How can we design online learning to support and empower neurodivergent students? This interactive session explores practical strategies—from AI tools to Universal Design for Learning (UDL)—that empower educators to create flexible, engaging, and accessible asynchronous courses. Leave with actionable strategies, tools, and a collaborative vision for inclusive digital education.

As online learning evolves, neurodivergent students (e.g., ADHD, autism, dyslexia) remain underserved due to rigid structures and cognitive barriers. This session addresses the conference theme by reimagining asynchronous education using generative AI tools and Universal Design for Learning (UDL)—ensuring the next 30 years of digital learning are equitable, innovative, and transformative.

While the rise of generative AI tools raised concerns, there are many ways that generative AI (such as ChatGPT) can help faculty and instructional designers better support their students, particularly neurodivergent students. By combining UDL’s three principles (Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression) with generative AI tools, faculty and designers can create courses that reduce barriers to students BEFORE they are actually struggling. This session will demonstrate how to use AI to automate some of the strategies seen in UDL to create a more inclusive learning environment. 

Attendees will participate in interactive polling and collaborative brainstorming to explore issues with executive functioning skills that neurodivergent students might face. Participants will also explore hands-on demos using ChatGPT and Goblin Tools to chunk materials and create other supports for student learning. Finally, attendees will brainstorm solutions for common problems students might face in an online course. 

By the end of this session, participants will understand what executive functioning skills neurodivergent students commonly struggle with in online courses. Participants will also understand how to use AI tools and UDL to support not only neurodivergent students, but all students in a course. Finally, participants will be able to identify common struggles in their own courses and design at least one actionable support for this issue. 

Kaitlyn Wearden, M.Ed.

Instructional Designer at Auburn University at Montgomery

Hi, I'm Kaitlyn Wearden. I have been working as an instructional designer with Auburn University at Montgomery for the past year. Before that I spent five years teaching middle and high school in the public school system. For the past year I have been working with professors to design courses and to develop workshops and training opportunities for faculty. My most recent achievement was developing and leading self-paced and live trainings to teach faculty members how to create and facilitate their courses in Canvas as we are migrating from Blackboard Ultra to Canvas this fall.

Erin Trotter

Instructional Designer at Auburn University at Montgomery