Atypical Minds
at UT-Dallas
Atypical Minds at UT Dallas Welcomes You
Home is where the heart is
Our mission
At UT Dallas, through our Atypical Minds program, we are dedicated to empowering neurodivergent children by fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment. With the compassionate involvement of our volunteers, we provide individualized attention, build meaningful connections, and support the development of communication, social skills, and personal growth. Our mission is to help each child thrive and realize their full potential, ensuring a brighter future through the collaborative efforts of a caring and engaged community.
Who we are
Our roots
Founded by Lyan Alshaikhsalama , Atypical Minds, Stemmed from lyans personal experience after more than a year of volunteering at waterfall academy. She was deeply touched by the opportunities the academy provided for neurodivergent children and wanted to find ways to broaden her impact. That's when Lyan knew she wanted to engage the broader UT-Dallas community with hopes of securing more partnerships, volunteers and support for the academy.
By providing resources, organizing events, and facilitating donations, we aim to create a nurturing environment for both the children and volunteers. Join us in making a difference today.
What We Do
Making A Difference
Build Relationships
At its core, Atypical Minds is about people. It's about people connecting with one another, building relationships, and understanding the unique struggles each of us faces. Through the organization, volunteers will have the opportunity to serve and advocate for individuals with special needs by building long term relationships and promoting functional skills with those we serve
Empower others
Through our strong longitudinal-relationship model, we hope to empower those who serve, along with the volunteer themselves. It's these trust relationships that form between mentor and mentee, volunteer and student, person, and person, which propel them to step out of their comfort zone. Helping individuals feel capable and comfortable is at the forefront of our mission. Throughout empowerment, we break personal, mental, and physical barriers.
Make Connections
We partner with schools and organizations serving individuals with special needs. Our current partner includes Waterfall Academy, a school for children with autism. There, volunteers have held classes, served as teaching aids, and helped the school run its operations. We are always looking to expand our community. If you are interested in partnering with us, or join our volunteering cohort, let us know below!
Spread Awareness
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At Atypical Minds, we believe awareness is the cornerstone of understanding, inclusion, and creating a world where neurodiversity is celebrated. Our mission extends beyond connecting volunteers to Waterfall Academy—we aim to foster a broader conversation about autism.
Through this platform, we aim to dispel myths, break down stigmas, and encourage a society that embraces everyone for who they are.
“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
Steve Jobs
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