Tag: Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies

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Academic Center for Excellence Academic Development of Student-Athletes (ADSA) Academic Skill Development Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies First-Generation Initiative Honors and Scholars Office of General Education Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Academic Success Programs Student Success & Retention Tutoring University Advising Center University Advising Center University Foundations University Testing Center Writing Center

October is Disability Awareness Month!

Disability Awareness Month events. Image text duplicated in body text.

Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies (DASS) invites you to recognize and celebrate Disability Awareness Month at these on- and off-campus events.

Students for New Learning (SNL), SMU’s chartered organization for neurodivergent students, hosts 2 meetings this month. The first, on October 7, in Hughes Trigg Student Center, rooms 226 & 227, is a collaboration with SMU’s tabletop gaming club, Board Together. At the second meeting, October 28 at 5 p.m. in the A-LEC, SNL leaders and members will discuss how to choose the right courses and build the best spring schedule for you! RSVP for these events on SMU360.

In honor of World Mental Health Day on October 10, University Academic Engagement and Success (UAES) staff are invited to take a break, step outside, and enjoy a walk in nature. This event is a chance to recharge, connect with colleagues, and reflect on the importance of caring for our own well-being while supporting our students. Details will be shared with those who register through SMU360.

The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Presents Hopeville – Monday, October 14 at 5 p.m. in Frances Anne Moody Hall at SMU. Join IDA Dallas for the screening of a powerful documentary that explores the root causes of America’s literacy crisis and highlights evidence-based solutions grounded in the Science of Reading. Hopeville is a call to action for parents, educators, leaders, and community members to advocate for effective reading instruction. RSVP at Eventbrite.

On October 18, the Dallas Zoo is hosting the White Cane Day Walk, a “walk on the wild side” for people who are blind or visually impaired. Register to walk or support a walker.

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Community and Support: DASS Launches a Peer Mentor Program

Portrait of Lindsay Templeton, DASS Peer Mentor

Starting at a new university can be exciting and overwhelming. To help ease that transition, Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies (DASS) is developing a Peer Mentor Program. This pilot initiative pairs new DASS students with fellow Mustangs with disabilities who understand both the opportunities and challenges of life at SMU.

DASS peer mentors provide personal, academic, and social guidance. They help new students navigate campus, balance the demands of college life, stay motivated, and problem-solve challenges. Mentors also connect students to key campus resources, share strategies for navigating SMU systems (including DASS!), and, perhaps most importantly, help build a strong sense of campus community and support.

As our Lead Peer Mentor Lindsay Templeton explains:

“College is tough, particularly when you’re not a traditional student. I think the things that help you succeed most are learning how to advocate for yourself and building a support network. When I started at SMU, all the different demands and expectations felt heavy and isolating. It took me time to learn how to speak up for myself and find people who made everything feel a little easier. My hope is that I can help other students get over those hurdles more quickly than I did and for them to know they have someone cheering them on.”

If you or a student you know would like more information or, better yet, to join the DASS Peer Mentor Program pilot as a mentor or a mentee, please contact David Tylicki at dtylicki@smu.edu.

Together, we can help every Mustang start strong!

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Enhanced DASS Services for Students with Autism

SMU student working at a desk with a DASS academic coach

Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies (DASS) has launched new initiatives to better support students on the autism spectrum. Building on existing services like weekly academic coaching, a neurodivergent-focused section of the UNIV 1210: Academic Success and Personal Development course, and the student-led group Students for New Learning, the effort emphasizes proactive preparation over reactive support.

Earlier this month, DASS held Thriving in College: A DASS Open House for Autistic Students and their Families, a virtual orientation that introduced Know Before You Go, our 30-question checklist to help autistic students anticipate academic and social challenges. The session also highlighted Start Smart! What’s New in College and How to Handle It, our new guide that walks the students through common college experiences and strategies to navigate them.

To address issues that arise during the term, DASS created Help Finder, a guide that connects struggling students with the most relevant SMU resources. Together, these tools offer a more structured pathway for autistic students to prepare, adapt, and self-advocate. All materials are available on the DASS Success Strategies webpage and can be shared with any student who may benefit.

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SMU Launches MeSpace: A Sensory-Friendly Workspace for All

Alexa Taylor, Director of DASS, smiling and sitting in the MeSpace study unit

Alexa Taylor, Director of Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies (DASS), invites you to experience MeSpace, an adaptable study space thoughtfully designed to support focus, sensory needs, and overall student well-being:

“In response to growing demands for inclusive and flexible campus environments, SMU, through a collaboration with the DASS office, Hughes-Trigg Student Center, and SMU Libraries, is testing out MeSpace, a plug-and-play, sensory-friendly study space – just in time for Autism Acceptance Month.

Designed for both Neurodiverse and Neurotypical students, MeSpace offers a space to enhance focus, reduce distractions, and manage sensory exposure, creating an ideal environment for studying and collaboration.

We invite SMU students, faculty, staff and guests to experience this innovative, sensory-friendly space at two convenient locations on campus:

  • Hamon Arts Library, First Floor
  • Hughes-Trigg Student Center, First and Second Floor

The exhibit will be open for 6 weeks, now through the end of the spring term, providing an opportunity to experience the future of sensory-friendly strategies on campus.

On April 16, we will be hosting a Pop-Up Demo from 1-2 p.m., and immediately following the Pop-Up, we encourage all interested stakeholders to attend a roundtable discussion in the H-T Chamber from 2-3 p.m. We welcome your feedback to help us explore future collaborations with MeSpace.”