Our Student Support Service works closely with students in further and higher education who have autism or Asperger syndrome. We're on hand to smooth each student’s transition onto their course and to help put the necessary support in place. We also help college and university staff to meet students' individual needs so that they can get the most out of their studies.
The support we offer
We provide two levels of support to students:
1) Individual support sessions
We hold regular support sessions with each student, in which we help them to create their own individual support plan. These sessions are held either in college or university, or at our own support centre. Each support plan is flexible and can be adapted and increased at times of potential stress, such as during exams or periods of change. Support plans can cover any aspects of a student’s life at college or university, including:
- travel and orientation
- coping with change
- presentation skills
- managing relationships
- timetabling and structure
- developing independent learning skills.
My support worker helps with organising time for coursework and other aspects of life.
Student with autism
2) Day-to-day support
We provide more intensive outreach support for students who need it, working with them across their whole timetable to make sure that their individual support plan is put into practice. We can also help with residential trips or off-site visits. Some students benefit from this support during the first few weeks of their course, while others require it for the duration of their studies.
We also work to raise awareness and understanding of autism among other students and college staff and provide training for academic and non-academic staff at competitive rates.
Our team
Our staff have the skills and knowledge to offer the right support to each student and help them to fulfil their potential. All our staff receive autism-specific training, which they build upon throughout their career.