I have a son who has Aspergers and is having a miserable time at University, cannot organise himself at all. I'm afraid he will fail the first year, but what can I do.
He does get support, but it appears quite poor in quality and most of this term the support was off sick so none provided !!
Yes you do need to have a disability student allowance - the university should provide the services once there is a source of revenue, but universities do not have to give free support.
That said I know there are now problems. When the Disability Discrimination Act came about Universities responded because they faced the threat of prosecution for failure. Hardly any of that threat has materialised, and there is now a counter-trend of taking a calculated risk on failure. Also Universities have been making stringent cut-backs on support staff, and what often happens is you get entirely new appointments to less well-salaried posts, with a loss of continuity of experience.
A further factor is the social model of disability. A lot of universities have gone down the route of seeing not disability but persons "less able" such that this can be corrected by providing level playing field support: note-takers, extra time in exams, coloured paper hand-outs. This approach isn't autism friendly.
That said most universities are still doing fine, and there should be a corpus of in-house knowledge especially amongst lecturers and tutors. I cannot ask you to name the university in question, but there are some predictable failures amongst both new universities, and older red-brick unis with snobbery or attitude - the old selection thing.
I'm a retired lecturer who was also at the teaching end the disability coordinator, interfacing with student services so we gave the right support (and on the spectrum myself). If parents ask for a pre-meeting before the academic year starts, I would go along to give a teaching perspective of any problems that might arise. It doesn't sound like that has happened here.
I'm worried about this claim about a high drop out rate. They shouldn't be making such remarks, and they sound a thoroughly ignorant university. But there are certain truths to this. So I will try to explain the issues:
Once a student starts a course, it is a contract between the student and the university. The university cannot tell the parents anything personal unless the student signs a consent form, and even then it is tricky because of confidentiality rules. Student services may talk to parents, the tutors and lecturers cannot. So parents often don't know if their son/daughter is getting into difficulties.
Some people on the spectrum do not have the attributes necessary for academic study, or their difficulties are too great to be addressed by reasonable measures. University teaching is collective, with a small amount of 1 to 1, and is not interventionist like school. If a student doesn't turn up, or doesn't hand in work, he will get warnings but that's about it.
Some people on the spectrum will disagree with what's asked of them in assignments, or not see the point, and therefore do not do the assignments set. Also there is often a problem with the conventions of written english, or the ability to discuss evidence, and set things out the required way. It is a reality that some people on the spectrum just wont play by these rules.
There is at present no way of compromising the set curriculum for someone with a disability. This means some things a person on the spectrum cannot do, the university cannot make them exceptions.
If a student on the spectrum is able to do the work and meet the course requirements, there shouldn't be any barriers. But the common cause of dropping out is an actual reluctance to produce the work needed rather than a failure by the university. Parents do need to look at this before sending someone on the spectrum to university. Some people on the spectrum keep hitting barriers that are there as goals for assessment and cannot be alleviated.
The other caution I keep making on here, an aptitude for numbers or computing doesn't mean a degree in mathematics or computing is a wise choice. Mathematics is heavily theoretical - and that often proves difficult for people who think in numerals well - accountancy would be a better choice. Computing degrees require proficiency in ALL aspects, not just one thing the person is very good at. There is a high drop out rate from Mathematics and Computing simply because it isn't a wise choice
I can expand on other aspects, but will leave it at that for the moment.
Sadly, UNIs are not the best at funding support from their own budget. Your son needs to urgently apply for Disabled Student Allowances - he needs to prove his diagnosis (a letter from someone years ago or a current GP letter) and then show (GP/ College or school report) to show the effect on day to day functioning - incl note taking, communicating, connecting with others, processing info, being organised etc. SFE shoudl then approved an assessment - and YOU and SON need to say what the challenges are and what support would be needed to address this - a support person to be in class - in group work - in tutorials etc - the assessor should consider where the Uni usually sources their support (some in house, some use agencies). The assessor makes recommendations and the SFE usually approve funding for that support. Choosing the right uni is important - some have a better approach to ASD than others. The NAS has stusent support in some Uni's funded via DSA. Not sure where your son is at Uni - so can t help with specific signposting. Hope you sort it.
Rosalyn
My son with asbergers is going through start university at moment and the lack of understanding, support and willingness to help is a disgrace. We have got the student disability services funding for 2 hours a week. They have not sourced any social support ( we are not a befriending service!), they have made it clear that my son has to make appointments with them( part of his condition is extreme anxiety at initiating social contact) I have tried to explain his difficulties but they are unwilling to adapt their service to his disability. The amount of support is akin to providing a wheel chair bound student with a first floor flat with no lift or ramp and letting them get on with it. I have been warned there is a high drop out rate for asbergers at uni as if its an inevitable fact but the truth is the system is failing them and the country is losing huge talents locked in these young adults. I have read other experiences here and the discrimination against these young adults who have to daily battle through such enormous challenges and despite this still managed to get accepted to university is totally unacceptable. Any thoughts on getting my son a chance to complete his degree would be gratefully received
My Son had a similar experience in his first year at foundation level and year 1. His organisation was appalling, He struggled with deadlines, ambiguous text and concepts. He couldn’t get himself up in time for lectures and was exhausted at the end of each day.
He began having mental health problems and couldn't cope with the course. Then an eagle eyed lecturer spotted his symptoms and sent him for assessment.
To be honest the diagnosis was a bolt from the blue, but I don't know why. Both his brothers have a severe form and I have a strong family history of it, but I’d just assumed he was ok. Once his DSA came through, he was able to access weekly timetabled support and assistive software to help him cope with other co-occurring learning difficulties that had been identified. He also had access to a councillor.
Things have definitely improved and now I'm not getting the tearful calls at 3am. I found it very difficult to get him support from afar or talk to anyone about his distress, but accompanied him to the student support meeting and was amazed at the range of options available.
As Longman says, see what is being provided. If the support is insufficient, it needs to be improved. My son couldn't initiate very much himself and if your son is similar, it maybe that the Uni needs to be made aware that support needs to be advisor driven, not student driven. No one person has the same level of need and as you’ve probably read on here, the spectrum ensures exactly the same. A specific cover for one will not be appropriate for another.
My son didn't like change and It's taken three years for him to feel happy where he is. Be prepared that if he does stay, it may take him quite some time too. I hope he gets more support for his sake and that of his self-esteem.
A troubling time I know.
Take Care
Coogy
I'm sorry to hear it has not been good support. Most universities should be fully conversant with autism/aspergers support by now, but there will inevitably be variations. Also there has been a certain amount of relaxation because few if any universities have been sued for failing to meet their undertakings under the Disability Discrimination Act, whereas they had been vigorous about disability issues because of that fear.
Support is often based on the social model, treating people as less able, and therefore providing some infrastructures to "level the playing field" - a maybe obsolete metaphor for ensuring everyone has an equal chance.
This is not adequate for people on the autistic spectrum. You can use generalised approaches for wheelchair users by putting in ramps and good routes from disabled parking bays, or provide coloured paper handouts and suitable fonts for dyslexia (as if everyone's needs are exactly the same). Or you get more time in an exam. You might get a note taker/helper, but believe me, despite the income from support funds for this, they aren't well paid, and they often end up doing more than their remit.
You will also find it difficult to find out what is happening, as the university's contract is with the students, and because of the legal implications, universities are obsessed with confidentiality.
Unfortunately I don't know how to change this (not for lack of trying, but there has been something of a relaxation, as I mentioned earlier, as universities realise they can get away with a more risky ("cross that bridge when we come to it") approach.
Often students on the spectrum find university a much better learning environment than school, less intervention and more opportunity for self-directed learning rather than the prescriptive school learning. But things can go wrong, and you've more or less hit on one of the key problems "cannot organise himself" - that is going to be tricky because things are much more up to him. The university should assist with organisation. Is your local authority providing funds for support? I ask this as if they aren't getting the money, they wont give the support.
The other issue which can arise, and to look out for, is not doing assessed coursework and exams in accordance with the task specified (such as not doing parts a student with aspergers sees as pointless, just giving an answer and not showing the rough working that shows correct process to arrive at an answer, not writing in coherent prose, or clear report style etc). Also lecture theatres, teaching rooms, laboratories, and seminar rooms can have enormous problems for people on the spectrum, especially if crowded and noisy (they don't sit quietly and listen these days).
You are entitled to "reasonable support" and the support being off sick is not acceptable. Write to the Vice-Chancellor of the University, asking for an explanation of the support the university provides, and ask for clarification of why he is not getting it. You can usually get the Vice-Chancellor's name off the "About the University" section of the University website, but you are unlikely to get his/her email address - it needs to be a letter to that person by name and title (Dr, Professor), Vice Chancellor, at the University's main campus address.
If they take on a student knowing at the start he has Asperger's, they must make provision, though you usually need to be funded for support. The principle is that if he fails the year due to being let down, you are placed at a disadvantage in either finding an alternative university and starting again, re-doing first year at that university, or doing some other kind of course. Such a set-back would be very damaging. If their negligence caused it, you can sue (OK not that easy these days). Don't be scared to ask.
If on the other hand your son isn't making good use of the opportunity and the university can demonstrate they have made reasonable effort on his behalf, there's little you can do.
So do look in to what's holding him back. Usually if he gives signed consent to the university, they can talk to you about this progress.
