Almost 100 educators, researchers, and administrators descended on the CSUDH campus for the UC|CSU Collaborative for Neuroscience, Diversity, and Learning summit on Nov. 18. The event’s theme was “Bridging Research, Practice, and Policy to Improve Educational Opportunities,” and offered a chance for neurodiversity experts from across the state to meet, exchange information, and strategize.
“Through this convening of leading researchers, faculty practitioners, and school district leaders, we hope to not only share the most recent research, but to inform the preparation of current and future teachers to meet the needs of all learners,” said Kate Esposito, professor and chair of the CSUDH Special Education department.
The summit gave stakeholders from across the state the opportunity to learn about connections between research and practice related to new education initiatives and policies in California. The group included educational leaders, practitioners, interdisciplinary researchers, policymakers, and community members.
“I work in a full-inclusion district, so I’m very interested in current policies and practices and learning how to overcome some of the struggles and challenges in implementation,” said attendee Amy Kimaara, an educational specialist at Culver City Unified School District and doctoral student at CSU Northridge. “I really believe in the work that we’re doing, but there are always hurdles to overcome. I’m here to learn what other people are doing—where we’re heading and how to get there together.”
The morning was devoted to large-group sessions on topics such as inclusive early education and transitional kindergarten in California, developmental science and diverse learners, and online resources that can help educators translate current research into everyday practice.
To help address such translation, one of the collaborative’s projects has been creating a statewide learning hub, Arraya Learning, designed for both preservice and in-service educators. The platform reflects current knowledge on how children learn and develop, drawing from neuroscience, human development, and educational research. Several faculty members from the CSUDH College of Education, as well as students from the Special Education Master’s program, have or are currently working to share their expertise in the development of content for Arraya.
The summit served as a chance to introduce Arraya to some of the state’s leading researchers and educators in the field. “We hope that as the Collaborative launches Arraya, teacher educators and district leaders will have new tools to ensure that all educators are well prepared to meet the needs of all learners within the Pk-12 education system,” said Esposito, who serves as the CSU Lead Faculty Member.
During the afternoon, attendees split into smaller group sessions focused on four themes: supporting neurodiverse children as they transition to school; language and literacy development among multilingual children; executive function and self-regulation in adolescence; and behavioral and mental health in childhood.
Cameron Wolf, office manager of Mountain Counseling & Training, a non-profit in the San Bernardino mountains, was impressed with the amount of information available. “This has been a great chance to learn how my organization can better support our teachers and all the students we serve. It’s all about discovering what we can bring to our own system. How can we use current research to better support the needs of our community?”
Tiffany Herbert, CSUDH associate vice president of health and well-being, led one of the afternoon sessions—a presentation on how to build mental health supports to help neurodivergent students thrive.
“We discussed frustration with systems that force compliance over relationship building, and the need to persist in fighting for systemic change despite the reality that such change may be slow,” said Herbert. “The summit was an excellent opportunity to affirm our commitment to understanding neurodiversity across educational contexts.”
She added that the summit gave her a better understanding of what it means to be neurodivergent and her role in supporting neurodivergent students.
“All in all, I felt very inspired to continue to explore how we at DH can support our neurodivergent students in a more meaningful, thoughtful, and effective way.”
