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Best uni for young woman with ASD, anxiety and depression

86 replies

LifeIsAGameofMonopoly · 30/12/2024 14:05

DD has dropped out of Bristol uni due in part to extremely poor pastoral care.
If anyone has got any recommendations for unis which have got really good support for neurodiverse students, I would be extremely grateful to hear this. (And if any unis to avoid also!)
She likes the sea, and doesn't want to be too far from the family home (we are Berkshire) she has been thinking about Brighton or possibly Bournemouth.
She is 21, so maybe also any unis that have a good proportion of mature students. I understand that Birkbeck is for mature students but I don't know how mature... She would like to be with people who are in their 20s.
Thank you very much 😊

OP posts:
stayathomegardener · 30/12/2024 14:12

What sort of course is she interested in?
I can highly recommend Gloucester uni art based department in Cheltenham.

They used to run pre uni taster weeks for those students needing more support, have smaller residential halls right next to the department rather than the huge student village option.

Student support team was excellent.

JWR · 30/12/2024 14:14

Might she better off going to Reading or somewhere London based so she can keep her current counselling, psychiatrist etc?

AmateurNoun · 30/12/2024 14:15

Is her mental health any better? If not, it might not be best to start another course in the hopes of better pastoral care.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

stayathomegardener · 30/12/2024 14:15

Dd chose Cheltenham over Bristol in 2017 as the student accommodation in town seemed both unpleasant and isolating.

murasaki · 30/12/2024 14:16

LifeIsAGameofMonopoly · 30/12/2024 14:05

DD has dropped out of Bristol uni due in part to extremely poor pastoral care.
If anyone has got any recommendations for unis which have got really good support for neurodiverse students, I would be extremely grateful to hear this. (And if any unis to avoid also!)
She likes the sea, and doesn't want to be too far from the family home (we are Berkshire) she has been thinking about Brighton or possibly Bournemouth.
She is 21, so maybe also any unis that have a good proportion of mature students. I understand that Birkbeck is for mature students but I don't know how mature... She would like to be with people who are in their 20s.
Thank you very much 😊

Birkbeck now has a lot of Ucas students amd the undergraduate demographic has really changed, so there would be a lot of 18 plus there, and many in their 20s (I worked there until last year). The well being team, while stretched, are very good, so it may be worth a look. There's been a real shift in acknowledgement of the level of support needed.

LifeIsAGameofMonopoly · 30/12/2024 14:27

stayathomegardener · 30/12/2024 14:12

What sort of course is she interested in?
I can highly recommend Gloucester uni art based department in Cheltenham.

They used to run pre uni taster weeks for those students needing more support, have smaller residential halls right next to the department rather than the huge student village option.

Student support team was excellent.

Thank you so much for this. Xx
She was doing English Lit but is now thinking of other courses too such as drama, media, she also said librarianship as apparently you can now do this as an undergraduate degree. Basically anything not STEM. She has A-Levels in English, History and Film Studies. Less interested in History though. I think that it depends a lot of the modules of the degree and what the course looks like. Thanks again x

OP posts:
LifeIsAGameofMonopoly · 30/12/2024 14:31

JWR · 30/12/2024 14:14

Might she better off going to Reading or somewhere London based so she can keep her current counselling, psychiatrist etc?

Thanks for your reply xx
She doesn't want to go to Reading; as it's "too near". Also it seems very "studenty" as in lots of 18 year olds and fewer older students in their 20s.
She doesn't have a psychiatrist although a good GP would really help. Someone who knows about mental health and autism.
She finds London too full on and gets overwhelmed and tries to avoid it as much as possible. Although if Birkbeck were to be a really good fit, location aside, she might consider it 🤷🏼‍♀️

OP posts:
user1471548941 · 30/12/2024 14:34

Take a look at Bath. They have an autism centre of excellence and the academic side is very closely related to the pastoral element so that all students benefit across the uni.

LifeIsAGameofMonopoly · 30/12/2024 14:37

AmateurNoun · 30/12/2024 14:15

Is her mental health any better? If not, it might not be best to start another course in the hopes of better pastoral care.

Edited

It is much improved having left Bristol as it was very intense, lots of very high achievers and posh people (obviously not all students were posh but there were quite a lot who were and she found it quite intimidating). The lack of pastoral care was really shocking and I do think that she would be OK if she was somewhere a bit less full-on and was better equipped to work with students who have additional needs. Also Bristol is really big and she has come to the realisation that she does not like living in such a big city. Something she didn't know about before moving there; aside from her strong dislike of London, which is on another scale altogether!

OP posts:
LottieMary · 30/12/2024 14:37

Probably too far for your criteria but ex students have always spoken extremely highly of Yorks pastoral and send support

TotallyTwisted · 30/12/2024 14:38

What sort of pastoral care is she expecting? Uni is not like school.

LifeIsAGameofMonopoly · 30/12/2024 14:38

user1471548941 · 30/12/2024 14:34

Take a look at Bath. They have an autism centre of excellence and the academic side is very closely related to the pastoral element so that all students benefit across the uni.

Ooh thank you, I didn't know that about Uni of Bath 💞 I have only been as a tourist, it looks very beautiful which she also would like x

OP posts:
clary · 30/12/2024 14:44

Op it’s not near the sea (!) but my dd was at Leicester, studying English lit, and had various ND-related issues as well as MH concerns. Her PT was amazing, so supportive, and after a major blip (also partly Covid related) she was able to complete her degree and get a great result.

She was able to tailor her course (this may be true everywhere tho!) and choose modules with no exams, which was a big thing. She could even choose her essay title if she liaised with the tutors.

Also deffo not posh. I went to Bristol 1000 years ago and sadly recognise your description. Leics has a very diverse student body, I was impressed (Bristol all white in my day, let’s hope not now).

I wouldn’t worry about the mature student thing, 21 is not unusual theses days.

edited to add: Leicester is a city of course but never felt to me as big as Bristol. It’s v quick to SE by train too.

boys3 · 30/12/2024 14:49

LifeIsAGameofMonopoly · 30/12/2024 14:38

Ooh thank you, I didn't know that about Uni of Bath 💞 I have only been as a tourist, it looks very beautiful which she also would like x

Though it’s very heavily STEM focused, and likely does not offer the courses (such as English Lit etc) that your DD is interested in.

clarrylove · 30/12/2024 14:54

As mentioned up thread, University of Gloucestershire is a smaller, friendly uni with excellent student support.

clary · 30/12/2024 14:54

boys3 · 30/12/2024 14:49

Though it’s very heavily STEM focused, and likely does not offer the courses (such as English Lit etc) that your DD is interested in.

Yeah no English lit at Bath I don’t think.

btw @LifeIsAGameofMonopoly my dd now works in a library! She is looking at a possible masters in librarianship as well.

mitogoshigg · 30/12/2024 14:56

Leicester had a great additional needs department, very accommodating. In addition rents are fairly reasonable in private sector so getting a bed sit if shared living isn't working is more affordable.

SweetLathyrus · 30/12/2024 14:56

Academic staff here. I'll focus on the south coast because of your location, and preference for the coast. A lot depends on the degree, but think about what worked and what didn't about Bristol:

It's big, so can feel impersonal - look for smaller institutions, Chichester, Winchester, or specialist for the discipline (often University colleges, or colleges rather than Universities).

Campus vs. City - having everything on site rather than distributed departments - eg Southampton has good pastoral services but they are more accessible if you are on the main Highfield campus, Portsmouth has great departments, but less clear 'heart'. Bournemouth is also somewhat dispersed.
Can't comment on Brighton (not great for my area, but I don't know their student services).

Most Universities will talk about access to support in the same ways - reasonable adjustment is a legal requirement after all. But the ways they implement this, and the extent to which they will expect students to be proactive in seeking help will differ dramatically.

You DD should take some time to recover. Saying "This Uni isn't for me" is a tough decision, and a brave one (and in my opinion, many students are too reluctant to make it). Don't get hung up on the research intensive Russell group (if that is a worry), and if possible, use open days to talk to the student services people as much as the teaching teams.

Hope that helps.

GoodVibesHere · 30/12/2024 14:56

I think Aberystwyth might suit her.

PortiasBiscuit · 30/12/2024 14:57

Lancaster is lovely, both my autistic DD and her cousin are thriving there.

tarmactreacle · 30/12/2024 15:04

Would really recommend Winchester for great pastoral care. It's a small university (6000 students I think) and has a really homely feel. The city of Winchester is a pretty 10 minute walk away and is a lovely little place.

The trains run very regularly through to Southampton (15 minutes away) and Bournemouth and the New Forest (40 minutes for Bournemouth I think).

I'd avoid Bournemouth Uni purely for the town. So much violence. My parents used to holiday there all the time but don't anymore as they are too scared to step outside in the evening.

Epwell · 30/12/2024 15:07

Take a look at Exeter.

WithASpider · 30/12/2024 15:18

I was going to say Leicester too. DD1 is in her 3rd year there and has ASD. Leicester was chosen primarily because of the support factor and they've been amazing. She has only encountered one lecturer who was difficult but everyone else is fantastic.
Through DSA she has a support person that she sees weekly (or more often if needed) and plenty of adaptations. She also has a private flat in the main halls at a discounted rate.

There are quite a few older students in the flats as well.

Empra123 · 30/12/2024 15:24

We found autism support at Exeter to be brilliant. When DD went there I was wondering if she'd ever live independently. Now I'm sure she will.

ExpensiveDecoration · 30/12/2024 15:25

A friend's ND DC with a history of extreme anxiety has settled in very happily to Gloucestershire this year.