Podcast Summary:
New Books Network – Academic Life
Episode: A Light in the Tower: A New Reckoning with Mental Health in Higher Education
Guest: Dr. Pryle
Host: Dr. Christina Gessler
Date: February 26, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation between host Dr. Christina Gessler and Dr. Pryle, author of A Light in the Tower: A New Reckoning with Mental Health in Higher Education. The discussion centers around the persistent challenges faced by both students and faculty navigating mental health and neurodiversity within academia. Dr. Pryle draws on personal experience as a bipolar, autistic law professor, and expert in mental health and neurodiversity, providing incisive critiques of academic culture, language, and policy, while offering actionable recommendations for fostering inclusivity and support on campus.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. About the Author & Book Genesis

[02:07–03:01]

• Dr. Pryle introduces their background as a bipolar, autistic law professor and author with a focus on mental health and neurodiversity in higher education.
• The inspiration for the book stems from a desire to make academia more inclusive, building on Pryle’s earlier work, Life of the Mind, Interrupted.
• The pandemic prompted reflection: despite administrative recognition of a crisis, underlying issues predate COVID-19 and remain unresolved.

“The mental health crisis in higher education is not new...the pandemic squeezed higher ed, but all it did was reveal the weaknesses that academia had with regards to mental health and neurodiversity.”
— Dr. Pryle [03:09]

[07:20–09:00+]

• The book ties pre- and post-pandemic realities, emphasizing that struggles are not “over,” and addresses both student and faculty experience. The text provides tools for teaching and supporting neurodivergent individuals.

2. Language, Stigma, and the Power of Terminology

[07:40–16:00+]

• The introduction, “How to Talk about Mental Disability,” acts as a “thought-provoking glossary” examining the complexities and politics of terms like mental health, mental illness, disorder, disability, and neurodiversity.
• Dr. Pryle argues that language actively shapes treatment and institutional attitudes—terminology is not neutral.
• Terms such as “neurodivergent,” “mentally disabled,” and “psychiatric disability” carry political, medical, and social connotations. The term “mental disability” is used for its breadth and link to rights movements.

“How we talk about mental disability, how we talk about neurodiversity, how we speak about these things directly affects how we treat mentally disabled people.”
— Dr. Pryle [15:45]

• Stigma is reinforced by language—students and faculty fear seeking help due to how neurodivergent community members are treated.

3. Everyday Ableism and “Invisible” Disabilities

[16:43–22:35]

• The host and guest discuss the subtle but harmful use of mental health-related language as casual metaphors or jokes in academia.
• Examples: Words like “bipolar,” “OCD,” and “ADHD” are misused to describe unpredictability or tidiness rather than actual conditions.
• This reinforces stigma and normalizes ableism, even if no one present openly identifies as neurodivergent.

“By talking this way, you are telling everybody who's listening to you that it is okay to use ableist language...you are perpetuating discrimination.”
— Dr. Pryle [21:24]

• The invisibility of many disabilities means peers or colleagues may be directly harmed by these remarks without the speaker realizing it.

4. Anxiety, Academic Structure, and Faculty/Student Mental Health

[25:04–29:24]

• Studies cited: Pre-pandemic (2018) research showed 42% of undergrads and 39% of faculty/staff screened positive for anxiety.
• Academic systems, especially in law, are intentionally stressful (“feature, not a bug”), leading to high rates of anxiety, depression, and addiction.
• Structural issues and the contingent nature of most academic positions contribute to faculty stress and illness.

“Why do we do this to our students? Do you think they learn better like this? The answer is, of course, no.”
— Dr. Pryle [27:17]

5. Masking & The Cost of Social Camouflage

[29:24–36:58]

• Invisible disabilities often lead to “masking”—socially camouflaging neurodivergent traits at great personal cost.
• Dr. Pryle recounts life as an undiagnosed autistic and bipolar academic, concealing both to avoid stigma.
• Masking results in exhaustion, burnout, and social isolation, especially for those with minimal support.

“For 20 years, I did what is called masking...and all this energy pretending to be normal...the consequences of masking are really dire.”
— Dr. Pryle [30:58]

• Masking is especially prevalent among women and marginalized groups, who are less likely to be properly diagnosed, reinforcing the need for better screening and understanding.

6. Gender, Diagnosis, and the Need for Screening

[36:58–45:08]

• Many women and gender-nonconforming people evade autism/ADHD diagnosis due to outdated screening focused on “boy” behaviors.
• Dr. Pryle describes their own late diagnosis and the prevalence of missed or misapplied diagnoses for cis women and nonbinary students.
• Recent studies suggest far higher rates of autism and ADHD among college students than those with formal diagnoses.

“They did a similar thing recently for ADHD… 29% of students screened positive for ADHD in higher education.”
— Dr. Pryle [44:12]

• Dr. Pryle advocates for universal or blind screening for neurodiversity with non-stigmatizing follow-up support—but recognizes this remains a “pipe dream” in most institutions.

7. Accommodations vs. Accessibility: Rethinking Institutional Response

[45:08–47:10]

• Accommodations are individualized, require self-advocacy, and often cost privacy or time.
• Accessibility, by contrast, is a proactive, inclusive design—you don't need to identify who is disabled to create supports for many.
• Dr. Pryle and Dr. Gessler discuss how policies and teaching philosophies can shift to assume inclusion from the outset.

8. From Pipe Dream to Practice: Teaching Accessibly and Inclusively

[47:10–59:56]

• Chapter 15 of the book focuses on trust, agency, and empathy in teaching for accessibility.
• Key actionable insights:
  • Faculty must trust students, relinquishing punitive controls (e.g., attendance penalties).
  • Citing Kate Denial’s A Pedagogy of Kindness: “Believing people and believing in people” is central to accessibility.
  • Let go of excessive monitoring—students attend more and disclose more honestly when treated with respect and without shame.
  • Attendance tracking should be used for care (“Are you okay?” checks), not punishment.
  • Granting extensions and flexibility mirrors professional life and supports real-world preparation.
  • Agency and empathy are not about increasing faculty workload—often the opposite.

“When we stop policing our students, our own lives get easier. It's not about creating more work for us...it's about creating less. Everything gets easier.”
— Dr. Pryle [58:53]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The pandemic squeezed higher ed, but all it did was reveal the weaknesses that academia had with regards to mental health and neurodiversity.”
  — Dr. Pryle [03:09]

• “How we talk about mental disability...directly affects how we treat mentally disabled people, how institutions treat them.”
  — Dr. Pryle [15:45]

• “By talking this way, you are perpetuating the ableism of this language. So even though everybody in the room might be neurotypical...you are reinforcing the ableism…”
  — Dr. Pryle [21:24]

• “Why do we do this to our students? Do you think they learn better like this? The answer is, of course, no.”
  — Dr. Pryle [27:17]

• “For 20 years, I did what is called masking...spending all this energy pretending to be normal...the consequences of masking are really dire...”
  — Dr. Pryle [30:58]

• “If there were screening for autism and ADHD, oh, it'd be so wonderful…29% of students screened positive for ADHD in higher education.”
  — Dr. Pryle [44:12]

• “Believing people and believing in people. So when our students tell us something, we have to believe them.”
  — Dr. Pryle, citing Dr. Denial [53:55]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:07] – Dr. Pryle introduction and motivation for writing
• [07:40] – How and why terminology matters
• [15:45] – Language’s material impact on stigma
• [18:07] – Real-world examples of casual ableism
• [25:04] – Statistics on anxiety and institutional causes
• [29:24] – Masking, invisible disabilities, and exhaustion
• [36:58] – Gender, missed diagnoses, and value of screening
• [45:08] – Differences between accommodations and accessibility
• [47:10] – Practical strategies for accessible teaching
• [60:03] – Hopes and takeaways for listeners: kinship, community, and institutional action

Conclusion: Hopes for Change

Dr. Pryle closes with the wish that the episode encourages listeners to support neurodivergent peers and students, break down experiences of isolation, and inspire institutions to build inclusive communities—ideally, by putting resources and trust directly into the hands of neurodivergent people.

“Whether it’s in the classroom or the faculty lounge or in your dorm room and you are struggling...you aren’t alone. The numbers don’t lie...Institutions can help build those communities...Just do it.”
— Dr. Pryle [60:30]

For listeners seeking a deeper understanding of the lived realities and structural challenges of mental health and neurodiversity in higher education, this episode provides both a candid diagnosis and a hopeful blueprint for change.