My name is Sanjana Ganga, President of Spectrum Empowerment, a nonprofit that empowers children on the autism spectrum and with developmental disabilities through STEAM programs and mentoring. Spectrum Empowerment forms its FIRST LEGO League team from its student participants and provides dedicated coaches and mentors to guide them, and I have had the privilege of mentoring this team throughout the season.

FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is founded on principles of inclusion, innovation, teamwork, and inspiration. FLL encourages students of all levels to engage with STEM, work with others, and apply their skills to solve real-world issues. Unfortunately, for many students with developmental disabilities, particularly autism, the current format of competitions inadvertently introduces obstacles that preclude them from being fairly evaluated.

We urge FIRST LEGO League to formally adopt accessibility modifications for teams that include students with developmental disabilities, including the option for an advocate to assist during judging presentations.

The Problem

FLL competitions are focused on verbal communication, rapid questioning, and impromptu speaking. For students with autism and other developmental disabilities, these factors can be particularly challenging as communication can often be overwhelming. A communication challenge does not accurately reflect their understanding, creativity, or hard work on FLL projects.

As President of Spectrum Empowerment and mentor of our FLL team, I have witnessed this firsthand.

This is evidenced by Spectrum Empowerment’s FLL team, which is composed entirely of students with developmental disabilities. These students worked all season tirelessly. They worked together, problem-solved, and developed an original and creative project: an interactive video game designed to teach people about the challenges archaeologists face in the field. Their idea was well-thought-out, unique, and well-researched.

However, during their tournament, judges arrived unexpectedly, catching the team off guard. The students were suddenly bombarded with questions and rushed, leading to visible frustration and anxiety. Despite their deep understanding of the project, many of the students struggled to articulate their ideas on the spot.

At the end of the tournament, this team was one of the only teams to leave without a single award. The students were devastated and heartbroken. They felt as though they had been unseen, unheard, and judged not on their ideas but by how they were supposed to present them. As their mentor, it was difficult to watch their hard work go unrecognized because of communication barriers rather than their capabilities. Emphasis on communication puts students with developmental disabilities like autism at a significant unfair disadvantage.

Why This Matters

These students are not looking for an unfair advantage; they are looking for a fair assessment of their abilities.

Students with developmental disabilities can come up with incredible ideas, build robust technical designs, and work well with other teammates. However, they may struggle with spontaneous verbal explanations, quick questioning, sensory overstimulation, and conventional presentation styles.

When the judging criteria emphasizes these skills without any accommodations, teams are not being assessed on their innovation or teamwork but rather on their ability to perform in a way that is not adaptable to many neurodivergent students.

Our Proposed Solutions

We respectfully request that FIRST LEGO League adopt the following accommodations:

• Allow a designated advocate (coach, mentor, or parent) to help explain a team’s work during judging, using the students’ own words and ideas. Some students with developmental disabilities may be nonverbal or may have a hard time speaking to new people. Having a coach or mentor speak in their place by describing each member’s contribution would help the team get their ideas across to the judge clearly.
• Provide advance notice before judges' questioning sessions when possible (even 5–10 minutes). Neurodivergent students may be caught off guard with an abrupt questioning session. Giving notice would allow team members to control their emotions and prepare mentally for the different questions.
• Train judges on neurodiversity-affirming practices to better understand how students with developmental disabilities communicate and process questions. Educating others on the different aspects of developmental disabilities, particularly autism, would allow for a comfortable environment for both judges and participants to communicate their ideas effectively.
• Allow for a pre-taped video of the innovation project. Students with developmental disabilities, particularly autism, are often co-diagnosed with sensory processing disorder (SPD). To effectively communicate, they need a familiar setting. A pre-taped video of the innovation presentation could be played during judging. If a FLL or other neutral party would need to be present for the recording of this video, that could be easily arranged.
• Allow for written questions during judging. Neurodivergent students, particularly those with autism, struggle with communication. Written questions would allow the student to understand and process the question.
• Provide extra time for students to present their information. Students with developmental disabilities, particularly autism, struggle with communication. Extra time is needed to process information and reply verbally.
  These changes would not lower standards or expectations. They would simply ensure that all teams are evaluated fairly and accurately.

A Call for Action

Lego has always had a strong connection to those with Autism, and we are asking for the FIRST LEGO League to demonstrate the same level of commitment. FLL has the chance to truly lead by example. By incorporating reasonable accommodations, FLL has the opportunity to ensure that students with developmental disabilities are not discouraged from STEM but empowered by it instead.

No team that works hard, thinks outside of the box, and represents the core values of FIRST should ever feel unseen and unheard.

Join us in calling on FIRST LEGO League to make its competitions more inclusive, accessible, and fair for all students.

Sign this petition to help make FLL a place where all innovators are seen, heard, and valued.