How to help neurodivergent kids succeed in college with Tara Williams

Brad
24 hours ago
2 min read

Release date: March 2, 2026

The challenges of transitioning from high school to college are difficult for everyone. For neurodivergent kids, these challenges can be overwhelming. My guest this episode is Tara Williams, owner and founder of Innovative Collegiate Consultants. As you will hear, Tara believes that by selecting the right school, connecting with the right services, and getting the right executive function coaching, neurodivergent students can do more than survive the transition: they can thrive in college. More information about Tara and and Innovative Collegiate Consultants is below.

Biography of Tara Williams

Dr. Tara Williams is the owner and founder of Innovative Collegiate Consultants, Inc. She earned her Doctorate of Philosophy in Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Sussex in Falmer, United Kingdom. Dr. Williams is currently a tenured professor at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California, and has been teaching for the last twenty years. She has been working with neurodivergent students across the US since 2010, after noticing that these students were struggling with the transition from K-12 support in their IEP to college, where self-advocacy and identification were required by a system built for the neurotypical. Dr. Williams and her team specialize in executive functioning coaching, with an emphasis on academics. Work with students includes accommodation management, email and Learning Management System support, course planning and registration, summer school transfer courses, housing, internship and job searching, and many more. This work also includes concepts of Universal Design which helps both neurodiverse and neurotypical students build confidence, advocate for themselves and thrive in school and college. Dr. Williams is currently writing a book about her own experiences and struggles in K-12 and higher education, and documenting several case studies working with neurodivergent college students. This book will be released early next year.

Dr. Williams enjoys traveling and has been to over twenty countries, enjoying local cuisine and culture along the way. She has a rescue dog named Benny who keeps her busy walking and telling him “no” when he’s being cheeky! She has also attended close to a hundred live shows and stays active while practicing Muay Thai, and attending spin and yoga classes.