About the Lunch and Learn: Leave Your Doubt at the Door – Serving Neurodiverse Students
You’re invited to join SOCHE for the final virtual lunch and learn of the school year, entitled “Leave Your Doubt at the Door: Serving Neurodiverse Students,” on Wednesday, April 20, beginning at 12 p.m. The session will be presented by Dr. Lorrie Spivey, Manager of Accessibility and Counseling Services and Director of the Tartan TOPS Program at Sinclair Community College, and Tristan Chaput, Program Coordinator for Sinclair’s Tartan TOPS Program.
This webinar will discuss challenges faced by today’s college students who are neurodiverse and how the Tartan TOPS Program is providing pathways to college and careers for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
People who are neurodiverse, particularly those who have intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), are less likely to attend college and obtain gainful employment, but they often have a strong desire to work and be active members of their communities.
Together we will unpack why these disparities exists and how Sinclair serves students with IDD and other disabilities through the Tartan TOPS Program, Autism Support Group, and Accessibility Services. We will work to change the focus from people’s deficits and instead will discover how focusing on strengths can stretch abilities to new horizons.
Participants will:
- Understand opportunities and resources available through Sinclair for students who are neurodiverse.
- Gain awareness of employment inequity among people with disabilities.
- Develop an appreciation of neurodiverse people.
- Define neurodiversity and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Participants are invited to leave their doubt at the door, to celebrate our unique brains, and to learn how to better serve neurodiverse students. Click here to register now.
About the Presenters
Lorrie Spivey, PsyD
Manager of Accessibility and Counseling Services Program Director of Tartan TOPS
Dr. Lorrie Spivey is the Manager of Accessibility and Counseling Services and Program Director of Tartan TOPS at Sinclair Community College. Lorrie is a nationally certified and licensed professional counselor who started her career at Sinclair Community College 8 years ago as an Accessibility Counselor. Lorrie has a background as a therapist, working with adolescents in an alternative high school, and also as a developmental disability participant support specialist for the Wyoming State Health Department. Lorrie has a PsyD in Behavior Health Leadership, and a MAEd in Mental Health Counseling.
Lorrie is passionate about the work that she does and has been on a journey to serve and advocate for those with disabilities for the past 23 years. Lorrie is married to Larry and has four sons and two grandsons. Lorrie’s favorite pastime is spending time with her family and volunteering for community outreach events.
Tristan Chaput, M.A.
Program Coordinator Tartan TOPS
Tristan Chaput (she/her) is the Program Coordinator for Tartan TOPS at Sinclair Community College. During her five years in higher education, Tristan has worked with many different groups, including alumni, student clubs and organizations, and most recently students with disabilities. In her role as Program Coordinator, Tristan teaches classes and supports Tartan TOPS in achieving their personal and academic goals. She believes that this role has allowed her to pair her love of higher education with her desire to serve students with disabilities in a holistic way. Tristan has a M.A. in Student Affairs Administration and Higher Education and a B.A. in Educational Studies.
In her personal life, Tristan enjoys being a mom to her 1 ½-year-old son and a wife to Matt, her partner of 7 years. She adores taking her chihuahua/pit bull, Ella, on long walks around the neighborhood. She is happiest in the mountains of New Hampshire with a cup of iced coffee and a book
