Meet Billie

This persona is a fictional profile of a UMaine student. It was created using data to reflect the challenges, successes, and overall experiences of some of our students.

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Young fair skinned individual with light brown eyes, short and curly dark blond hair and well kept beard looking directly at the camera

Age: 26 years old

Work: Works at Sam’s Club in Bangor

Major: Forestry

Family: In a relationship, youngest of four siblings

Challenge: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Diabetes

Language(s) spoken: American English

Location: Veazie, ME

Home is: Veazie, ME

Pronouns: they/them

Assistive Technology: Smart personal assistant, noise filtering ear plugs, phone app to track blood glucose

Billie was born and raised in the greater Bangor area in Maine. This year is the first time they live alone, outside of the family home and they are still adjusting to their new living conditions and schedule. Living independently is a big step for Billie.

“Sometimes people who learn that I am on the spectrum don’t ask about me as a person and assume that I don’t want to connect with others.”

“People often make assumptions about what I am feeling based on their misinterpretation of my non-verbal cues. It is tiring work to try to ‘fit in’. I just want to be myself.”

“I use my cellphone to help me manage my diabetes, but in some of my classes cellphones are not allowed. This makes me nervous because I am afraid to miss an alert or reminder.”

“One of my professors uses euphemisms in class all the time and I don’t get it. Why not say things clearly? Then everybody can understand!”

“One of my classes this semester has more than a hundred students in it, and everybody makes so much noise all the time. I can never focus and it stresses me out.”

  1. Ability to record lectures or review videos/materials after class
  2. Very clear directions using plain language
  3. Low-distraction testing environment (lighting, soundproofing, etc.)
  4. More small group/or individual instruction depending on preference
  5. Allow students to make reasonable use of technology in the classroom (note taking, assistive technology, emergencies)

Many more students can benefit from these teaching strategies. Learn more about who benefits from these strategies.

“I joined a few student clubs about the outdoors and the environment.”

“I like that the third floor of the Fogler library is a quiet zone. I can study more easily there.”

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