Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697804895627.pdf (Ireland)
Opening Statement Supporting Autistic Students’ Higher Education Journey in the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) 18th April 2023 Submission by: (i) (ii) (iii) Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) Frances O’Connell - Vice President Student Education and Experience - Dr. Carolann Bargary - Head of Access and Disability Services; TUS Midwest Lisa Hanlon - Head of Disability Services; TUS Midlands Joint Committee on Autism TUS Opening Statement Introduction Thank you for this opportunity to highlight the specific challenges faced by Autistic students in 3rd level education and to offer some recommendations on how these challenges may be addressed.
Pre-Entry & the Transition to college TUS is part of the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) scheme.

Autism is one of the twelve disability categories considered under DARE.

Many students come through the DARE scheme; others disclose their disability directly to the HEI.

Irrespective of when and how a student registers with the Disability Service, they can expect the same level of support.
The transition to college can be a challenging time for students, but it can be especially difficult for autistic students.

To support autistic students and to make the successful transition to Higher Education a less stressful experience for them we offer supports including pre-entry campus visits for students with/without their families and provide the Autism&Uni Toolkit on our website.
Registering with the Disability Service Following registration, a Needs Assessment is carried out with the student to determine what level of support a student requires.

Most students avail of exam accommodations which may include for example, extra time for the completion of their examination, a smaller venue/own room, and a PC to type their examination answers rather than free- writing.
Other supports may be agreed based on the student’s specific needs including the provision of a personal assistant and learning support regarding study skills, organisational skills, and regular wellbeing check-ins.

In addition, autistic students can also benefit from sensory breaks (can leave class when overwhelmed), informing lecturers of their needs including notice that the student is sensitive to noise and wears ear defenders and/or recommendation to use campus Quiet Areas.
Referrals to other support services such as the Counselling Service, additional academic tuition, Pastoral Care and the Access Service are commonplace for autistic students.

2 Joint Committee on Autism TUS Opening Statement Similarly, liaison with Academic staff, Department Heads, and the Examination office is also necessary.

These wrap around supports are individualised to each student.
Thus, given all these factors, one might conclude that we are well positioned in the provision of supports specific to the needs of Autistic students.

However, we now wish to outline the challenges and barriers that prevents us from supporting students to the extent that we would like.

The Funding Model The ever-increasing number of autistic students means that there is a growing imperative to explore how HEIs can respond to their needs in an efficient and inclusive way.
Sometimes it can feel as though ‘our hands are tied’ as we can be strained by limitations to the current funding as detailed in our written submission document.

Complexities and limitations to the funding: • The nature of the funding makes it difficult to plan for the long-term and can limit our ability to address complex and ongoing issues.

• Some funding involves a competitive process, where HEIs must compete for limited funding.
This can lead to organisations focusing on meeting the requirements of the funding rather than meeting the needs of the individuals that the funding is to serve.

• Project-based funding often requires significant administrative work, including grant applications, reporting, and evaluation.

This is time-consuming, costly for HEIs and may take away from their ability to focus on the provision of services.
• Limited flexibility: Funding often comes with specific requirements and restrictions, which can limit our flexibility in how we provide services.

This can make it difficult for us to adapt to the changing needs of our students and may not allow for innovation or creativity in the provisions.

• Uncertainty: Our funding can be uncertain, with funding levels and durations subject to change.

This can make it difficult for us to plan and can create a sense of instability for staff and students.
Our ability to support the student for their full life- 3 Joint Committee on Autism TUS Opening Statement cycle of enrolment for three-four years is equally uncertain with the time-bound exceptional project funding provided.

Recommendations: 1.

The provision of a three-to-five-year comprehensive funding model.

2.

Funding to provide appropriate supports for autistic students’ needs to be ring- fenced.

3.
3.

Funding allocations should be adequate to employ specialised staff which ensures maximum impact for student engagement and support.

4.

Increased autonomy for HEI’s to use the funding to address the presenting students’ needs in our Institutions rather than following absolute prescriptive qualification conditions and rules for the use of funding that may disqualify addressing genuine needs.

5.

Alignment of reporting periods to the academic year versus the annual year.
Challenges & Recommendations for providing support to Autistic students 1.

Limited understanding of autism: Many people may have limited understanding of autism and its impact on learning and behaviour.

Recommendation: Funding to provide training and education programmes about autism amongst all staff directly and indirectly interacting with autistic students to build awareness and understanding.

2.
2.

High need for one to one learning support/wellbeing check-ins: Autistic students require access to 1:1 learning support.

This support may be weekly check-ins and/or learning support sessions.

Recommendation: Funding for the provision of further learning support and wellbeing check-ins to meet this demand.

Additional funding for an Occupational Therapy role would be of benefit.

4 Joint Committee on Autism TUS Opening Statement 3.
Comorbidity: Many autistic people have additional diagnosis such as mental health conditions (Maddox et al, 2021).

Autistic students benefit from non- academic support such as OT support e.g., practicing stress reduction techniques, developing time-management skills, and exploring different coping strategies.

Recommendation: Funding for the provision of an Occupational Therapy role would be of benefit to meet this demand.

4.
4.

Difficulty with social interaction: Autistic students may struggle with social interaction, impacting friendships, group work and other campus connections.

Autistic students may benefit from joining clubs or groups that align with their interests or connecting with other students on campus.

Recommendation: Providing funding for Autism awareness for all autistic students and facilitating inclusive social activities to support social development.
The provision of an OT role to support development of Autism peer support groups and/or support students to set up a Neurodiversity Society.

5.

Difficulty with transitions: The transition to university can be particularly stressful for autistic students.

Once in college other transitions, such as moving between classes, activities, or semesters, can also be difficult to navigate.

Recommendation: Funding to develop and provide a specific pre-entry programme.
Funding for provision of OT to support students with difficulties with transitions on campus.

Funding for OT and learning support hours creates capacity to provide greater case management.

6.

Academic accommodations: Providing academic accommodations can help autistic students succeed academically and reach their full potential.

Recommendation: Funding for increased provision of learning support hours to ensure appropriate supports suited for their individual needs.
Funding for the provision of autism awareness training for academic staff to ensure greater support and understanding around the provision of reasonable accommodations.

5 Joint Committee on Autism TUS Opening Statement 7.

Issues with executive functioning: Autistic students often struggle with executive functioning, which can impact their academic success.
Recommendation: Funding for OT provision and increased learning support hours for targeted training and support in executive functioning e.g., time management, task initiation, flexibility and emotional regulation.

8.

Sensory Issues: Autistic students may be sensitive to sensory stimuli leading to sensory overload.

Providing sensory-friendly spaces such as quiet rooms can help reduce sensory overload and support their comfort and well-being.
Other sensory supports such as noise-cancelling headphones, sunglasses, or fidget toys that can help students regulate their sensory experiences.

Recommendation: ring-fenced funding made available for sensory friendly spaces/pods and resources.

Funding required for site audits to identify opportunities for environmental changes to make campus more autism friendly.

9.
9.

Transition from college to the workplace: Currently TUS does not offer a specific programme for autistic students to support their transition to employment.
Recommendation: Although it is not within our remit to support students in employment, we recommend funding and resources for the Disability Service to develop partnerships with the Careers Service and academic departments to provide tailored support to autistic students including 1:1/small group work to prepare them for interview, support with disclosure, and greater placement planning support.
This could be supported by linking with an employment support agency that supports autistic people: example Specialisterne.

Summary of recommendations: • Funding for the provision of staff/student Autism training and awareness programmes.

• Funding for increased learning support hours for 1:1 support for autistic students and provision of supportive resources.

• Funding for the provision of an Occupational Therapy role(s) to support autistic students.
6 Joint Committee on Autism TUS Opening Statement • Funding for campus sensory audits to assess possible environmental improvements to campus e.g., provision of quiet spaces, improved signage.

Conclusion We have set out some of the key challenges faced by Autistic students and outlined recommendations to address these challenges.

We are only at the beginning of our HE ‘story’ with relation to how best to support Autistic Students.
We aim to further develop our supports, however, our capacity beyond the meeting basic levels of support is very limited.

There is an opportunity now to imagine the future and to consider how higher education can be transformed through developing a deeper understanding of diversity.

Overall, supporting autistic university students requires a proactive and inclusive approach that considers their unique needs and challenges.
By providing understanding, reasonable accommodations, and support, we can help them succeed academically and thrive in the college environment.

However, the growth rate in the numbers of students with disabilities in a climate of reduced/static funding is a problem.
It is essential that appropriate ring- fenced and sustainable funding is made available to specifically meet the needs of autistic students and effectively support the growth and development of services that are critical to address their needs whilst in higher education.

We thank the Committee for the opportunity to join you today and share our perspective on the educational journey in third level for Autistic students in TUS.
We look forward to discussing these matters further with you and welcome any questions you may have.

References: Maddox, B., Dickson, K., Stadnick, N., Mandell, D., and Brookman-Frazee, L. (2021) Mental Health Services for Autistic Individuals Across the Lifespan: Recent Advances and Current Gaps.

Current psychiatry reports, 23(10), 66. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-021-01278-0 7