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World Autism Acceptance Month: Are autistic students truly accepted in higher education?

Updated: 6 days ago

April is World Autism Acceptance Month, which is a time when many autistic people around the world celebrate neurodiversity and practice self-acceptance. But the vital question remains: are autistic students and workers truly recognised, understood, and accepted in higher education? Some would argue that this is not the case for many autistic individuals.

 

According to figures obtained by the North East Autism Society, 36% of autistic students who enrolled in undergraduate courses in 2019 did not complete their degree within three years, which is a significantly higher proportion than the general student population (North East Autism Society, 2023). One factor, which potentially contributes to this disparity, may be a lack of support from higher education services. A 2021 survey conducted by Disabled Students UK found that only 21% of autistic students received the support they required (North East Autism Society, 2023). 

 

So what support is there? 

 

The support offered by universities for autistic students varies hugely between academic institutions. Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is a scheme across the UK which provides an array of extra support to disabled students. Some examples include taxi allowances, specialist equipment and software, and non-medical helpers. As an autistic undergraduate student myself, I have particularly benefitted from the study skills and well-being mentors I was provided with through DSA; they have helped me massively in navigating the expectations of vague assignments, and acclimating more generally to university life and living away from home (see ‘Resources’ section below). The Disabled Students UK Access Insights Report 2023 found that 95% of respondents had at least one diagnosis of a recognised disability, yet 50% of respondents were not in receipt of DSA (Disabled Students UK, 2023). As a scheme, DSA already has its limitations. For example, it is only designated for extra costs incurred whilst studying and it is not paid to the student directly, but instead provided through services and equipment. This prevents the student from choosing how to use the money to best support themselves; having choice and autonomy is vital in having independence, especially for disabled people. Universities and secondary schools should take greater steps to create awareness of DSA, and provide more support in navigating the application and the needs assessments (see ‘Resources’ section below) to ensure everyone eligible receives support.

 

As a student at Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL), I am incredibly grateful to have received a huge amount of support since beginning my degree in September. Disability and Dyslexia Services (DDS) have designated advisors who specialise in supporting neurodivergent students. My advisor gave me access to safe spaces on campus, such as the ‘recovery room’ – an area I otherwise would not have known about or benefitted from. It is a single occupancy room with a bed, which students with support plans can book in advance. It allows students to take a break from busy university life on campus in a space free from overwhelming sensory stimuli. This space gives me a chance between labs and lectures to decompress and self-regulate in a controllable environment, reducing the risk of meltdowns and shutdowns (see ‘Resources’ section below). Support does not only seem to vary between universities, but also between departments within each academic institution.

 

At QMUL, Dr. Ruth Rose (Ru) is a Lecturer in Biosciences and Disability Support Officer at the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, as well as a neurodivergent person herself. An essential aspect of her role is communicating with DDS and other members of staff, including lab technicians, to coordinate comprehensive support. She believes understanding a student’s preferred labels and language is crucial in providing individualised support. In 2023, Ru set up a ‘Neurodiversity and Wellness Drop-in’, as she “felt that community was needed”. She did not know what exactly, but “too many students just needed something”. At the time, around four students attended, but this has grown in the past two years to roughly 20 students attending weekly. People at different stages of their journey attend these drop-in sessions for community, support, advice, or just to spend time with people who can relate to their daily struggles. Even Ru herself has learned from the attendees, proving that this type of support can benefit a variety of people in academic settings.

 

I asked Ru about her own experiences as a neurodivergent undergraduate student. She said she felt the only form of neurodivergence that was understood and accommodated for – especially in women – was dyslexia, but even the support for this was limited; Ru said support included things like, “Here’s a computer. [The support] didn’t extend as far as reading software, none of that”. However, in recent years, there has been such a big improvement in support, in part because neurodivergent students have become better at advocating for their needs and “universities have responded,” agreed Ru. As an employee of a university, Ru has access to the same accessible software as neurodivergent students, like read-aloud software, among other accommodations. Just like students, staff continue to advocate for their needs and feel heard by supervisors (see ‘Resources’ section below).

 

Despite feeling supported by my university, negative contact with peers has had a powerful impact on my feelings of acceptance and security during my studies. During a group project, I was faced with members of my group writing positively about how a particular imaging technique had applications in ‘curing’ autism. Universities should do more to correct these ableist misconceptions. World Autism Acceptance Month creates a perfect opportunity for universities to promote autistic voices and dispel misinformation. During this month especially, charities like the National Autistic Society create resources and campaigns with these very aims in mind (see ‘Resources’ section below). Unfortunately, the majority of these campaigns and resources are targeted at primary and secondary schools, but they provide a good starting point, so universities do not need to build campaigns from scratch. This is another simple way universities can help autistic members of their communities feel accepted and seen. 

 

Other universities have different methods of implementing support. Tate is a first-year student at the University of Cambridge and the Disability and Illnesses Officer at Peterhouse. I interviewed her about her experiences with support for autism at her university. Similarly to my own experiences, Tate has found that support also varies between different colleges and different departments at Cambridge. She feels she has benefitted most from support from Peterhouse staff, such as the college nurse, who has been able to advocate for her needs when she feels unable to. In her role as Disability and Illnesses Officer, Tate uses her experiences at university so far to signpost struggling students to those best suited to provide the support they may need. In the future, she hopes to organise well-being events, including coffee mornings, to provide a safe space for students to socialise and seek support if needed.

 

The Open University (OU) is the largest provider of higher education for people with disabilities, with almost 40,000 students with declared disabilities being enrolled in studies during the 2023/24 academic year (The Open University, 2024). Remote learning itself can be more accessible for autistic students, as it enables us to learn in an environment that we can control and make as accessible for ourselves as possible; for example, using fidget toys or sensory aids to enhance focus. I spoke to Wendy Humphreys, a Senior Lecturer from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, about some of the helpful accommodations OU staff have implemented for autistic students; for instance, the colours used and the amount of information shown on each slide in presentations are chosen specifically to be more accessible to neurodivergent people. Relaxed tutorials are also being trialled in the School of Arts and Humanities, which remove the expectation for students to speak if they are not comfortable. It is acknowledged, however, that achieving consistency across such a large institution is challenging and more needs to be done to educate and develop staff (see ‘Resources’ section below). 

 

Despite the support offered by many universities, statistics show that it is still not adequate for autistic students. It is through the continued effort of staff and students advocating for themselves and each other that will allow for important improvements in accessibility to be made. Universities must continue to listen to these advocates and learn from best practice across the sector. We must continue to raise awareness and fight for the needs and accommodations of students to be recognised and addressed, so that autistic students feel accepted in higher education settings across the country. 

 

Reference List


Bradford, J. (2023). Autistic students most likely to drop out of university: investigation - North East Autism Society. [online] North East Autism Society. Available at: https://www.ne-as.org.uk/autistic-students-most-likely-to-drop-out-of-university-investigation/ [Accessed 18 Mar. 2025].

Disabled Students UK (2023). Framework and Baseline Disabled Students UK Access Insights 2023 Report Access Insights from DSUK. [online] Available at: https://disabledstudents.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Disabled-Students-UK_Access-Insights-2023-Report.pdf [Accessed 19 Mar. 2025].

The Open University (2023). Facts and figures. [online] About The Open University. Available at: https://about.open.ac.uk/strategy-and-policies/facts-and-figures [Accessed 31 Mar. 2025].

Resources


Transition to university: 


Applying for DSA:


Managing meltdowns and shutdowns:


Self-advocacy:


Resources for the (higher) education sector:


 

This article was written by Ciara Lee and edited by Lauren Wallis, with graphics produced by Ginevra Sperandio. If you enjoyed this article, be the first to be notified about new posts by signing up to become a WiNUK member (top right of this page)! Interested in writing for WiNUK yourself? Contact us through the blog page and the editors will be in touch.

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