Please help me, i'm not sure what to do!!!!!!!

Looking at disability rights UK they have a section that covers what students might need, but it isn't college specific, so no better than the NAS FE College information.

I've taken items in their list and commented - it shows up how absurd some of these actions are especially at FE - but this is the advice offered by Disability Rights UK:

Immediate access to pastoral support, eg particular staff member you can go to with any concern. --- this could work in a university, and I myself have been that accessible person for someone on the spectrum, and was not that easy when I was teaching or in meetings, and I was helping other students. I cannot see this happen in colleges which are often multi-sited, with small numbers of support staff spread across the different cam,puses which may be in different towns.

Dedicated support worker - --- that is usually a note taker doubling as helper - if you've got the funds to pay for this it is feasible. But Coogeybear's son's experience bears out how eaily it can fail.

Staff to have awareness training ----- sigh....this old cookie again. There's awareness training and there's awareness training. I probably was useful as I both had it and helped with it, and so better understood. I don't think the awareness training packages, even recent ones are up to the job. Also for some silly reason you often find note-takers aren't eligible for awareness training because of their contracts. And you are unlikely to have one person trained solely for autism.

Specialist tuition support eg language skills or structuring work. ---- Now that can be provided in universities, less sure about colleges

Materials in literal language, including exam papers --- now I'm perplexed - is that a notion arising from literal understanding of metaphors. Has this ever been conceived in reality?

Special photocopying arrangements ---- why autism specific?

Digital recorder for recording lectures, notes etc. --- that is a useful facility and FE colleges may do it, There's often an issue about its use in seminars if other students contributions are being recorded.

Extra time immediately after group sessions to check understanding ---- I think that's underestimating the problems of group work. It isn't just an understanding issue

Extra time to read, understand and produce answers in exams ---- so often the solution offered but not necessarily sufficient.

Alternative ways of completing team work  --- sadly that's often what needs to be done, but I don't feel Disability Rights UK understand it enough.

Support worker to act as a mediator for team work --- might work, but what is it Disability Rights UK believe needs mediation?  Again I don't think they have sufficient understanding.

To have the same information conveyed in more than one way, eg verbally and in writing --- you can guess where that's come from - yes it would help, but do they understand why?

Time to get used to the campus or site ----- yes good idea, but why down this end of the list? and just that....?

Preparation for changes of routine eg around deadlines and exam time - ---- I do get the feeling they're trying to respond to the triad of impairments here... are these the only changes of routine likely to arise? What about help with changes of class times or class locations?

Use of a separe room with an invigilator ---- yes often helps

Exam paper written on plain paper in one colour ----- rather sterotypical all comers learning support idea.

Use of a prompter to keep you focussed during exams ----- sounds like a good idea, not sure how it would work. Some students I've known have been allowed to discuss things with a note taker who writes for them, but it is difficult to deploy.

Word processing facilities if motor control is impaired ----- another case of exactly what do they understand....

That's the list, I might have missed one...This is all Disability Rights UK has on autism, as far as I can see. Is it fair for NAS to pass people on to Disability Rights UK?

Any current FE college students (or university students) feel free to comment. Am I being harsh?

Looking at disability rights UK they have a section that covers what students might need, but it isn't college specific, so no better than the NAS FE College information.

I've taken items in their list and commented - it shows up how absurd some of these actions are especially at FE - but this is the advice offered by Disability Rights UK:

Immediate access to pastoral support, eg particular staff member you can go to with any concern. --- this could work in a university, and I myself have been that accessible person for someone on the spectrum, and was not that easy when I was teaching or in meetings, and I was helping other students. I cannot see this happen in colleges which are often multi-sited, with small numbers of support staff spread across the different cam,puses which may be in different towns.

Dedicated support worker - --- that is usually a note taker doubling as helper - if you've got the funds to pay for this it is feasible. But Coogeybear's son's experience bears out how eaily it can fail.

Staff to have awareness training ----- sigh....this old cookie again. There's awareness training and there's awareness training. I probably was useful as I both had it and helped with it, and so better understood. I don't think the awareness training packages, even recent ones are up to the job. Also for some silly reason you often find note-takers aren't eligible for awareness training because of their contracts. And you are unlikely to have one person trained solely for autism.

Specialist tuition support eg language skills or structuring work. ---- Now that can be provided in universities, less sure about colleges

Materials in literal language, including exam papers --- now I'm perplexed - is that a notion arising from literal understanding of metaphors. Has this ever been conceived in reality?

Special photocopying arrangements ---- why autism specific?

Digital recorder for recording lectures, notes etc. --- that is a useful facility and FE colleges may do it, There's often an issue about its use in seminars if other students contributions are being recorded.

Extra time immediately after group sessions to check understanding ---- I think that's underestimating the problems of group work. It isn't just an understanding issue

Extra time to read, understand and produce answers in exams ---- so often the solution offered but not necessarily sufficient.

Alternative ways of completing team work  --- sadly that's often what needs to be done, but I don't feel Disability Rights UK understand it enough.

Support worker to act as a mediator for team work --- might work, but what is it Disability Rights UK believe needs mediation?  Again I don't think they have sufficient understanding.

To have the same information conveyed in more than one way, eg verbally and in writing --- you can guess where that's come from - yes it would help, but do they understand why?

Time to get used to the campus or site ----- yes good idea, but why down this end of the list? and just that....?

Preparation for changes of routine eg around deadlines and exam time - ---- I do get the feeling they're trying to respond to the triad of impairments here... are these the only changes of routine likely to arise? What about help with changes of class times or class locations?

Use of a separe room with an invigilator ---- yes often helps

Exam paper written on plain paper in one colour ----- rather sterotypical all comers learning support idea.

Use of a prompter to keep you focussed during exams ----- sounds like a good idea, not sure how it would work. Some students I've known have been allowed to discuss things with a note taker who writes for them, but it is difficult to deploy.

Word processing facilities if motor control is impaired ----- another case of exactly what do they understand....

That's the list, I might have missed one...This is all Disability Rights UK has on autism, as far as I can see. Is it fair for NAS to pass people on to Disability Rights UK?

Any current FE college students (or university students) feel free to comment. Am I being harsh?