Best Universities for Autistic DD with social anxiety. Looking for flexibility

[whatisgoingonandwhy]

Posting for traffic. DD has autism but is very bright academically. She struggled a lot in high school but has flown in her A levels as she is attending an online college. She would like to study psychology and work with autistic children in some capacity. Has recently started to make progress in socialising more but is extremely daunted at the prospect of having to attend classes. Are there any Uni’s that have the flexibility to attend classes in person or online, or any that are particularly supportive for those who are neurodivergent?

Oh FFS it was only put in place last week! Now you say that. Her personal tutor probably hasn’t even read the email yet then, and here you are criticising an entire sector on the basis that something hasn’t been actioned immediately.

The question is ‘what is the challenge that this provision is designed to overcome?’, not ‘what is the currently suggested provision?’

If tutor checking in is not deliverable, if you could explain what your dd’s need is, people may be able to suggest how other institutions might normally meet this need.

Some very disappointing opinions on this thread and may explain the slow response that ds2 got when he emailed three different lecturers asking for help at the beginning of term. Luckily, one eventually responded which then alleviated his stress so he could overcome the two other problems himself. Its the first time in three years he has been so overwhelmed he needed help so the lack of response was disappointing.

As an OU tutor in the past, albeit, we had a smaller group allocated, typically it was only 1 or 2 each year who wanted / needed extra support which was never particularly time-consuming. So I think it is misleading the conflate the 5 minutes needed for one student to everyone needing that 5 minutes.

There are many situations for my disabled student where the ‘documented adjustment’ doesn’t work. However, through negotiation that grapples with the underlying need, a path through has been found.

@OneInEight - a quick Google suggests that around 20% (and growing rapidly) of home students at university declare a disability.

Processes - formal or informal - that were robust when numbers were half the size (2010 or so) and funding was better, are falling over through overload. So while those 5 minutes were ok for 1 in 10 students, as it grows to 1 in 5 then 1 in 3, and other pressures on academics grow, something has to give.

Hi @whatisgoingonandwhy just a reply in terms of your opening question, are you aware of UHI? And their course: https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/courses/bsc-hons-psychology/ - online with in person 2 day induction and annual week long residential I think.

She won’t approach or initiate. I said it much earlier. She has social anxiety with regards to people she perceives as more superior to her. She is working on it and it is getting better. But she struggles to advocate for herself. But she will respond or ask for help if people approach her first. Otherwise she just struggles on silently.

Shes ADHD. All fairly normal for ADHD especially initiation. She’s bright, capable and determined. It’s just this one thing.

But what is the tutor checking in about? Academic work? General wellbeing?

People saying 'lecturers emailing once a week to ask "are you ok?" is a quick and easy job,' apart from not understanding what a lecturer's role is, seem to think that this quick email will be the end of the matter. What about when the student emails back (though it has to be said the vast majority don't respond to such emails, which raises questions about the point of them, but ..... that's another issue)? What about when they reply with a lengthy set of concerns, contexts, questions, that we're not equipped to deal with, because we don't know the answers? These 'quick check-ins' are presumably not intended to be an end in themselves, so where does the time come from, when we receive the emails in response?

Academic

It’s about academic work. Who else is she supposed to speak to about it?🤷🏼‍♀️

For those say universities don't make reasonable adjustments, these are some of the ones I'm involved in at my university as a lecturer:

• lecture / seminar / lab materials in format so can be used with accessibility software (eg readaloud)
• any printed lecture / seminar / lab materials in different formats when needed eg large font
• lecture / seminar / lab materials available at least 24 hours before session, usually week before (for students who need to look in advance)
• modify seminars so there are different options to speaking out eg mentimeter, post-it notes, emailing me answer to discussion questions before session or after
• modified figures for colour blind or visually impaired students
• students with support plans allowed to record lectures
• coursework designed with ND and disabilities in mind
• flexibility over group coursework for students with support plans
• flexibility over presentations (is a presentation needed, can a student do it another way eg record it, 1-1 rather than to class, can I use a another assessment type)
• students with learning and support plans automatically allowed extensions to coursework deadlines
• mitigating circumstances for longer extensions or one off events (eg illness, bereavements)
• I'm aware of which students have support plans and the adjustments I need to make, but not the reasons for it (the full support plans are rightly confidential documents as they contain medical information)
• flexibility on spelling in coursework for dyslexic students
• flexibility on attendance based marks for disabled students, those with support plans, those with chronic illnesses, ND students etc
• re-running of assessment sessions for anyone unable to attended (eg illness, disability, ND etc)
• considering where to place students with support needs in oral assessments (eg first to help nerves, before break, after break, last so have extra time)
• communicating any changes early so ND, anxious students can prepare
• encouraging ND, anxious students to go and see assesment rooms ahead of timr
• ability to study part time
• exams and assessments spread out so not to overwhelm any student
• special considerations for exams and timed assessments eg extra time, scribe, small room, certain desk, take on a computer, reader etc

That's what I do as a lecturer. Then there's the additional support via welfare, the disability office, DSA etc.

Something I haven't seen mentioned is that some university staff will be ND, have chronic illnesses, be disabled etc. It's not fair to say we don't care and don't make any effort, in my experience lecturing staff really do.

Yes, I posted right before that appeared, apologies. The overlap between our responsibility for students' mental well-being and their academic progress can get quite blurred.

So does this tutor deliver her entire course? Or, if they do not, do any questions raised have to be referred on to others by the tutor?

What is the expectation of action on the tutor? Do they answer the question? Seek answers from other academics? Refer her on to other academics?

Unless the tutor genuinely delivers the entire course and can answer all academic questions immediately themselves, would it not be possible for the check-in to be with the disability service, who then handle the ‘on cost’ of getting answers or putting your DD in touch with the appropriate lecturer?

(My disabled student’s personal tutor in fact teaches a totally different subject, which is why I may be unfamiliar with the responsibilities in a different institution)

Speaking to me as a tutor about academic work is largely pointless. I work in a specific discipline. My tutee list includes students doing a wide range of degrees. I have no idea how to approach their work. All I can do is to tell them to speak to their module convenors who set and oversee the work. The role of tutor is essentially just a signposting function but takes up a lot of time.

If the student says "I'm struggling with this deadline and I haven't done any work" then again I'd signpost to the module convenors and our huge education teams who provide lots of guides and training about how to manage deadlines and approach academic writing.

Honestly University now is incredibly expensive so on that basis alone i wouldnt recommend any young person go for it unless they are absolutely sure its right for them and they are going to get enough out of it.

£50,000-£60,000 of debt is a really expensive way to experiment and see if you can cope with something.

I think something like OU where she can continue studying the way thats working for her is a good idea.

I think it’s fair to say it’s a subject which all tutors know about. There are specialisms but it’s not like history or English where there are specialisms that are miles apart.

So your expectation is that the individual tutor would, in that ‘check in’ be able to answer any academic query that your DD has, that has not been answered in lectures, seminars and her own individual reading / work? In 5 minutes?

There are universities that have weekly 1:1 tutorials, but unless she’s at one of them, having an academic ‘check in / individual tutorial’ weekly sounds a LOT.

NO!

Just to ask is there anything you’re struggling with or need to share with someone! That’s it. Thats all. And she won’t say much on reply, but she would answer if she was.

But if she says ‘yes’, what is your expectation that the tutor does? Offer help? Signpost? Address the difficulty? Contact others on her behalf?

I genuinely don’t understand why that question can’t be asked, by automated e-mail, by a member of disability support staff, who can then refer any question on if required.

Contact others. It could be done by email. It just says contact.

She'll need to approach course lecturers or her personal tutor herself to chat through any issues. If by check in, you mean that someone will proactively seek her out to ask her, then that's not what happens. She'll need to advocate for herself.

But that’s what’s in her plan.