Neurodiversity in the University

The transition to university can be difficult for many people, but it can be made harder for those who are neurodivergent. This can be due to many different factors that can impact a person’s lifestyle, education, and support system. Neurodivergent students benefit from academic support, such as goal setting and contact with a mentor (Ness, 2013). As well as this, neurodivergent students also require non-academic support. This support is often lacking in school and universities as high percentages of neurodivergent students experience stress, anxiety and depression which is often linked to their social life (Gelbar et al., 2015). In this blog will be strategies and tips for transitions to university from three neurodivergent students that will cover three specific learning needs. 

Dyslexia 

Dyslexia is a common learning difference that affects 1 in 10 individuals, many of which move onto higher education and university (Richardson & Wydell, 2003). This causes some struggles when it comes to the academic side of university, as spelling, reading and language processing are move difficult for those with dyslexia. These factors can make essay writing, reading and understanding articles, and test taking at the start of university problematic and often stressful.  The best way to combat this stress is to inform the university welfare team and the lecturers on your course of your dyslexia. Many students do not disclose that they are dyslexic due to fear of discrimination, however this often leads to struggles with their academic work as well as heightened feelings of depression and anxiety (Alexander-Passe, 2015). By informing the university of your dyslexia it would allow for concessions to be set up to make your time at university as simple and easy as it can be, this can include the implementation of extra time during exams, early access to PowerPoints/ notes and allowing extensions on work. A final tip I would recommend is to get enough sleep. Those with dyslexia have trouble getting to sleep and often have disruptive sleep (Carotenuto et al., 2016). By getting enough sleep, you would be able to concentrate and be more focused during lectures and when complete any other work.            

Autism

Autistic students make up 1% of all post-secondary students (Anderson, 2018) and it is a difficult condition affecting all aspects of life especially social interaction and learning (CDC, 2018). This naturally can make university challenging to cope with. The biggest tip I will leave you with today is plan around your autism. Make sure you plan frequent breaks as these can reduce overstimulation and make symptoms less prevalent (Grahl, 2006). It can be difficult to accept that you cannot do as much as neurotypical people but remember you aren’t alone! Most universities will have an autism society or support groups that you can attend to meet people similar to you who understand what you are going through. 

Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 

ADHD is one of the most common mental health diagnoses during childhood and teenage years worldwide, however, impairing symptoms remain even through adulthood in over 70% of cases (Cortese et al 2023). Hence, if ADHD caused issues across your childhood and school years, it will continue to trouble you (at least to some degree) during university years. So as someone who struggled with ADHD throughout school, and has now progressed to university, I want to share some of the tips that helped me adapt! One of my biggest issues when managing my ADHD at university in comparison to school is the teaching style. University lectures are a lot more “teacher-centric” than school classrooms (Gafoor, K. A. & Babu, H., 2012), this means there is less engagement between students and lecturers and other students. Therefore, your understanding of the knowledge imparted is a lot more dependant on just being able to stay focused on listening to and taking notes of the incessant torrent of pure information directed your way. Some useful coping strategies are: 

- Sit close to the front 

Proximity to the main focus of the room may help to keep your attention on it (also, the irrational fear that the lecturer might catch you spacing out is a good incentive to stay alert) 

- Friendly help 

Working with friends can help boost productivity (Räisänen, et al, 2016). Additionally, if you sit with friends during lectures, ask them to give you a nudge if you seem to have gotten distracted (so long as it’s not distracting to them!)

This may seem like a whole lot of unnecessary stress but we can all assure you that university is 100% worth it if you have the right things in place. Make sure to put yourself out there on Freshers week to meet lots of cool and supportive people (just like we did) who can become your friends for the rest of the year!