Transition to University

Could I endorse those last points on keeping an eye on what service is provided. There's still a lot of old data around, like examples of experience with the earliest diagnosed AS students going through - bit like being someone from a lost tribe. So you may find assumptions being made based on textbook definitions, and a lack of knowledge of other common problems. They seem to know that the effect of AS on people can be very varied, yet still tend to stereotype. Also a lot of universities put too much emphasis on student services support without recognising the need to involve teaching staff. Lecturers just going into a room/theatre, spouting for an hour, and walking out again is largely a thing of the past, and lecturers have much more contact with students. Russell Group Universities jointly obtained consultation with a high profile agency on disability provision, but I'm not sure they are any better off regarding autism support.

My son is returning soon to begin his third year at University. He is a part-time student at a Russell Group University studying Classics. He lives in Halls of Residence, a tradition hall catered, breakfast and dinner and brunch and dinner at weekends. Although as he is only 60 miles away he usually comes home at weekends complete with laundry as he finds this most relaxing.

He had problems to begin with as his DSA application had been lost so he only got 1 hour per week support. An Assessment 3 months after he started gave him 5 hours per weeks support and 1 hour specialist support. However, he only got 2 hours a week for the first academic year.. We asked for a re-assessment and a meeting followed he now gets 4 hours actual support as paperwork and form filling is taken into account.  Parents need to keep a watchful eye that additional time for assessment and examinations is granted.

His father telephones him each morning to make sure he gets up as so often he has 9am lectures. Hopefully things will improve even more as he progresses. If you have concerns voice them.

I've set up a new thread, as suggested by ColinCat mod, and hope this meets with approval.

I agree with Hope about the importance of getting a degree, but am very conscious that for many people on the spectrum the difficulties getting a job afterwards can undermine much of the benefit.

I suffered badly in school, possibly because my peers discovered a meltdown could be easily induced (I haven't had problems with this since school), and I was bullied mercilessly. I left school with poor qualifications and had all the bad experiences of innumerable unsuccessful job applications, periods of unemployment, and jobs that didn't last. I got some qualifications, enough to get into university to study geography.

University worked for me, I got a 2.1, I went on to do a PhD. Work was not then a problem, because I had certain employable talents, but it was very difficult to fit in, and I lived in fear of dismissal in a succession of jobs of reasonable duration, but living hell. My social skills are passable but draw attention, and there are mysterious gaps where I cannot seem to do anything much, which were vulnerably offset by how valuable my talents were at any one time. After the slump in the early 90s I was unemployed for 18 months, back in my post school position. However I got into teaching. Fitting in to the "collegiate" environment has always been a problem, but I lasted until retirement.

I also engaged in disability support at teaching level, and particularly working with students with aspergers etc.

Hi Longman. What subject did you lecture on at uni?

I really enjoyed my History course, although it was quite intense at times. I am pleased to say that I did my whole degree completely on my own, although I received counselling for my mental health issues (this was before my diagnosis of AS).  I did lots of work on Post-modernism and interpretation, Victorian morality, feminism, world wars etc. I got a 2.1 in the end, just 2 marks down from a first, and no-one helped me. Prior to my GCSEs (which I passed with flying colours, apart from Maths), I thought that I was not up to much; an academic non-starter. But I now consider myself to be academically able (even if I have an eccentric style; too much detail!), but, alas, I am hopeless when it comes to practical skills, and because of my mental health problems and AS combined, I still don't have a job. I do not regret going to Uni but I wish that more practical skill training were provided for us aspies. A University education certainly does not prepare aspies for the real world, but this does not mean that it is a pointless exercise, far from it.

Hi Longman

I think you should go ahead and start a new thread on the alternatives to university. You certainly seem to have loads of experience in this area and your experience could be very helpful to lots of people.  Don't worry about "sounding off and scaring people away".  Maybe giving the bare facts initially might be a good start.

All the best 

ColintheCat :)

In my experience on here when I write some informative stuff it just sits there with no further responses -  the Aspie side of me makes me utter or write fairly intensely and people just seem to go blank on me (that includes academic colleagues!). However I have been lecturing 20 years as well as working in disability support in a university context. I have been on panels both on foundation degree frameworks and on validation of 14-19 Diploma.

Universities have had a fright because FE Colleges can now offer degree courses, even if the degree is ratified by a University in partnership, and the student graduates from the university. But its not the degree factor that's important. Colleges can now offer a wide range of intermediate qualifications on a credits system whereby you pick and mix and build up enough credits for the final qualification. This can be more practical, with skills developed in the workplace rather than in abstract, and can be integrated with work experience.

It just needs parents to explore the opportunities. I could happily start a new thread if NAS can advise me how to avoid just sounding off and scaring people away. 

hi longman,

I understand what you mean. I didnt know of the alternatives out there for not only our kids on the spectrum but for all kids. Perhaps you could start a new thread about alternatives to uni, and people could post there experiences and get info if they are at the same stages as i am.

cheers sam

x

I have tried to make the point before on here, but I am concerned at the strategy that puts people on the spectrum into degree courses on the basis of removing barriers without thinking about whether it is helpful. There are two problems to honours degree courses: job prospects and the final year project.

A degree is an artificial learning environment with limited relevance to the issues of finding a job. So there is little opportunity to improve the basic fitting in in a work environment problem. So you get a degree, build up confidence, often major improvements across the board, then it is all undermined by a still unsympathetic job market.

The other thing is the final year project, self-directed study. It is a guaranteed worry creation activity. It is about demonstrating learned skills, not about highly focussed research. So some people on the spectrum will produce a detailed study that doesn't demonstrate the expected skills and get a low mark,  and consequently low degree result.

I wish I could persuade NAS to review Higher Education options for people on the spoectrum, because I feel it is vital to find solutions that benefit students with AS, not try to fit AS students into unsuitable existing frameworks.

I've been involved in HND, Foundation Degree and 14-19 diploma development and it so saddens me to see the lack of uptake by colleges and universities as well as marginalisation in schools. Of course HNC/HND has been around for ages, as well as City & Guilds, but foundation degrees (equivalent to the first two years of a University Degree) have had mixed support from government, local authorities and schools. It should have been a very worthwhile option that would have suited students on the spectrum. Doing it part-time takes longer - maybe four years to get two-years equivalence, but there are more vocational and more practical subjects, and you only need to do an Honours top up to get a degree.

I'm glad Sam has mentioned alternatives to University because these ought to be considered. You can study via certificates, HND, foundation degree and top up to degree, by various means such as part-time or distance learning (self-directed study). There's a tendency to push the A Levels then University route, but that means facing the job hunt problem again on completion. A mix of work and staged study might work better and can be pursued through colleges if you have a supportive one locally. There was also a Government initiative 14-19 diploma, which was supposed to provide a more practical path than A Level, but many schools have rejected the idea, which is a shame. So access to 14-19 diploma is now very patchy. It would be good to see Communication do an article on alternatives to University.

Hi Marty,

Thought id give you a quick update now that M has started college. He is doing very well and seems to be getting on well with his new classmates. I think it helps that they are doing a media broadcasting course and is mostly full of film nuts (i do mean that in a nice way!) so M has a lot in common and can actualy talk to them about his interests. They also seem to accept his quirkness as a form of being eccentric which is well understood and excepted in this chosen career. I have also found out that he can stay at this college and go on to HND courses and end up with a degree and not need to go to uni.

My advice to anyone is to encourage further education in line with their interests to find like minded students.

best of luck

Sam.x

Also check out the halls of residence if that's where he is staying. Halls can be very noisy places, especially when some students decide to share their taste in heavy metal by opening their windows and blasting it out. There are usually two types: traditional universities still have corridors with individual rooms with some communal space including a small kitchen but have central catering. Newer universities have flats of 6 to 8 rooms where self-catering applies and there is a larger communal kitchen with fridges and common room space.  Your son may be placed in a shared flat with unspecified others and have to fit in, and friction can arise. There may be a year contract whereby you cannot withdraw without paying a remainder fee, and it may be very difficult to swap flats if problems occur. If he lands in a very noisy flat it may be difficult. If he is untidy or noisy, or has very different self-catering needs that may cause problems with fellow inmates. On the open corridor halls you can live in total isolation in a study room with no pressure to mix, so that can lead to isolation. Also food in central catering establishments is institutional and bland. So do ask to see the halls in detail and get a handle on how they are managed.

University is often liberating because it doesn't have the peer pressure to conform with a group identity that arises in school classrooms and playgrounds etc. You aren't tied to being in one place.  On the other hand more is left to individual responsibility and you aren't being checked up on as in school. An important point to note is that lecturers may not be allowed to communicate with parents - university is a confidential arrangement with the student. Also universities vary in support strategy and some will provide student services support but not involve the lecturers. I've seen many cases where students with aspergers don't disclose or seek support at university because they want a fresh start, and parents don't know this is happening. You should be able to have a pre-start meeting with support and teaching staff present to discuss any issues, but you may have to get a consent form if you want to be informed of difficulties afterwards. You can also get a pre-start tour of lecture rooms, halls etc. Critical issues are students doing all the work required in an assessment (it seems not uncommon for students on the spectruim not to do bits of assessed coursework that don't interest them, or not to attrend lectures or practicals that dont interest them). Secondly can he write in clear english or does he have eccentricities of style? If he has dyslexia as well make sure that is also disclosed to get support. Otherwise University should be finem, and open up lots of possibilities.

Thanks SamF

I think both our stories might be comforting for other parents in that colleges are more adult and much more accommodating of differences than schools.  Unfortunately, in my son's case it was the students who proved to be more of a problem, though he did manage to develop a thicker skin.  I'm hoping at University he may find some fellow aspies or people with similar interests which help him through his studies and the social side in particular.

Thanks Hope.  Unfortunately my son was unable to get a place at our local university, but more importantly he preferred the other university and felt that it was a better course.  As you say, the University is already being very supportive, which is a huge help.

I hope you've been able to find work now you have graduated.

Hi,

My son who has AS, Dyspaxia and hypotonia is transfering from school to college. He starts on Monday (I live in scotland so earlier school holls) so I understand how worried you are. The only thing I can say in my case, to ease my worries, is that I found the college much more accomodating than the school and willing to help with offering new technologies when i told them he would be brining his own laptop that i had had to supply for his school work they were very shocked and told me all his tech needs would be met at the college including voice recognition software etc. After years of battling the schools for help this was a welcome change. I still think he is going to have many meltdowns over the social set up of the college. but i wont be sitting outside the college in the car with mobile to hand, well maybe just for the first few days!

Fingers crossed for both our sons.

I managed to go to my local university which meant that I could stay at home with my family.  I could not have dealt with living in halls, so this would simply not have been an option for me.  The transition to university was helped by several induction visits to the campus with my Dad, where I could meet a few of my lecturers.  The university I attended was very small and intimate, not much bigger than a 6th form college.

I studied History which has always been my favourite subject because I can absorb facts easily.

I did not need to socialise much because I was not living on campus, so I could take my books home after lectures.

Hi Marty,

Sorry i dont have any information to help you but was hoping maybe you might be able to give me some advice?

My son was diagnosed with aspergers and dyslexia a few months ago, he is 13yrs old and has struggled quite a bit in school educationally although he is certainly intelligent. It sounds like your son has done well going to university. If you have any information that could help or guide me i'd be grateful as i have been researching online but have only been able to find information on ways to work on these seperately, nothing on how one effects the other or how to help make learning easier for him without holding him back.

Thanks De-De