Building Inclusive Spaces for Neurodivergent Voices
Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) proudly welcomed the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) and participants from across the state for the 8th Annual Autistic Community Summit Saturday, November 8, 2025. Created and led by autistic individuals, the event amplifies autistic voices, fosters advocacy, and strengthens community connections.
Held on the college’s main campus in Rosemount, Minnesota, and also offered virtually, the AuSM Autistic Community Summit featured a fully hybrid format, ensuring accessibility for all attendees. The day began with a keynote session, Resilient Together: Empowering Autistic Voices Amidst Change, followed by breakout tracks focused on Advocacy and Community. Topics ranged from self-advocacy and disability history to creating neurodivergent spaces of care and mutual support.
Accessibility was central to the event, with numerous accommodations incorporated through universal design in the event planning with additional supports available upon request. This commitment reflects the AuSM and DCTC shared goal: Creating environments where neurodivergent individuals feel valued, respected, and empowered.
DCTC actively supports neurodivergent students and employees through a range of resources, including:
- Education Access & Disability Resources: Offering academic accommodations, assistive technology, and advocacy
- Mental Health Services: Including assessments (autism, ADHD, and more), neuro-affirming therapy, and a Neurodivergent Student Circle
- Student Support Services: Including a sensory-friendly study space, study tables (body-doubling with tutors available), and the Success Hub (executive functioning support)
- Student Clubs and Initiatives: Including the Unified Club and neuro-inclusive activities promoting community and belonging
- Neurodiverse Employee Resource Group (ERG): Fostering inclusion, advocacy, and representation among employees
Ellie Wilson, AuSM executive director, emailed Laina Carlson, DCTC and Inver Hills vice president of human resources, shortly after the Summit. See Ellie’s message below:
Ellie Wilson
Dear Laina,
On behalf of the Autism Society of Minnesota, thank you for your meaningful support of our 8th Annual Autistic Community Summit. Your partnership helped us create a welcoming, empowering, and community-centered day for autistic individuals, families, and professionals.
Because of supporters like you, attendees were able to access resources, share experiences, and build connections in an environment intentionally designed by and for autistic community members. Your commitment to this work makes a real and lasting impact, and we are sincerely grateful for your contribution.
Your leadership as a campus-wide advocate for the neurodivergent community—and your commitment to ND-inclusive hiring, accommodations, and UDL practices—continues to strengthen a culture of belonging. We deeply appreciate the way you champion neurodivergent employees at the cabinet level and through the ND Employee Resource Group.
I would also welcome the opportunity to continue collaborating with you and your team as we look toward future events and shared initiatives that uplift neurodivergent community members across your campuses.
Thank you for standing with AuSM and helping advance our mission of fostering understanding, opportunity, and meaningful inclusion. We look forward to continuing to partner with you in strengthening our autistic community.
With gratitude,
Ellie Wilson
Executive Director
Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM)
DCTC student, staff, and administrator perpsectives
“We were thrilled to host to Autistic Community Summit at DCTC this year! I attended my first summit in 2023 soon after my autism diagnosis. The Summit was my gateway into so many resources and connections for me within the autistic community. I have looked forward to this event every year since and highly recommend it to everyone who identifies as autistic (formal or self-diagnosed).
“It’s the one day of the year I experience what it feels like to be in the neuro-majority. I am grateful to the leaders at DCTC/Inver Hills who made this partnership possible, and for the work of my colleagues who supported this event in a multitude of ways. I have never felt as proud to work at DCTC/Inver Hills than I did the day of this event.
“It is a hard time to have hope for the future as an autistic person, but witnessing how our college leaders and so many employees showed up for the autistic community at the Summit gives me hope for a neuro-inclusive society.”
Anna Voight
Campus Merger Coordinator & Neurodiverse ERG Chair
Dakota County Technical College
“Being present for the Autism Community Summit at DCTC last month was an incredible opportunity to be together with our community partners and to share best practices and deepen our commitment to creating inclusive learning environments. For me, this event wasn’t just about supporting our students, it was also about our employees and the broader neurodivergent community.
“Being able to showcase our campus as a place where inclusion and collaboration thrive was truly meaningful. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the employees and students who assisted and participated in making this event a success. Their dedication and engagement made all the difference.”
Laina Carlson
Vice President of Human Resources
Dakota County Technical College and Inver Hills Community College
“It was excellent to have DCTC host the Autistic Community Summit. In a way, it’s fitting DCTC is at least in my experience as someone with autism very accommodating of neurodivergent students. The event itself went well, certainly no complaints on my behalf I will acknowledge. Hope to see the Autism Community Summit at DCTC next year as well.”
Cullen Sloan
Individualized Studies Student
Unified Club Vice President
Student Senate Secretary
Student Ambassador
Dakota County Technical College
“I’m very happy and honored that I got to attend the Autistic Community Summit here at DCTC. It was very fun. I absolutely enjoyed meeting new friends and learning new things involving disabilities along with attending different kinds of sessions and listening to other people share their stories on what disabilities that they have or have been dealing with all their life.
“What a way to use them for inspiration—like for myself, being on the Disability in Action Month Panel twice. What a way for me to be a great leader or role model for other people with disabilities. Mine was ADHD. If you have a disability, never feel that you are alone. You are not, you still have to work hard and fight with everything you got. Always keep going and get all the support you possibly can. And lastly Never Give Up!”
Ali Hassan
Exercise & Sport Science Major
2025 Dave Schroeder Outstanding Student
Lead Student Ambassador
Unified Club President
Rotaract Club President
Dakota County Technical College
AuSM Autistic Community Summit gallery
View more event photos by opening the DCTC Flickr album:
Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) Autistic Community Summit 2025
Inver Hills Community College was a strong parter in hosting the Summit. Nearly 25 employees and students from 13 areas across both colleges attended the event:
- Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Justice (DCTC & Inver Hills)
- Neurodiverse Employee Resource Group (DCTC & Inver Hills)
- Office of Educational Access and Disability Resources (DCTC)
- Office of Accessibility Resources (Inver Hills)
- Marketing & Communications (DCTC & Inver Hills)
- Human Resources (DCTC & Inver Hills)
- Academic Affairs & Faculty (DCTC & Inver Hills)
- Center for Teaching and Learning (DCTC & Inver Hills)
- Recruitment & Admissions (DCTC & Inver Hills)
- Unified Club (DCTC)
- Unified for Access Club (Inver Hills)
- Information Technology (DCTC)
- Operations (DCTC)
- Public Safety (DCTC)
More about the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM)…¹
The Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) was founded in 1971. We work to make the lives of individuals and families affected by autism better. AuSM serves Minnesotans throughout their lives.
Our most important commitments are to:
- Advocacy
- Education
- Support
- Collaboration
- Community building
History & Mission
AuSM is a place where everyone can learn, access services, and develop skills. The organization has supported autistics for over 50 years. We support the whole state, the whole lifespan, and the whole spectrum.
The mission of the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) is to create connections, empowering everyone in the autism community with the resources needed to live fully. AuSM seeks to enhance the lives of all who are part of the Minnesota autism community, with a fundamental commitment to advocacy, education, support, collaboration, and community building.
READ MORE…
Learn more about the Neurodiverse Employee Resource Group (ERG) at DCTC by contacting:
Anna Voight
Campus Merger Coordinator
Neurodiverse Employee Resource Group (ERG) Chair
Dakota County Technical College
anna.voight@dctc.edu
Erin Manthey
Mathematics Faculty
Neurodiverse Employee Resource Group Vice Chair
Unified Club Co-Advisor
Dakota County Technical College
erin.manthey@dctc.edu
Learn more about the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, & Belonging at DCTC by contacting:
Jeremy Clark
Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Dakota County Technical College and Inver Hills Community College
jeremy.clark@dctc.edu
651-423-8535
Gabriela Marín
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Partner
Dakota County Technical College and Inver Hills Community College
gabriela.marin@dctc.edu
651-423-8659
Raquel Calles
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Partner
Dakota County Technical College and Inver Hills Community College
raquel.calles@dctc.edu
651-450-3789
Manee Yang
Program Navigator
Dakota County Technical College
manee.yang@dctc.edu
651-423-8293
Learn more about TRIO/Student Support Services at DCTC by contacting:
Xuong Tran
TRIO/Student Support Services Advisor
Dakota County Technical College
xuong.tran@dctc.edu
651-423-8289
Learn more about Educational Access & Disability Resources at DCTC by contacting:
Melissa Fletcher
Director of Educational Access & Disability Resources
Dakota County Technical College
melissa.fletcher@dctc.edu
651-423-8469
Learn more about the Office of Basic Needs & Well-Being at DCTC by contacting:
Maggie Erickson
Mental Health Therapist
Dakota County Technical College
margaret.erickson@dctc.edu
651-423-8224
Beth Pitchford
Mental Health Therapist
Dakota County Technical College
elizabeth.pitchford@dctc.edu
651-423-8217
Learn more about Student Life at DCTC by contacting:
Kimberly Swinney
Director of Student Life
Dakota County Technical College and Inver Hills Community College
kimberly.swinney@dctc.edu
651-450-3544
Jake Swanson
Associate Director of Student Life
Dakota County Technical College
jacob.swanson@dctc.edu
651-423-8649
¹ SOURCE: Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM)
