Manchester, Manchester Met and Salford Universities ASD support

Main information

Type of service: Further & Higher Education, Outreach - education

The Disability Support Office has supported a lot of students with autism and Asperger syndrome, and applicants are very welcome. The ASD support service began in December 2005 and was formalised in September 2006. Individual support - We try and talk to every applicant before they come so that we can arrange support that suits them as an individual. As well as meeting with the advisers in our team - all of whom have experience of working with students on the spectrum, we can provide regular (usually weekly) mentoring appointments. In these appointments, you can discuss anything which is affecting your studies or your time at university. For instance, you can discuss any problems or issues that have arisen during the week, and prepare for the week ahead. Awareness talks - Our support worker regularly gives awareness talks to staff at the university. He does not mention individual students during these talks. We have already found that staff are very keen to learn about students on the spectrum, and how they can work with them better. Careers advice - Whether students are planning to leave university, or are just hoping to get a part-time job, they can talk to the support worker. He has lots of experience in supporting people on the spectrum at work, in interviews, and whilst applying for jobs. Lunchtime group - There is also a Friday lunchtime group, where students on the spectrum can meet and discuss their experiences. Students have found this very useful as a lot of them had never knowingly met other people with a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome. The support worker also works under the same system at Manchester Metropolitan University on Tuesdays (and runs a group there too), and he provides individual sessions at Salford University on Wednesday afternoons. There is also a facility to see students from any of these three universities outside of these times if necessary.