University life
The transition to university can be challenging for a young person with ASD and planning for independent living is vital.
I am currently helping one of my pupils through this process. She is learning what is important to her, and how her needs can be supported; learning is extremely important to her, she describes herself as a ‘lark’ and is worried about living with others who come back to shared halls in the middle of the night. Hopefully in the future I will be blogging about what her choices of university and accommodation have been!
An interesting article in The Guardian this week highlights possible areas of conflict when living in university halls. It shows me how important planning with the SEN department of the university and creating a detailed individual transition plan is in order to support a fresher to settle in successfully to college life.
Some universities now run ‘quiet’ accommodation blocks and accommodation for mature students, which may suit someone on the spectrum much better. Colleges are also becoming quite creative in supporting a student with ASD, such as providing help with structuring meals and prompting to take clothes to the launderette, as well as supporting organisation for academic study.