Meeting with University Disability Team

I also work WITH a University Disability Team but not in it so this is what you could access where I work:

Most support for disabled students is funded by the Disabled Students Allowance, which requires a formal diagnosis. However this could be for mental health rather than ASD if you have that? The medical evidence for mental health conditions can be a form signed by your GP so it is comparatively easier to get evidence for that, although your GP would need to be happy to say your mental health issues are ongoing and likely to be more than (I think) 12 months in duration. If you think you could get that apply ASAP as it takes at least 14 weeks for the process of assessment and to get your support in place, probably longer. https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowance-dsa  DSA can pay for a mentor and specialist computer software and a laptop if needed. Even if you apply under mental health you will probably get a mentor qualified in ASD as well as its relatively easier to qualify for ASD than Mental health and the qualification criteria are really strict. 

Internal support within the university would still require some medical evidence where I work but not necessarily a formal diagnosis eg a letter from a GP would be sufficient. Things like outlines of the course and lecture slides in advance are commonly offered as well as highlighting the assistive tech on all university PCs and right of students to record all lectures (with some exclusions). You can request a note on your record to lecturers to say you might need to leave the room at any time and should be allowed to leave and come back when you are ready and that you might occasionally be absent and this shouldn't trigger absence procedures. There are quiet places on campus, and we do an ASD familiarisation day before the start of term. You can also have exams and assessments changed like a smaller room not an exam hall, and perhaps (not on all courses) not to be assessed via group work or group presentation. The Disability team can also support an application to stay in university owned or managed accommodation. 

I agree with comments on sensory environment below, but disagree about the note taking - this would have to be funded by the university and its really expensive so its very unlikely you would get that. (Again, at the university I work at, other places may have more funding available, but to be honest at the moment its unlikely.) But it is worth asking for if it might help because if someone else in your course already has an externally funded notetaker you might be able to get copies of the notes they produce. Alternatively we encourage use of audio recording software you can record in chunks and then label for playback. 

We also have an internal mental health team and a team that help 1:1 with academic writing - they aren't qualified in supporting ASD in particular but can help with, for example, clarifying what a question is asking. This more generic kind of support isn't ideal but may be helpful until you can get specialist support. There may also be buddies either in your department or from other students with disabilities who are either paid or volunteers and are student/recent student mentors who will just check in with how you are doing. 

Having listed all of that... one of their first questions should be how does suspected ASD and your mental health challenges affect YOU, on your course. So I would expect a conversation about your needs, then to go through info on DSA and everything they can offer internally and then you agree what you would find helpful, or what you want to try first, and they put it in place for you. They should then let you check the wording or agree exact wording you are happy to have shared with your lecturers. If you change your mind, or circumstances change eg. you are going on a placement, you go back to the team and they amend your records. 

As I said, thats how it works where I am at a small university and different universities have different processes, however the end result, in trying to identify which changes they can make to suit your needs, should happen everywhere. 

I also work WITH a University Disability Team but not in it so this is what you could access where I work:

Most support for disabled students is funded by the Disabled Students Allowance, which requires a formal diagnosis. However this could be for mental health rather than ASD if you have that? The medical evidence for mental health conditions can be a form signed by your GP so it is comparatively easier to get evidence for that, although your GP would need to be happy to say your mental health issues are ongoing and likely to be more than (I think) 12 months in duration. If you think you could get that apply ASAP as it takes at least 14 weeks for the process of assessment and to get your support in place, probably longer. https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowance-dsa  DSA can pay for a mentor and specialist computer software and a laptop if needed. Even if you apply under mental health you will probably get a mentor qualified in ASD as well as its relatively easier to qualify for ASD than Mental health and the qualification criteria are really strict. 

Internal support within the university would still require some medical evidence where I work but not necessarily a formal diagnosis eg a letter from a GP would be sufficient. Things like outlines of the course and lecture slides in advance are commonly offered as well as highlighting the assistive tech on all university PCs and right of students to record all lectures (with some exclusions). You can request a note on your record to lecturers to say you might need to leave the room at any time and should be allowed to leave and come back when you are ready and that you might occasionally be absent and this shouldn't trigger absence procedures. There are quiet places on campus, and we do an ASD familiarisation day before the start of term. You can also have exams and assessments changed like a smaller room not an exam hall, and perhaps (not on all courses) not to be assessed via group work or group presentation. The Disability team can also support an application to stay in university owned or managed accommodation. 

I agree with comments on sensory environment below, but disagree about the note taking - this would have to be funded by the university and its really expensive so its very unlikely you would get that. (Again, at the university I work at, other places may have more funding available, but to be honest at the moment its unlikely.) But it is worth asking for if it might help because if someone else in your course already has an externally funded notetaker you might be able to get copies of the notes they produce. Alternatively we encourage use of audio recording software you can record in chunks and then label for playback. 

We also have an internal mental health team and a team that help 1:1 with academic writing - they aren't qualified in supporting ASD in particular but can help with, for example, clarifying what a question is asking. This more generic kind of support isn't ideal but may be helpful until you can get specialist support. There may also be buddies either in your department or from other students with disabilities who are either paid or volunteers and are student/recent student mentors who will just check in with how you are doing. 

Having listed all of that... one of their first questions should be how does suspected ASD and your mental health challenges affect YOU, on your course. So I would expect a conversation about your needs, then to go through info on DSA and everything they can offer internally and then you agree what you would find helpful, or what you want to try first, and they put it in place for you. They should then let you check the wording or agree exact wording you are happy to have shared with your lecturers. If you change your mind, or circumstances change eg. you are going on a placement, you go back to the team and they amend your records. 

As I said, thats how it works where I am at a small university and different universities have different processes, however the end result, in trying to identify which changes they can make to suit your needs, should happen everywhere.