Inclusive Informal STEM Education for Neurodivergent Audiences (Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education)

This volume explores the critical role of inclusive STEM education (ISE) for neurodivergent audiences It highlights the diverse contexts in which STEM learning occurs beyond formal schooling, emphasizing lifelong learning through everyday experiences, programs, and designed settings like museums and zoos. The book addresses the increasing focus on diversity, equity, access, and inclusion (DEAI) within ISE organizations, aiming to remove barriers and ensure access for all, including neurodivergent individuals. With 15-20% of the global population identifying as neurodivergent, this volume is essential for ISE researchers and practitioners seeking to implement effective and promising practices for engaging neurodiverse individuals in STEM learning and employment opportunities.

Preface.- Acknowledgements.- Part 1: Introduction.- Chapter 1. What is Neurodiversity? Chapter 2. Creating Access and Inclusion for Autistic Visitors in Informal Learning Settings: A Review of Literature.- Chapter 3. Universal Design in Action: Effective Informal STEM Strategies for Neurodiverse Learners.- Chapter 4. Empowering Every Mind: Creating Personalized Learning Pathways in ISL with AI-Enabled Approaches.- Part 2: Neurodivergent affirming general visit experiences, exhibits and programs.- Chapter 5. Exhibit Designers Should Know that "We aren't Dumbasses": Learning Disability and the Creation of Exhibits that Empower.- Chapter 6. Creating a Sense of Belonging in a Maker Camp for Neurodivergent Middle Schoolers.- Chapter 7. A Solar Science program created by a neurodiverse team of space scientists, program developers, educators and youth.- Chapter 8. Community Strategies for Facilitating Inclusive Informal STEM Learning Experiences for Neurodiverse Learners.- Chapter 9. STEM Without Walls: Designing Inclusive Outdoor Learning for Neurodiverse Homeschoolers.- Chapter 10. Break Time: Designing and Implementing Sensory Rooms in Informal STEM Education Environments. Part 3: Organizational culture, inclusive workplace practices and professional learning.- Chapter 11. Empowering Informal Educators to Engage with Neurodivergent Audiences around Space Science.- Chapter 12. Engineering Belonging: Targeted Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning in Cultural Institution Volunteer Programs.- Part 4: Consulting, collaborating and co-designing with the neurodivergent community.- Chapter 13. Leveraging Existing Community Systems of Support for Greater Inclusion Impact Through Co-Design.- Chapter 14. Europa Prime: A STEM-Based Virtual Reality Game Designed By, With, and For Neurodivergent Players.- Chapter 15. Using Universal Design for Learning to Guide Co-Design Partnerships with Autistic Youth.- Chapter 16. Exploration of Co-designing Virtual Museum Experiences with Autistic Individuals to Support the Multidimensionality of Inclusion.- Index.

Kelly Riedinger, Ph.D., is a senior researcher for the STEM Research Center at Oregon State University, USA. She has a Ph.D. in science education from the University of Maryland, USA and brings more than 25 years of experience in science education as a practitioner, researcher and evaluator. Her current research focuses on inclusion in informal science education for neurodivergent individuals. Kelly is on the editorial board for the Visitor Studies journal and is a member of the steering committee for the Social Science Research and Evaluation Scientific Advisory Group for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Grayson Ponti, M.A., is the founder and president of Zoos and Aquariums for a Neurodiverse Ecosystem (ZANE), a non-profit organization that supports zoos and aquariums implement neurodiversity-affirming practices that support all visitors. He is a neurodivergent individual (autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder) and has a background in conservation education. Grayson has worked as a professional at multiple zoos and aquariums and has contributed as a consultant and writer for a variety of zoo initiatives. Grayson is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquarium s Diversity Committee, a co-PI on the NSF-funded Beyond Access project and serves as an advisor for Immense Universe and the NSF-funded Modeling Zoos and Aquariums as Inclusive Communities of Science for Autistic Individuals project.