We need a diverse STEM workforce so that innovation and technologies meet the needs of our diverse population. Our study challenges the idea that people with neurodevelopmental disabilities lack potential or interest in careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We use national data on more than 15,000 young adults to find that undergraduates with autism or medicated ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) are actually more likely to select a STEM major than undergraduates without neurodevelopmental disabilities.

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