LEARNING TO COLLABORATIVELY PROBLEM SOLVE WITH AUTISTIC STUDENTS
Overview
The Neurodiversity Navigators (NdN) program (previously called Autism Spectrum Navigators) at Bellevue College is a program that supports college students with neurodivergent abilities. The most common diagnosis is autism, although the program also provides support for students with related disabilities. I am a Navigation Assistant, or peer mentor, for students in the NdN program. The program is a nine-month commitment for employees and follows the Bellevue College academic calendar. On average, I mentor 6-8 students every quarter. We meet once a week for 45 minutes., In our meetings, we discuss how students are doing in their classes, what they need help with, and how they can make sure to complete upcoming assignments and prepare for exams. I also make sure that they are receiving their requested accommodations from the Disability Resource Center (DRC). The DRC is a service that supports students with disabilities. Disabilities may be physical, mental and/or emotional. Students may choose to receive accommodations from the DRC. Accommodations include alternative testing, classroom access, notetaking services, priority registration, among many others. I also help my students plan and prepare for the next quarter’s registration and help them choose what classes to take based on their academic interests and intended degree path.
The Neurodiversity Navigators (NdN) program (previously called Autism Spectrum Navigators) at Bellevue College is a program that supports college students with neurodivergent abilities. The most common diagnosis is autism, although the program also provides support for students with related disabilities. I am a Navigation Assistant, or peer mentor, for students in the NdN program. The program is a nine-month commitment for employees and follows the Bellevue College academic calendar. On average, I mentor 6-8 students every quarter. We meet once a week for 45 minutes., In our meetings, we discuss how students are doing in their classes, what they need help with, and how they can make sure to complete upcoming assignments and prepare for exams. I also make sure that they are receiving their requested accommodations from the Disability Resource Center (DRC). The DRC is a service that supports students with disabilities. Disabilities may be physical, mental and/or emotional. Students may choose to receive accommodations from the DRC. Accommodations include alternative testing, classroom access, notetaking services, priority registration, among many others. I also help my students plan and prepare for the next quarter’s registration and help them choose what classes to take based on their academic interests and intended degree path.
Personal Importance
My work is important to me because it connects me to my core values. When I am faced with difficult or challenging circumstances, I learn to navigate through the situation and persevere. Perseverance is important to me because I am able to grow and learn from my experiences, despite setbacks. I have demonstrated this value when my students bring up sensitive topics such as difficult home life, poor academic performance, mental health concerns, etc. I value balance because I feel more accomplished and productive when I’m able to prioritize all important tasks. I constantly utilize this value by distributing my time between addressing student concerns and writing reports. Trust is important in a relationship, leads to better communication, and is useful for problem solving. This experience has made me a better communicator and problem solver. Collaborative problem solving is an essential skill for my position as a Navigation Assistant because I use it regularly to work out problems with my students whether it is academically, emotionally, or socially. Finally, I value family because my family is my support system, and I turn to them in times of need. Many of my students do not have a strong support system, so I try to be there for them when they are lacking social/emotional support.
My work is important to me because it connects me to my core values. When I am faced with difficult or challenging circumstances, I learn to navigate through the situation and persevere. Perseverance is important to me because I am able to grow and learn from my experiences, despite setbacks. I have demonstrated this value when my students bring up sensitive topics such as difficult home life, poor academic performance, mental health concerns, etc. I value balance because I feel more accomplished and productive when I’m able to prioritize all important tasks. I constantly utilize this value by distributing my time between addressing student concerns and writing reports. Trust is important in a relationship, leads to better communication, and is useful for problem solving. This experience has made me a better communicator and problem solver. Collaborative problem solving is an essential skill for my position as a Navigation Assistant because I use it regularly to work out problems with my students whether it is academically, emotionally, or socially. Finally, I value family because my family is my support system, and I turn to them in times of need. Many of my students do not have a strong support system, so I try to be there for them when they are lacking social/emotional support.
Tasks Accomplished
- Helped students develop a calendar system to ensure that they complete all required assignments
- Helped students request DRC accommodations through their account on the DRC website
- Helped students plan their classes for the following quarter’s registration
- Wrote weekly reports for students to monitor their academic and personal progress
- Collaboratively problem solved with students when they had low grades
- Collaboratively problem solved with students when they expressed personal concerns including bad relationships with family members, mental health, other stressful situations related to commuting and/or maintaining a good work/life balance
Leadership Competencies
- Positive Attitude: I try my best to be happy and optimistic throughout my meetings with students. Many of my students struggle academically, are overworked, and constantly stressed. They face additional pressure and stigma with their autism diagnosis. I need to make sure that when we meet, they feel comfortable sharing information with me and are not judged or pressured to be a certain way. My favorite example of this was at the end of last quarter, when one of my students said to me that they hoped their next Navigation Assistant was like me because I am easy to talk to.
- Problem Solving: As I previously mentioned, problem solving is a key leadership competency that I’ve developed through this experience. I have learned to identify several student problems including poor academic performance, unhealthy relationships with oneself and others, toxic stress which results from long commutes and a poor work life balance. When these situations come up in our meetings, or I can sense that something is wrong, I talk to my students about it. They are sometimes not comfortable sharing this information with me in the beginning. Once they learn to trust me, they are more open.
- Scope of Competence: Because I am dealing with confidential student information on a daily basis, there are boundaries that I shouldn’t cross. When I am handling student paperwork and documents in a public area, I must take extra caution so that other students or people outside of the Neurodiversity Navigators Program do not see the names of the students in the program. Otherwise, their diagnosis will be revealed without the student’s consent. This is a violation and breach of privacy.
- Mentoring: I have had previous mentoring experiences and other experiences working with kids. I use my past experiences to help facilitate my current experience. I often try to relate my own experiences in school and share some tips and tricks of what I found helpful that has made me successful. When I here someone share their own story, I often find it helpful to reflect on their experience. I also encourage students to go to office hours if they are struggling in their classes or even email their instructors if they have questions or need clarifications.
- Listening: This is a very important leadership competency for me to have in my role. Every student is different, moves at a different pace, and has different needs. I need to be able to listen to their concerns and do my best to support them. Some of my students talk a lot and are excellent in communicating their needs. Other students are more shy, reserved, and independent. For these students, especially, it is also important for me to read their facial expressions and emotions. Not all communication is verbal.
Lessons Learned
I decided to become a Navigation Assistant for the Neurodiversity Navigators Program at Bellevue College because I needed credit for PSYCH 497, which is a requirement for the psychology major, so I chose this experience for my field work. I am really interested in learning about disabilities, particularly cognitive/psychological/neurodevelopmental, and how that affects health outcomes. This experience has taught me how to be a better communicator and problem solver. I have learned to acknowledge other people’s backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. This experience will impact my future endeavors through mentorship and understanding how to interact with people with disabilities.
I decided to become a Navigation Assistant for the Neurodiversity Navigators Program at Bellevue College because I needed credit for PSYCH 497, which is a requirement for the psychology major, so I chose this experience for my field work. I am really interested in learning about disabilities, particularly cognitive/psychological/neurodevelopmental, and how that affects health outcomes. This experience has taught me how to be a better communicator and problem solver. I have learned to acknowledge other people’s backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. This experience will impact my future endeavors through mentorship and understanding how to interact with people with disabilities.
Attached is our final PSYCH 497 presentation that my colleague Kenna Maulin and I created for our field work experience as Navigation Assistants for the Bellevue College Neurodiversity Navigators program.