Planning for university

Unfortunately university is in the transition trap ..... all the help you've had so far has been provided around school or some colleges. There really isn't anything very much formalised beyond, so finding out is a great deal harder, but also crucial.

There are books on life at university for people on the spectrum, but those I'm aware of are very dated now - eg Jamieson J and Jamieson C 2004 "Managing Asperger Syndrome at College or University - a resource for students, tutors and support services" David Fulton Publishers in SEN Post 16 Series. This may be available in some libraries and contains useful background for parents.

There were several student orientated initiatives such as BRAIN HE, designed for a range of disabilities including aspergers (set up by de Montfort University at Leicester) which seems to have fizzled out, and the Claire Sainsbury Discussion Group no longer running. These tried to make the process easier for students.

The problem is these initiatives were made when there were few students that had gone through the process. Every university now has substantial experience, but is also aware of the wide variation in behaviours and abilities, and no-one seems to be writing up a corpus of this knowledge (unless I've missed something). There are research studies and projects but not around in readily readable form.

In addition Disability has tended to get lost in the drive for "over-arching equality" strategies, where every equality issue has a more or less standard posture. With funding problems universities have tended to opt for the level playing field model (provide the note takers, or recording devices and extra time in exams, but don't address the individual so much). But that is changing.

Depending on the University, and how effective its assessment service is, you will get some of the help your son needs, but it wont be like school. No-one has got round the inflexibility of course curricula yet, which makes it harder for students with aspergers who cannot meet all the criteria. And there is a lot of expertise out there, although the quality of understanding amongst lecturers and tutors is flaky.

On the other hand universities are much less interventionist, so all that direct action in schools disappears, which your son may welcome. A lot of expectation is placed on the student to self-help, and that can be the difficulty.

Also you will come up against the confidentiality issue where staff cannot talk to you about your son's work without his written permission and approval from high up in the system, although disability support workers may be allowed to talk to you. Universities tend to work directly with the student and lock out the parents.

There is as yet no provision I'm aware of to get round this. On the other hand your son may benefit from greater independence and less intervention.

So basically it will be difficult to find out much, but it isn't completely unknown territory, just very different from school.

Unfortunately university is in the transition trap ..... all the help you've had so far has been provided around school or some colleges. There really isn't anything very much formalised beyond, so finding out is a great deal harder, but also crucial.

There are books on life at university for people on the spectrum, but those I'm aware of are very dated now - eg Jamieson J and Jamieson C 2004 "Managing Asperger Syndrome at College or University - a resource for students, tutors and support services" David Fulton Publishers in SEN Post 16 Series. This may be available in some libraries and contains useful background for parents.

There were several student orientated initiatives such as BRAIN HE, designed for a range of disabilities including aspergers (set up by de Montfort University at Leicester) which seems to have fizzled out, and the Claire Sainsbury Discussion Group no longer running. These tried to make the process easier for students.

The problem is these initiatives were made when there were few students that had gone through the process. Every university now has substantial experience, but is also aware of the wide variation in behaviours and abilities, and no-one seems to be writing up a corpus of this knowledge (unless I've missed something). There are research studies and projects but not around in readily readable form.

In addition Disability has tended to get lost in the drive for "over-arching equality" strategies, where every equality issue has a more or less standard posture. With funding problems universities have tended to opt for the level playing field model (provide the note takers, or recording devices and extra time in exams, but don't address the individual so much). But that is changing.

Depending on the University, and how effective its assessment service is, you will get some of the help your son needs, but it wont be like school. No-one has got round the inflexibility of course curricula yet, which makes it harder for students with aspergers who cannot meet all the criteria. And there is a lot of expertise out there, although the quality of understanding amongst lecturers and tutors is flaky.

On the other hand universities are much less interventionist, so all that direct action in schools disappears, which your son may welcome. A lot of expectation is placed on the student to self-help, and that can be the difficulty.

Also you will come up against the confidentiality issue where staff cannot talk to you about your son's work without his written permission and approval from high up in the system, although disability support workers may be allowed to talk to you. Universities tend to work directly with the student and lock out the parents.

There is as yet no provision I'm aware of to get round this. On the other hand your son may benefit from greater independence and less intervention.

So basically it will be difficult to find out much, but it isn't completely unknown territory, just very different from school.