2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Different neurotypes enhance engineering by bringing varied cognitive perspectives and problem-solving approaches that foster creativity and innovation. Neurodivergent individuals, including those with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, often excel in skills like pattern recognition, systems thinking, and attention to detail, which are vital in engineering. This study examines the role of neurotypes in team-based projects within a junior-level environmental engineering course supported by NSF Award #2205067. Over 10 weeks, student teams (3–5 members) designed K-12 learning activities integrating water chemistry concepts, guided by a K-12 teacher and an engineering mentor. To build innovation self-efficacy, students completed three team-based reflective memos and two individual memos. This paper compares two teams: one with mixed neurotypes (ND) and one neurotypical (NT). The ND team included students with diagnoses such as PTSD, anxiety, autism, and ADHD, as well as neurotypical students, while the NT team consisted entirely of neurotypical students. Reflective memos were analyzed using Constant Comparison Analysis (CCA) and scored for depth of learning using Moon’s Map of Learning. Results showed the ND team achieved higher overall depth scores (37.7) across five memos compared to the NT team (29.5). While the ND team members scored lower in individual reflective memos on average (11.4 vs. 15.4), their team-based submission scores were 54% higher than the NT team’s. These findings highlight the value of varied neurotype perspectives in enhancing the depth of learning and innovative thinking in team-based engineering projects. The unique strengths of neurodivergent individuals appeared to contribute to richer, more creative outcomes in the team setting, emphasizing the importance of embracing neurotypes in engineering education.