From vision to reality: Neill-Wint Center shapes futures at USAO
When Cathy Perri made the decision to start a support program for students on the autism spectrum who are in college, she knew it would make a difference in the students’ lives at the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma. However, the extent of its success has surpassed what she could have imagined.
In 2017, Perri, director of the Neill-Wint Center for Neurodiversity and chief of staff at USAO, launched the program to provide support to students with autism spectrum disorder in their transition to college life to help ensure postsecondary success. The program focuses on a collaborative model that promotes the development of self-advocacy and independent living skills to encourage strong academic and social progress.
However, Perri’s decision to launch the program at USAO was a deeply personal one. With a background in special education and master's in speech-language pathology, she encountered challenges when she and her son Davis, who is diagnosed with ASD, were researching colleges for Davis to attend. Perri quickly learned that he would have to go out of state for college to get the support he needed as a student with ASD.
“I was working at the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education at the time, so I had knowledge of the different college campuses in Oklahoma,” said Perri. “I had come to USAO in 1982 to receive my deaf education certificate, and I remembered how much I liked the campus.”
Because of USAO’s small size and intimate atmosphere, Perri approached Dr. John Feaver, who was president of USAO at the time, about creating a center for ASD students. The program would be the first support program of its kind in Oklahoma for students working toward a bachelor’s degree.
“USAO was my first choice of colleges to place this program,” said Perri. “A lot of these students’ strengths are in science and the arts, so the interdisciplinary focus of the school was a perfect fit.”
Perri secured a combination of private donations, including tremendous ongoing support from two of USAO’s most generous donors Ed Wint and Katie Neill Wint, as well as grant funding from the Inasmuch Foundation, and with that the program was born.
A mainstay of any student’s experience at USAO is the interdisciplinary studies curriculum, a required core of classes designed to give students a thorough grounding in the arts, humanities and sciences. These courses require students to engage with each other and with their professors in complex, at times challenging, discussions of ideas and beliefs.
“The kind of back and forth that goes on in those classes—where they can’t just tell you the answer but have to tell you what they think—has been certainly challenging, but it’s really been helpful in making our students more flexible in their thinking and more adaptable in different situations,” said Perri.
To be admitted to the Neill-Wint Center, students must have a medical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and must meet USAO’s admissions criteria.
Students enrolled in the program receive varying levels of academic, social and residential support to aid them in meeting their personal and professional goals. Students are paired with specially-trained faculty advisors as well as social coaches—a current USAO student who is trained to be a social guide/peer mentor—who are available to help with prioritization, time management and academic monitoring.
This support system is hardly limited to the staff of the Neill-Wint Center itself. The close-knit relationship between faculty and their students is one of USAO’s most distinctive features. As the Center’s first students started their college educations, USAO professors again showed their extraordinary dedication to shaping young minds and sharing their wisdom.
“Since day one, our faculty have been really extraordinary across the board,” said Perri. “I have been amazed at how receptive they have been at adapting their teaching to the specific needs of our students and going the extra mile after class when a student needs more help.”
Faculty and staff are trained to assist students with academic success, covering how neurodivergent students can be supported in the classroom. Staff meets with students weekly to review coursework assignments, and other syllabus needs to ensure the student is comfortable and staying on track.
“I really cannot express my gratitude for the people on this campus and how they step up daily to take care of our students and make sure they are on the path to success,” said Perri. “As a mother with a child in the program, I rest a little easier knowing my son, and any student in the program, can walk in the Student Success Center, a faculty member’s office or even the President’s Office and he will be welcomed and taken care of.”
Davis, an environment science major, will graduate in April and be hooded for completing mentored research with Dr. Rachel Jones, dean of the School of Science & Physical Education. His research, “Potential Glyphosate Influence on Growth Parameters in Tenebrio Molitor,” looked at how glyphosate, a common herbicide, affects the growth parameters of mealworms. Glyphosate is widely used in agriculture to control weeds but has been implicated in various environmental and health concerns.
“When Davis first started at USAO, he was trying get a feel for college life,” said Perri. “He found a home in our School of Science & Physical Education. I could not be more grateful to Dr. Jones and the faculty who instilled in Davis a passion for the sciences. Seeing his classmates, faculty and staff at his final research presentation, asking him questions and supporting him and his work made me so proud. Proud to be his mother and proud of the opportunity I had to bring this program to USAO for students like Davis.”
Davis is among five Neill-Wint students who will be graduating this year.
“Having Davis graduate, and the program still be going strong feels amazing,” said Perri. “We’re now known across the country. When people are searching for programs, we’re still the only degreed program in Oklahoma.”
The Neill-Wint Center for Neurodiversity relies on private support in order to continue to serve students in these life-changing ways. If you or anyone you know might have an interest in helping secure the future of the Neill-Wint Center, give online at https://alumni.usao.edu/g/nwc
About the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma
As Oklahoma’s liberal arts college, the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma provides a distinctive education in the liberal arts and sciences, supporting both its interdisciplinary core curriculum and major fields of study with superior teaching. USAO fosters diversity of thought and practice to help students realize meaningful, purposeful and productive lives as global citizens in a rapidly-changing world.