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gladysmay

aspie friendly university?

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does anyone have experience of or know of any UK universities that have particularly good (or any) autism friendly support. I realise they all should be making 'reasonable adjusstments' but in reality, they vary a great deal, ranging from dont know anything about it, to welcoming.

 

thanks very much. may be necessary to make a change (unfortunately) - so heres another question,

 

how does one change to a new uni that you migth prefer, first year, and what evidence might be expected to support the request, if at all possible:)

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thats a good question - some subjects seem to get suggested time and time again, maths, IT, but not everyone wants to do those, especially by educationalists.

 

I am enquiring in a more general sense - hoping that some Uni's are pro-active and welcoming no matter what subject:)

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Hi

 

I like small universities, because you get more support from your lecturers. I did my degree at the university of Chichester, and even though I was undiagnosed at the time, I got loads of support. But because its a small university you may find they don't do the course you want.

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My eldest son is at Anglia Ruskin which is lovely, and they mention Aspergers under their Student Support section.

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It depends on the course and the academic level of the student. I would get nothing academically out of a small university or a post-1992 university like Anglia Ruskin, my grades are too high. Equally, while I could suggest e.g. the University of Sheffield (whose disability support team have two officers with an AS specialism), that would be hopeless if the student didn't have top grades as they would not be able to transfer even if the course title was the same.

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Well, my fiancé has just taken on a degree with the open university. We were looking at other Uni's across the UK but we don't think we'd have fit it very well. With the Open Uni you can learn from home and there is a lot of online support should you need it - plus there are lectures and classes you can attend etc. He mentioned he has Aspergers and they were extremely understanding and supportive, offering a wide range of help - some which we didn't even consider ourselves, which was useful.

 

Just a thought..

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I went to Bangor University in North Wales and found that they had a very good disability support team.

 

I had considerable help and support throughout my entire time there with a mentor being provided to me and also equipment i needed to do my work being provided as well. The lecturers were all very understanding and supportive too.

 

From my experience it was a very Autism friendly university.

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I've been told that I'd "feel quite at home" at Durham University but I'm not sure from which perspective, whether there are lot of AS students or staff, or whether they have good support for AS students.

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I'm a PhD student at University of Bath, and the support has been brilliant. I wish I'd known such support existed whilst doing my degree!!

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From what I understand of the University I was at, have a disability and they are all ears to start with, what they turn out to be depends on those working there.

 

As it was I mentioned a cognitive problem when I enrolled at university but they did not follow up my question until a full three years later when I displayed what that cognitive problem can do.

 

They thought it was dyspraxia and sent me to see an educational psychologist who did not see dyspraxia, but what he saw was something called Asperger's Syndrome and he I found was an aspie himself but I beat his scores on WAIS-IV the first I was told in eleven years of practice. I am highly intelligent more intelligent than he, he said but my problem is I don't know how to use my intelligence and that is demonstrated in the jobs I have done through getting bored and self destructive after I have excelled, I have been employed in jobs far below my intelligence but that is a common thing with those late diagnosed with AS.

 

As to where to go, it is a lottery wholly dependent on how switched on the disability staff are, in my case not switched on until diagnosis and then they would not leave me alone, a complete antithesis to how they were pre diagnosis.

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I decided the only way I could study was part-time with the Open Uni, I can focus on studying without worrying about other students, and I don't really get stressed out - except for assignments and exams, which I can't avoid. When I was younger college really stressed me, and I rejected a uni sponsorship - I don't know that support at uni would of helped, but its good its out there. So far I've avoided tutorials, so just keep any contact online or by email, which suits me, but as things get harder I know I will need to push myself to attend tutorials when I need to. It is important to find somewhere right, so you can focus on learning.

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Slightly O/T, but I was wondering how universities deal with support for students spending a year abroad (most obviously those studying foreign languages).

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