Resources and information for autistic students

2 April is World Autism Acceptance Day - April is also World Autism Acceptance Month! This day/month encourages us to build understanding of autism within our community.  

We are taking the opportunity to highlight provisions, support, and resources available for autistic students at the University. 

All about autism

Here are some resources if you want to find learn more about autism and autistic people:

• Read about different autistic experiences with a book from the Library's Neurodiversity book list.
• The Centre for Applied Autism Research does some really interesting research on the experiences of autistic people.
• You can find some resources on neuroinclusivity on the Disability Awareness Training Resources page.

Services and spaces

There are several autism-friendly services and spaces on campus, and several tools to use to find out about them.

• The SU have some information on quiet study spaces around campus.
• Here's a summary of other types of spaces that have quiet or low sensory provision. 
• The Careers Service take steps to make their support and advice autism-friendly - you can find a detailed guide on how Careers adapt their service to be autism inclusive. 
• You can find images and details for many locations on the room information pages, and detailed information for most university buildings on AccessAble. 

Finding community

If you're an autistic student wanting to meet with other autistic students, there are several great options!

• Disability Action Group (DAG) is a student-run community group for "those who self-identify as disabled, and their allies". The group organises lots of fun events, talks, and opportunities to socialise; you can find out more about DAG events on Instagram. 
• Autism Social Group is facilitated by the Disability Service, and provides a space to socialise with other autistic students. 

Support for autistic students

There is a range of support available at the University:

• The Autism & Uni toolkit has advice and information on lots of different parts of student life. 
• The Disability Service offers lots of support for autistic students.
• New students who have disclosed an Autism Spectrum Condition can join the Campus Buddy Scheme to get matched with a current student who will informally support with social and practical aspects of student life.