Finally, ‘I wasn’t alone’: Teaching teens about neurodiversity advocacy

In high school, Maya Oralevich checked the boxes of a model student. She did her homework. She got straight A’s. She was engaged in the classroom. Still, those she chose to open up to about her learning challenges — peers and trusted adults — often ignored her.

That, Oralevich learned, is the stigma that often accompanies a diagnosis of dyslexia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — two neurodevelopmental conditions that affect how one thinks, learns and behaves. Such neurodiverse conditions impact 20% of the global population, according to the National Autistic Society, and can present in a variety of ways, including difficulties processing language and managing tasks.

Now 20, Oralevich says ill-informed assumptions about her learning abilities were common. “‘People with Dyslexia and ADHD can’t read … they can’t focus … they can’t do this or that,’” Oralevich recalled others saying. To advocate for herself and help educate others, she realized she needed a better understanding of her condition.

“I felt really bad about myself because everything I heard about my diagnosis was negative,” she said, “I needed a lot of help learning about my neurodiversity so I could advocate for myself to teachers.”

As Oralevich began searching for support, she discovered the Stanford Neurodiversity Project - Research, Education, and Advocacy Camp for High Schoolers (SNP-REACH) — a two-week summer camp that teaches high school students about neurodiversity and advocacy. The camp, in its fifth year, is one of several Stanford Neurodiversity Project’s programs that focus on educating the public about neurodiverse conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and Tourette’s syndrome.

This year, it hosted more than 130 students from all over the U.S. and well beyond — Asia, South America, and Africa — shining a light on the universal need for better neurodiversity awareness.

“The high school years are a critical moment for defining oneself,” said Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and the director of the Stanford Neurodiversity Project. “The belief systems that they are going to form during this time will be very powerful for the rest of their lives.”

"I felt really bad about myself because everything I heard about my diagnosis was negative," Maya Oralevich said.

The camp — which is open to both neurodiverse and neurotypical students — emphasizes the strengths of being a neurodiverse individual, something Fung believes is crucial to help teens like Oralevich understand their conditions in a destigmatized environment. The students work together to create a project that helps neurodiverse youth advocate for themselves in the classroom, access educational resources, and use learning tools tailored to their conditions. Campers often implement their final product in their local schools, spreading neurodiversity awareness beyond the program.

Perhaps most importantly, the camp facilitates connections between students. Oralevich, who needs extra time to complete assignments because of her dyslexia, was often dismissed by her teachers when she asked for accommodations. Now a college junior who has returned as a camp counselor for two summers, Oralevich said she was surprised to learn that many of her fellow campers had similar struggles.

“It was the first time I really felt like I wasn’t alone,” she said.

Camp counselors and participants took time to pose for an elevator selfie. Said participant Pablo Sanchez Monter: "When you’re collaborating, it doesn’t feel like work; it just feels fun. " (Photo by Maya Oralevich)

Turning struggles into strengths 

Mornings are spent hearing from speakers who cover a wide range of topics on neurodiversity, arming students with practical knowledge to help navigate real-world decisions. For example, campers learn about laws and policies that affect how public and private schools adapt to neurodiverse students differently.

Unlike other summer camps, this one is specifically designed for neurodiverse learners. Small adjustments, such as incorporating frequent breaks and opportunities to stand up and move throughout the day, allow students the flexibility to embrace their cognitive differences.

The program features what Fung calls the Strengths-Based Model of Neurodiversity — a reframing of neurodivergence as an advantage rather than a disability. For instance, he said, individuals with dyslexia who find alternative ways to process words develop a strong work ethic and can be highly creative problem solvers: “We feel like this program is really one of a kind.” 

The approach helped Sophie Nguyen shift her perspective on how to support neurodiverse people. Once a camper and now a camp counselor, she became an advocate after meeting her friend’s sister with Down syndrome.

“The strengths-based approach was the most surprising and empowering thing for me to learn because I was very accustomed to the medical model, which focuses on the challenges of neurodiverse people,” Nguyen said. “Now, as I continue with my advocacy outside of camp, I can help them use their strengths to achieve more.” 

Advocacy projects spark a lasting passion 

After the lectures comes the fun part for campers: putting their knowledge into practice. During their first week, they take a survey to identify their interests and skills, such as coding or graphic design. The students pick a specific neurodiverse community to focus on, learn how to empathize and connect with that group, and build a tool or website that can improve the group’s day-to-day experience. On the final day of camp, the students present their finished projects to peers, friends, faculty, and parents. 

Amelia Holderness presents her group's project Visual Voices, which focused on autistic individuals who face communication challenges. (Photo by Sophie Nguyen)

Amelia Holderness, a 16-year-old high school junior in Washington, D.C., focused on autistic individuals who face communication challenges. Holderness and her group created a website called Visual Voices that helps people on the autism spectrum who do not communicate vocally. The service can translate sign language into written words on the computer. For example, a nonspeaking autistic person can show the computer’s camera the hand signal for the phrase “yes” in American Sign Language. Then, the website identifies the hand gestures and displays the word on the screen. The goal of their website was to bridge vocal communicators with neurodiverse individuals who process spoken language differently.

“If you’re non-speaking, it can be lonely and isolating,” Holderness said. “We wanted to do something that brought people together and built a sense of community.” 

The groups function like mini startup companies, coding websites from scratch and building social media platforms to promote the final product. For many, these projects are just the beginning of their neurodiversity advocacy journey. Alumni have written children’s books about neurodiversity, started advocacy clubs at their high schools, and developed apps to help neurodiverse individuals find various resources. One camper even made a video game that teaches neurotypical people what it feels like to have ADHD.

The connections campers make with each other are just as important as the lasting impacts of their projects. For camper Pablo Sanchez Monter, 17, learning from students his own age from all over the world was the highlight. 

“It was so cool to be able to meet new kids and bounce ideas off each other,” Sanchez Monter said. “When you’re collaborating, it doesn’t feel like work; it just feels fun. You never want this camp to end because you can keep contributing to a cause you feel passionate about.” 