Happy last week of classes! Finals start in 7 days. So 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

Remote and hybrid learning promised flexibility — but for many neurodivergent students, it brought a new wave of challenges. Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for a discussion on how environmental and situational factors  in online and hybrid learning environments intersect with neurodivergence. From sensory overload and Zoom fatigue to executive dysfunction and unpredictable home distractions, we’ll unpack how digital spaces can both help and hinder neurodivergen

Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for a lecture on the often-overlooked vestibular and visual consequences of concussion  — how untreated balance, eye-tracking, and sensory issues can quietly derail recovery and lead to years of brain fog, nausea, migraines, and focus problems. Many who live with post-concussive symptoms are never told that their dizziness or headaches aren’t psychological — they’re neurological, and treatable. We’ll explore: What really happens i

Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for a conversation on what happens when the brain changes after trauma — from concussions and accidents to medical events like strokes or seizures. We’ll unpack how recovery isn’t always a return to “normal,” and why post-injury cognition, emotion, and sensory processing deserve a place in neurodiversity conversations. Many students and athletes live with the lingering cognitive effects of TBI, concussion, or neurological injury  

We often talk about the challenges of being neurodivergent — but what about the strengths that come with it? Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for a conversation about the ways neurodivergent people bring unique creativity, focus, and problem-solving skills  to fields that weren’t designed for them — from conservation biology and computer science to design, art, and policy. We’ll explore how traits like hyperfocus, pattern recognition, and deep curiosity  — often

The Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  are thrilled to welcome Susan Gingras Fitzell, M.Ed., CSP  — a nationally recognized educator, author, and consultant who has spent over 25 years helping students and professionals with diverse learning profiles thrive. Susan’s work focuses on neurodiversity beyond the usual headlines  — exploring how conditions like dyslexia, dyscalculia, auditory processing differences, and working-memory challenges  shape how people learn, collabora

Like every semester we are teaming up with ARC  for a hands-on session focused on practical accessibility tools  that make studying and test-taking more manageable. ARC staff will demo and distribute gadgets that support focus, comfort, and sensory regulation — including accessible keyboards, fidgets, noise-reducing headphones, and more. We’ll also talk about: How to identify which tools match your specific learning needs. Ways to incorporate assistive devices into everyday s

Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for a discussion on the underdiagnosis crisis  and the barriers that keep so many neurodivergent people from receiving support. Getting an assessment for ADHD, autism, or a learning difference can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars , require months-long waitlists, and depend on access to clinicians who actually understand adult neurodivergence. Meanwhile, people without formal diagnoses are often denied accommodations, dismisse

It seems like everyone on TikTok, in your dorm, or in your group chat “has ADHD” these days — or at least thinks they do.But what’s actually happening? Are we overdiagnosing  ADHD… or finally recognizing it in people who were overlooked for decades? Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for an honest conversation about how ADHD diagnosis trends  reflect larger issues in healthcare, identity, and access — especially for women, students of color, and late-diagnosed adul

Give how important this topic is we will be extending yesterdays discussion into our Thursday meeting. Theme:  how race, gender, and class shape who gets labeled, supported, or ignored. Goal:  help students recognize how systemic inequities start before  the workplace — in education and healthcare. Topics: Why women, students of color, and low-income individuals are underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Cultural differences in how neurodivergence and illness are perceived (“lazy,”

Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for a discussion that goes beyond diagnoses and accommodations — into how race, gender, and class  shape who gets access to care, credibility, and compassion. In the workplace (and even in classrooms), not everyone’s struggles are seen the same way.Women and people of color are still less likely to be diagnosed , more likely to be dismissed, and often told to “just push through” when symptoms or burnout show up. Meanwhile, invisib

With many of you leaving early for spring break this week we will not be having any GBMs!

Traditional study advice assumes everyone learns the same way — read, highlight, memorize, repeat. But for many neurodivergent students, that system just doesn’t click. Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for an interactive session on multimodal learning  — figuring out how your  brain absorbs and remembers information best. Whether you’re a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner (or some unique combo of all three), we’ll help you discover study techniques that w

This Tuesday 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 firsthand experiences and get

This Tuesday, the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  are hosting one of our own — Chloe Schwartz , a Duke student who lives with both a seizure disorder  and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)  — to talk about the daily realities of sensory overload and body regulation. For many neurodivergent and chronically ill students, sensory overload isn’t just uncomfortable — it’s physically dangerous. Bright lights, noise, crowds, or even stress can trigger pain, dizziness, or neurologica

In this two part series we will be hearing from two representatives from Duke's Sleep Clinic. Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for an open conversation about one of the most universal yet misunderstood struggles among neurodivergent people — sleep. If you’ve ever stayed up scrolling, overthinking, or simply unable to “shut off” even when exhausted, this meeting is for you. We’ll unpack why  neurodivergent sleep works differently and share real strategies to make

In this two part series we will be having two representatives from Duke's sleep clinic to talk to us. Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for an open conversation about one of the most universal yet misunderstood struggles among neurodivergent people — sleep. If you’ve ever stayed up scrolling, overthinking, or simply unable to “shut off” even when exhausted, this meeting is for you. We’ll unpack why  neurodivergent sleep works differently and share real strategies

As we talked about last meeting, this Tuesday we’re hosting Dr. Bridget M. Hard  from Duke’s Psychology Department — arguably the best Psych 101 professor ever  — for a session on how memory actually works  and how to use that knowledge to study smarter, not harder. Dr. Hard’s lecture on memorization completely changed the way I learn, and it’s especially relevant for those of us who are neurodivergent or have learning differences .Many of us process and retain information d

Some days, your brain just says no. No focus, no motivation, no capacity — but the world (and your professors) keep moving anyway. Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for a conversation on how to keep learning when you’re running on low energy.  We’ll explore spoon theory, fatigue, and realistic study pacing for neurodivergent students and anyone whose brain and body don’t always cooperate. We’ll go beyond “time management” and talk about what actually helps: Unders

This week, the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  are thrilled to host Dr. Emily , a clinical psychologist and learning-differences specialist known for her practical, compassionate approach to supporting neurodivergent students. Dr. Emily works with teens and young adults navigating ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, and executive-function challenges in school and everyday life. Her talk will focus on real strategies  — not vague productivity hacks — for thriving in academic environ

This week, the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  are partnering with ATLAS (Adolescents Transitioning to Leadership and Success)  — a Duke Psychiatry program that supports teens and young adults with chronic health conditions as they navigate independence, healthcare, and self-advocacy. Many of the topics we discuss in DNA — executive dysfunction, fatigue, sensory overload, burnout — are also  part of the daily reality for young people in ATLAS.This meeting will explore th

Neurodivergence isn’t one thing—it’s a whole spectrum of ways the brain processes, learns, and experiences the world. This week, we’ll explore how different forms of neurodivergence show up in daily life, from ADHD and dyslexia to epilepsy, processing disorders, Tourette’s, and more. We’ll talk about what these differences can look like day to day, how they intersect, and how we can better support one another as peers, classmates, and friends. This is a relaxed, discussion-ba

Let’s be honest — most “note-taking tips” assume everyone’s brain works the same way.But for many of us, traditional Cornell notes or color-coded outlines just don’t stick. Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for a hands-on workshop where we’ll compare different ways of taking notes for how your brain actually processes information. We’ll look at: Visual, verbal, and kinesthetic note-taking styles Tech tools that reduce cognitive load (Notion, GoodNotes, voice notes

Most professors want to help - but many have never actually met  a student who talks openly about neurodivergence or chronic illness.They might assume you’re able-bodied, that accommodations are just “extra time,” or that if you “look fine,” you don’t need support.That misunderstanding can make the first week of class exhausting before it even starts. Join the Duke Neurodiversity Advocates (DNA)  for a practical session on how to change that conversation.We’ll walk through ho