Visual Analytics to Identify the Differences and Similarities between Neurotypical and Neurodivergent College Students

Neurotypical and neurodiverse students experience college life differently. Many times these differences result from physical and mental health conditions, social communicational skills, etc. To objectively understand these differences and factors contributing to them, we collected subjective and objective data from 20 neurodiverse and neurotypical students at Western Washington University. Our dataset includes biometric data (heart rate, sleep, light, and sound), location, time, interviews about routines, experiences, etc. We also collected self-reported data from these students, including self-reported stress levels associated with different daily events. To gain insight about the similarities and differences between these participants, we created a set of interactive visualizations. We hope these visualizations will offer novel insight into the unique challenges experienced by neurodiverse college students, which will guide the design of assistive technology and can help policy makers to better identify areas that can be improved to accommodate neurodiverse students needs.