2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Engineering college students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face unique challenges beyond the rigor of the curriculum. Students with ASD may have sensory issues, communication deficits, and executive functioning challenges such as assignment organization and time management [1]. At Arizona State University we have developed a program for engineering students with ASD that offers peer mentoring to help with the transition to and engagement in college life. The mentors offer guidance in honing executive functioning skills, identifying essential resources, fostering social connections, developing self-advocacy skills, and effectively navigating the campus environment. Through an undergraduate research initiative, undergraduate engineering researchers have immersed themselves into this program, conducted research on neurodiverse learning and communication skills, and developed a prototype application specifically for the peer mentoring program. Initially the student researchers developed surveys to determine the needs and interests in a customized application. Using the survey results, they developed a prototype application, and received user feedback on the prototype. This work in progress will detail the communication strategies designed for neurodiverse students, offer insights from the survey outcomes, and present feedback received during the evaluation of the application prototype.