{"id":59,"date":"2014-01-16T11:12:35","date_gmt":"2014-01-16T19:12:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/autismspectrumnavigators\/?page_id=59"},"modified":"2025-12-08T19:12:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T03:12:06","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/autismspectrumnavigators\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"Program Information"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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It’s nice to be surrounded by other people who are more like me. I’ll be able to move through the world a lot easier, and make my life work with my diagnosis, rather than trying to work against it like I have my whole life.  <\/p>\nIncoming First Year Student<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Neurodiversity Navigators (formerly Autism Spectrum Navigators) program is built on the principles of social justice and the neurodiversity movement. This means that when we consider the needs of our students, we first consider the value that each brings to our community as a unique, diverse individual, and we seek to embrace this individuality by supporting each student in building on their strengths, not fixing perceived deficits. Next, we focus on finding ways to support access for our students, around systemic barriers, misunderstandings, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does this look like? Neurodiversity Navigators students are part of the full college, taking any program of study and engaging with all College services, such as tutoring, student clubs and activities, the Center for Career Connections, and much, much more! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the Neurodiversity Navigators program, students take a series of academic cohort classes<\/a> alongside their chosen program of study that are designed to support them in understanding themselves and finding their strengths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These classes have a career preparation focus, and, through discovering their strengths, our students are able to match their strengths to a \u201cgood fit\u201d career path, all while staying the amazing unique individuals that they are!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Neurodiversity Navigators program is an educational program of the R.I.S.E. Learning Institute<\/a> and Center for Career Connections<\/a> and is separate from the Disability Resource Center. We do not require documentation of disability. We work with students to support them in determining which of the broad array of services available at Bellevue College work best for them, and support them in making personal choices regarding connecting with Disability services, just as they do all college services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our students have found that by embracing their strengths, and learning to love what\u2019s unique about themselves, they can achieve more than they may have imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Neurodiversity Navigators’ program philosophy is very simple: provide advocacy, support access, and educational programming for neurodivergent students, and support them in learning to embrace their own singular selves. As we work to accomplish this goal, the entire community around us changes to also embrace this population of wonderfully unique students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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