Resources for Students
Neurodiversity @ Cornell
Sensory Lending Library
This free library is open to all Cornell students and is stocked with items that can be especially helpful for neurodivergent people! We understand that sensory overload can be an extremely stressful experience. That’s why we’d like to offer a set of items that will hopefully aid in navigating overstimulating environments, and help you focus more on the things that matter to you!
LSC Sensory Room
The LSC sensory room is a place where Cornell students who are stressed or overstimulated can find respite or escape sensory overload. It’s a welcoming space for all students, especially those who identify as neurodivergent, and it allows them to have greater control over their level of sensory input.
Our hope is that the Sensory Room will improve the well-being of our students, allowing them to relax, de-stress, and take a breather. The room is split into two areas. The sensory soothing area has weighted lap blankets, comfortable seating, noise canceling headphone, and dim lights. The sensory-seeking area has a variety of fidget toys, lights that can be touched on and off, and tactile objects such as rocks with different textures.
The Sensory Room is open while classes are in session! It is located in The Learning Strategies Center, CCC Building, Room #329.Our open hours are Monday-Thursday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, and Friday 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm.
Pop-Up Sensory Room
Interested in making your event more welcoming and inclusive to neurodivergent people (and anybody who dislikes loud or overstimulating environments)? Ever wish the LSC Sensory Room could go places that is … well … not the LSC? The Pop-Up Sensory Room is just the thing for you!
We established this service to be exactly what it sounds like – the Pop-Up Sensory Room lets interested event hosts borrow a set of sensory items so that they may cater to their attendees!
Individual Consultation & Workshop Requests
Students can make an appointment with Em McClintock for psychological support & referrals (schedule through Cornell Health) or Florencia Ardon to discuss learning strategies (schedule an appointment). Academic and other accommodations at Cornell are handled by Student Disability Services.
Additionally, students, faculty and staff can request a workshop tailored to the needs of their organization, laboratory, department, etc. Workshops are hosted by Neurodiversity Ambassadors with relevant expertise. If interested, please email neurodiversity@cornell.edu
Cornell Health CAPS
Neurodiversity-Related Counseling
Every semester, CAPS offers at least one counseling service geared specifically towards addressing the needs of neurodivergent students. Specific offerings and their exact dates and times vary by semester – for up-to-date information, details, and instructions for joining, please refer to the CAPS webpage on the Cornell Health Website.
Fall 2025:
Sensory Friendly Let’s Talk
Fridays, 2:00 – 3:30 pm, LSC Sensory Room (CCC 329), Aug 28 – Dec 11
Drop-Ins Welcome
Sip and Stim: A Group for Queer Neurodivergent Students
Wednesdays, 4:45 – 6:15 pm, in-person at Cornell Health, Oct 8 – Dec 3
Facilitators: Karen Williams, PhD and Em McClintock, MSEd, LMHC
Group Orientation Required
ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy) for Anxiety & Depression
Tuesdays, 2:30 – 4:00 pm, in-person at Cornell Health, Sep 23 – Dec 2
Facilitators: Cory Myler, PhD and Shinong Ji, MCH-LP
Group Orientation Required
What You Resist Persists: a Group for Those with OCD
Mondays, 3:15 – 4:45 pm, in-person at Cornell Health, Oct 20 – Dec 8
Facilitators: Alex Julian, PhD and April Campanelli, LCSW
Group Orientation Required
CAPS Referral Search Engine
Looking for therapists, diagnostic evaluations, or an ADHD coach off-campus? The CAPS off campus referral search engine allows you use different filters to find professionals in the community that may be able to support you. This search engine can be used by anyone! For more info, please refer to the Cornell Health Website.
Student Disability Services
How to Request Accommodations
Cornell requires students who need accommodations to request an official accommodations letter from SDS within the first two weeks of each new semester in order to successfully receive accommodations. One separately requested letter is required for each class you are enrolled in.
For more information, please refer to SDS’s online Accommodations Procedures.
Additionally, SDS offers several tools that make it easier to take or read (hear) notes. For a list of available tools, please refer to https://sds.cornell.edu/resources/assistive-technology.
NaturalReader Premium
NaturalReader is a text to speech app that can convert most text, including PDFs, documents, images, books, and images, into spoken-word form and reads them out loud – much like an audiobook. This may be helpful for people who prefer to learn by listening, and those who would like multi-sensory inputs while learning.
SDS is offering the premium features of NaturalReader for any interested student.
If you’re interested, email neurodiversity@cornell.
Jamworks
Jamworks is an AI-powered note-taking tool that aims to help students study and stay on top of course content by transcribing spoken words into written notes. The following features are included:
– Live captions
– Recording
– Summaries that include proper math notation
– Chat bot linked to lecture material (used to ask questions and quiz)
– Transcript (with proper math notation)
– AI generated information that completes any incomplete notes you took
SDS is offering access to Jamworks for all students on campus – no meeting or consultation with SDS is required. For more information about how to use Jamworks, please refer to this guide: https://jamworks.com/video-guides/
Cornell Dining
How to Request Dietary Accommodations
Eating well at Cornell when you have dietary restrictions or strong preferences can be difficult. Fortunately, there are ways to ensure dietary restrictions are accommodated at Cornell’s dining halls.
All faculty and staff can make an appointment with the staff nutritionist, Michelle Nardi, to speak about personal dietary needs and discuss which eateries can be helpful considering schedules and other factors, as well as other options that would best accommodate your needs. You can reach out to Michelle via phone (607-254-2389) or email at diningnutrition@cornell.edu.
To read more about how Cornell Dining can accommodate special dietary needs, please refer to their webpage: https://scl.cornell.edu/residential-life/dining/eateries-menus/nutrition-special-diets/food-allergies-special-diets
Giving Feedback to Cornell Dining
Cornell Dining maintains Give Us the Dish, a feedback form that diners may use to comment on their experiences at Cornell’s dining facilities. The form may be accessed here.
Cornell Dining also hosts the Mystery Shopper Program, where volunteers are sent to visit three on-campus eateries each semester and anonymously evaluate the customer experience. It serves as a means of ensuring Cornell Dining services properly serve its students and remain high-quality, and volunteers get perks to their BRBs and MealChoice accounts! Interested in learning more about the Mystery Shopper Program? Read about it here on Cornell Dining’s website.
Other
Tompkins County Blue Envelope Program
https://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/News-articles/Sheriffs-Office-Blue-Envelope-Program
Tompkins County Sheriff Derek R. Osborne has announced the adoption of the Blue Envelope Program, a safety initiative aimed at supporting drivers with autism. Sheriff Osborne explained that individuals with autism may have physical or verbal responses during a traffic stop that may be misunderstood by law enforcement officers. This can sometimes lead to unfortunate incidents where the driver’s actions are misinterpreted.
To mitigate such issues, the Blue Envelope Program has been introduced. It encourages drivers with autism to keep important documents such as their license, registration, and insurance in a Blue Envelope. When the officer observes the envelope, they are immediately alerted to the driver’s condition and can adjust their response to the situation accordingly.
Along with clear instructions for the driver, explanatory information is printed on the envelope for the law enforcement officer, to include an emergency contact.