Inclusive Assessment to Support First Year Students on Third Level Computer Science Courses

Approximately 20% of the general population can be defined as neurodiverse, with 10% being dyslexic, 4-5% with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and 1-2% being autistic[1]. Typically, neurodiverse adults in third level education will register with the support services of a college to avail of accommodations such as early access to notes, extra time to complete exams etc to support them throughout their educational journey. However, many of these accommodations are done to “fit” a neurodiverse student into the education system designed for neurotypical students. This has been shown to be ineffective as the graduation rates of neurodiverse students compared to neurotypical peers are lower