt, rebuild, and grow in a world not designed for them. Last time, Lisa helped us unpack what neurodiversity really means . This time, she’s diving deeper — exploring resilience : not the “push through it” kind, but the quiet, creative kind that neurodivergent minds use to survive and thrive. We’ll t

Join DNA for a panel featuring neurodivergent Duke seniors  who will share what it’s really been like to navigate Duke with learning differences, chronic illnesses, and diverse brains. From getting accommodations (or struggling to), to finding supportive professors, to unlearning perfectionism and finding belonging — this panel will explore the real story  behind success as a neurodivergent student. Our seniors will talk about: How their understanding of neurodivergence has

The biggest obstacle for many neurodivergent students isn’t the coursework — it’s the people in charge of it. Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for a deep dive into the power dynamics  that shape neurodivergent experiences in higher education. Drawing from a recent study published in MDPI , we’ll discuss how faculty knowledge, attitudes, and classroom practices  can either empower or marginalize neurodivergent students — and what real allyship in academia looks li

Like every semester we are going to have a meeting about what Neurodiversity is for all our new members. We’ll unpack how this term connects to so many brain–body conditions that shape thinking, attention, movement, and sensory experience — including dyslexia, Tourette’s, epilepsy, migraines, POTS, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, OCD, traumatic brain injury, seizure disorders, chronic pain, and more. For many people, neurodivergence isn’t a label they were born with — it’s something

Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA) for an open, supportive group discussion about what it means to live with  a learning difference or chronic disability. This isn’t a lecture or workshop — it’s a safe, judgment-free space to talk about daily life, coping, identity, and the complicated emotions that come with having a brain or body that doesn’t always cooperate. Whether you have dyslexia, dyscalculia, EDS, POTS, migraines, post-concussive symptoms, or any condition

Hey everyone,This week’s DNA meeting is going to be a little different — I’ll be leading it myself. I want to talk about something that doesn’t get said enough: what it’s like to live with ADHD when you spend years not knowing, and what happens when the “solution” doesn’t actually feel like help. I wasn’t diagnosed until college, after years of thinking I was just lazy, forgetful, or broken. Getting that label was a relief — it finally made sense why my brain works the way it

Hi everyone! As you know Devon Tonneson, DNA's President, is studying abroad this semester. Thus I will be leading meetings this semester! Our First GBM will be next Tuesday 9/17. All our meetings are in Rueben Cooke, Room 207, at 7 PM. If you haven't already please fill out the interest form  to be added to our mailing list and groupME.

Happy Final. Like every semester DNA will be providing quiet co-working hours again on Tuesday and Thursday from 7-10PM in our usual room (Rueben Cook, Rm 207). If you have never attended a co-working hours before read below: Co-working hours provides a low-stimulus environment — soft lighting, minimal background noise, and built-in timed breaks — to help you stay productive. Bring anything you’re working on: papers, readings, problem sets, or planning your study schedule. DN