2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This work-in-progress research examines artistic creativity and innovation self-efficacy (ISE) among neurodiverse students (neurotypical [NT] and neurodivergent [ND]) through self-portrait drawings and surveys. With engineering emphasizing diverse problem-solving approaches, understanding neurodivergent contributions is critical for fostering innovation and inclusivity. In a junior-level environmental engineering course, students created a monster drawing with specific constraints and completed an ISE survey. Drawings were assessed for Creative Work (CW) by an art professor, and CW scores were compared with ISE survey results to explore correlations. Among 37 students, 11 identified as ND or “Maybe ND.” Students uncertain about their neurodivergent status (e.g., ADHD, anxiety, depression) excelled in artistic categories like balance/uniformity, color use, and overall design but reported low ISE scores, suggesting identity uncertainty may influence self-efficacy despite demonstrated creative strengths. Anxiety was associated with high artistic concept/design scores (average 8.2), while students who self-reported having ADHD showed lower CW performance, excelling only in balance/uniformity. Across both ND and NT groups, CW and ISE scores appeared inversely correlated. These findings suggest that neurodivergent identity uncertainty may affect self-efficacy even in students with strong creative capabilities. The complex relationship between ISE and creativity in neurodiverse populations warrants further exploration to better understand and support innovation in engineering education.