New Dorm For Students With Autism Opens At Aurora University

AURORA, IL — Aurora University unveiled the opening of the new Betty Parke Tucker Center for Neurodiversity, complete with a newly constructed, state-of-the-art dorm, to support college students on the autism spectrum, officials announced Tuesday.

The Betty Parke Tucker Center will be home to the university's Pathways Collegiate Program, which helps college students with autism "reach their potential in their studies and in their careers," school officials said. The first class of Pathways students will start in fall 2022.

The new building is named after Betty Parke Tucker, who graduated from Aurora University in 1952. She devoted more than 40 years to educating students as an elementary teacher, guidance counselor and school psychologist, according to a news release. Her husband, 1951 alum Don Tucker donated $1.3 million to the school, which was used to build the center.

"We are thrilled to be one of the first universities in the nation to welcome college-capable students on the spectrum to a fully immersive campus experience that will help them reach their potential in their studies and their careers," AU President Rebecca L. Sherrick said in a statement. "These young people have so much to share and contribute. We know that when provided with the right support, the right environment, the right encouragement, college-capable students on the spectrum will earn their degrees and take meaningful roles in society and productive roles in the workplace."

The new five-story residence hall, slated to open to neurodiverse and neurotypical students in late 2022, is built with sensory supportive spaces designed for students on the autism spectrum. These spaces are meant to alleviate anxiety with adjustable lighting, pale colors, flooring to reduce sound and patterns that limit visual stimuli, officials said.

The design of the sensory supportive spaces includes common spaces with flexible seating, quiet study spaces and private showers with adjustable water pressure.

At the Betty Parke Tucker Center, students will also work with an expert team to develop plans for executive, social and emotional functioning, as well as independent living skills. They'll also meet weekly with an advisor and be paired with an Aurora University student trained to support people on the spectrum.

During junior and senior year, students with work with a community mentor in their field who will mentor them in their careers and provide shadowing opportunities.

According to statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in 54 children are diagnosed with autism, and it's estimated that 44 percent of people with autism have above-average IQs, the school said.

"While many of these students have the cognitive ability and desire to succeed in college, communication and social impairments can stand in the way," Brianne Jonathan, director of AU’s autism initiative and Pathways Program, said in a statement. "At AU, we can support them with the right educational structure that makes it possible for them to thrive."

(For more news and information like this, subscribe to the Aurora Patch for free. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. Don't forget to like us on Facebook!)