Games, Neurodivergence, and Narratives

I am studying how neurodivergent adults use TTRPGs to build community and perform neurodivergent identity in order to understand what it is about TTRPGs, in terms of structure, storytelling, and allowance for agency, that draw in neurodivergent adults and mediates inclusive social worlds, so that I can identify how these spaces empower neurodivergent adults towards greater self-confidence and self-advocacy.

My project is grounded in traditional and experimental ethnographic methods, combining semi-structured interviews with TTRPG players, analysis of live game sessions, and a collaborative game design component in which I am working alongside my interlocutors to design a TTRPG.

This multi-method approach allows the project to capture not only how neurodivergent adults talk about their experiences in TTRPG spaces, but also how those experiences unfold in real time at the table and how the act of collaborative design surfaces participants’ implicit knowledge about what makes these spaces work for them.

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I am also passionate about pedagogy and teaching. Being a TA is one of the best things about being in graduate school. If I can encourage or inspire just one student each semester, all the trials of teaching become worth it.

I am interested in the idea of incorporating performative writing assignments and using theatrically-based knowledge assessments towards the goal of reducing the growing use of AI by students. PLEASE CONTACT ME if you are using alternative knowledge assessments towards the goal of reducing the use of AI by students.