Exploring the "Freedom to be Me" through Design Sprints with Neurodivergent Scholars

Social stigma negatively impacts the well-being of neurodivergent individuals. Specifically for autistic people, the social isolation and pressure to conform to normative ways of being can take a tremendous toll; such as a thwarted sense of belonging to the point of higher rates of suicide. Yet, few technologies are directly targeting the problem of stigma. Socio-technical systems have tremendous potential to shift public perception of traditionally marginalized populations. However, these systems are not consistently designed to reflect the values and needs of neurodivergent individuals. This work explores the use of design sprints to envision CT– a spectrum of technology that could reduce social stigma by increasing the public’s awareness, accommodations, acceptance, advocacy, and appreciation. This work reports on two design sprints across 25 HCI community members with varying lived experiences with neurodiversity and knowledge of design practice. The resulting design concepts were discussed in the groups and then analyzed to reflect on how they might combat stigma. Results reveal designs that support the freedom to be oneself via (1) safe spaces (2) public understanding, and (3) authentic expression of strengths, challenges, and needs.