Shawn Smith, a Fredericton-based neurodiversity consultant, has been recruited by the University of Connecticut to participate in a $2 million, five-year initiative to increase the participation of neuro-diverse students in engineering. 

Smith is the founder of consulting firm Don’t dis-my-ability. He specializes in helping talented entrepreneurs and job seekers who have learning and developmental disabilities find employment. He’s been chosen by the University of Connecticut’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department to sit on their advisory board and be a visiting lecturer.

“Neurodiversity is a term that represents a group of people labeled with a disability but who don’t identify as such because their strengths exceed any deficits they experience,” Smith said in a statement.

Diagnoses can include autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, learning disabilities and other invisible conditions.

Smith is a certified counsellor and psychotherapist and an award-winning entrepreneur. He was diagnosed with ADHD at age 30. Prior to his diagnosis, he struggled at school. Later in life, medication “jump started” his brain, allowing him to excel academically.

The new five-year project is called Beyond Accommodation: Leveraging Neurodiversity for Engineering Innovation, and is designed to recruit and retain neuro-diverse engineering students and to educate faculty members on the benefits of inclusive education.

The project team hopes to be part of a larger cultural shift that values the unique contributions of neuro-diverse individuals. The initiative is being led by Maria Chrysochoou, professor and department head of UConn’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department.

“Shawn’s strong belief in the unique abilities of neuro-diverse individuals along with his passion for his work makes him a natural fit for our project,” said Chrysochoou.

Added Smith: “Neuro-diverse students are creative, resourceful, and often approach challenging problems in unique ways. This makes them great candidates for the field of engineering.”