Contextual offers for ASD students

[sandwiches77]

DD 18 was diagnosed with autism last year and has been struggling with her education ever since. Do any Unis offer (contextual or otherwise) for autistic students?

No!

I have a ds with ASD and no, he hasn't got contextual offers. You may find some helpful info about applications etc here so worth having a look: www.autism.org.uk/about/transition/starting-college-uni.aspx

Similar situation here OP and I don't think there are any.

Contextual offers are usually based on postcode, secondary school for GCSEs or A-levels that type of thing.

Do any Unis offer (contextual or otherwise) for autistic students?

DS got five offers, but they were all the standard offer for that course.

If the selection process includes a written assessment or interview, then any applicant with a disability can request similar access arrangements to those they would have at school (evidence will be required for this).

Before the student starts the course, they can have a study needs assessment which identifies what extra equipment or support is needed in order for them to access the course, and this is funded by DSA. Unlike the student loan, the student won't have to repay the cost.

DD 18 was diagnosed with autism last year and has been struggling with her education ever since. Do any Unis offer (contextual or otherwise) for autistic students?
Ds is in Y12 and considering HE. I agree with the other posters that unis would probably not make a contextual offer simply because the student is autistic. However a contextual offer may be made because of how the student has been affected by their autism. For example, their education may have been severely interrupted due to difficulties arising from autism, or they may have been educated in a special school. Have you contacted any universities?

@sandwiches77 my DS has ASD and he was given a contextual offer from Reading last year, so it does happen.
He wasn’t given it straight away, but after he went to an offers day (he went several offers days) and spoke to lectures and he got a lower contextual offer through UCAS a few days later.
He didn’t put Reading as his first choice, so didn’t go there.
I think every university looks at things slightly differently, so I’d ask if you go and visit (although that may be tricky at the moment).

My DS is doing a science subject and I would say is probably not the only ASD student 😊

It is unlikely. Despite ticking a lot (and I mean a lot!) of boxes that I’d assumed might have resulted in contextual offers, when we drilled down it was the Polar stuff that counted. She received all standard offers despite a non standard educational history. What helped make her mind up was talking to dept that deals with DSA students at various places. We did have the advantage of open days but essentially if they are interested in finding out about you in particular and how a condition effects you as an individual then it suggests they are half way there to being supportive. They will also be used to dealing ASD, dyslexia etc as often it is at uni that conditions get diagnosed.

For each university on his shortlist, DS checked the information on their website then emailed to ask a couple of questions about accessibility, provision of quieter accommodation etc. There was quite a variation in how helpful the replies were.

Ironoaks did your ds find unis were realistic about the need for quiet accommodation? My impression from my older dc and friends' dcs is that 'quiet' accommodation is rarely that - it might be one corridor in an otherwise noisy block, or that there are just not enough quiet flats available and autistic students might be allocated to accommodation they can't cope with.I'm wondering if some unis do better than others in this respect. I've got an autistic ds in Y11 and already worried about this.

@sandwiches77

DD 18 was diagnosed with autism last year and has been struggling with her education ever since. Do any Unis offer (contextual or otherwise) for autistic students?

Since?

@Lightyearspast

The ones that can offer designated quiet accommodation said so.

The ones that can't offer designated quiet accommodation were honest about this. Some of them said they try to allocate rooms for students with ASD which are "less noisy" i.e. not next to noisy stairwells or communal areas.

One university offered an "early arrival" system where students with ASD can move in the day before, to avoid the crowds and take an extra 24h to orient themselves.

In the end he chose his firm choice based on the course, but the responses to the accommodation question were a factor in choosing his insurance offer.

Thanks, it’s good that they’re honest about what’s on offer. I saw on Durham’s website they have some very good info about what’s available, arriving early, etc. I hope all our dcs will find that more and more unis are ASD-aware, not just in accommodation, but other services too.

Just to add: DD received some more detailed info from her first choice. It’s about arrangements for teaching and access to materials but nothing so far about living arrangements. Not sure if it’s a different dept who do that but she will be able to speak to them so I guess she’ll find out. She picked likeliest hall For her needs - at least on paper - as her first choice. Will be a pita if she gets one of the ones that looks more difficult for her

If you declare it as a disability it is one factor that might lead to a contextual offer at my uni at any rate. But whether it's helpful to have contextual offers is a whole other debate!