UMD Neurodiversity Experts, Supporters Celebrate 10 Years of SIGNA

On Friday, April 10, 2026, more than 70 supporters of UMD’s Social Interaction Group Network for All (SIGNA) gathered to celebrate the program’s decade of impact on neurodiverse students at the university, the broader Maryland community, and the field of neurodiversity.

The event began with a screening of a video about the start of SIGNA program—UMD’s first skills training program for autistic and neurodivergent students based in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences (HESP)—and its growth over the past 10 years.

In 2023, thanks to a $1 million gift from Martin Friedman ’92 and Dina Friedman, SIGNA became part of a broader neurodiversity program that the Friedman family established, called the Neurodiversity and Autism Transition Services (NATS) program.

In addition to BSOS Dean Susan Rivera, who shared her vision for the future of autism and neurodiversity programming within the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Dina Friedman delivered remarks at the event. Friedman spoke about her family’s motivation for giving to SIGNA, which is largely inspired by their neurodiverse daughter, Sienna.

Kathy Dow-Burger, a clinical professor and the Friedman Family Director of Neurodiversity & Autism Transition Services, delivered closing remarks before the evening entertainment—an ice cream sundae bar, photo booths, silent disco, and more—began.

A silent disco uses an adaptive design for music and dancing that allows participants to adjust the volume and select their preferred genre by switching between color-coded channels. This setup also enables other attendees—with or without auditory processing differences—to socialize more easily without competing with loud music. The company is owned by DJ B, who is also autistic.

“SIGNA’s 10th anniversary was truly a full-circle moment for me,” Dow-Burger said. “Looking through over 10 years’ worth of pictures—excluding the 2020 pandemic years—and more than 400 names on our invitation list helped me stop and realize how many people SIGNA touched. However, it was witnessing the connections between SIGNA alumni in person that revealed the program’s truly profound impact.”

View Photos from SIGNA’s 10th Anniversary Event

Published on Mon, Apr 20, 2026 - 2:45PM