As a neurodivergent student, navigating university life can present unique challenges and obstacles that other students may not be familiar with. It can be a lonely feeling if you don’t have a support system that understands the complexity of having a neurodevelopmental or mental health condition in an academic environment.
At the University of Manchester, support services are on hand to ensure that all students, regardless of their neurodivergence, can thrive academically and personally. Since my support has been in place, I have noticed a huge shift in my confidence, capabilities, and resilience. If you’re reading this, you are already one step closer to getting the support that you need to thrive at university. Let me show you how easy it is to get there.
- Identifying yourself to DASS
DASS is the university’s Disability Advice and Support Service. For prospective students, it is advised to make yourself known to DASS as early as possible, but you can register with them at any point in your university journey. You can register via an online form on the website or request alternative formats by emailing them.
The form will ask questions about your personal info and your condition, it shouldn’t take longer than 10 minutes to complete. You will also be asked to email evidence of your condition to DASS. This can be an assessment report from when you were diagnosed, or a letter from a medical professional confirming your condition. If you suspect you have dyslexia but don’t have a report, the university provides “Do I have dyslexia?” Workshops, where students can learn about assessment options in university.
- Book a support plan meeting.
Once registered, DASS will contact you to book your first meeting with a disability support advisor. Waiting times can vary depending on the time of the year and demand, so bare this in mind when you are thinking about when to register. The purpose of this meeting is to identify the support you need and where DASS can help.
The advisor will ask questions about any previous challenges you’ve faced with education but also about your strengths and areas of enjoyment. The advisor will prompt you with examples of tasks, such as making lecture notes or group work, and ask how you find them. Only you decide who sees your support plan, so it can remain completely private if you prefer. Some examples of support include having automatic extensions for assignments and private spaces to complete exams in.
- Accessing quick query appointments
After your support plan is put in place, you will have an allocated case worker that you contact with any queries or questions about your university support. You can also book one-to-one quick query appointments to meet with a DASS advisor at any time. One-to-one meetings may not always be with your designated case worker, but these appointments can be useful if there has been a change in your circumstances and you are needing some advice, or if you have a question that you would rather not email about. These appointments can be accessed either by calling DASS or visiting them in person at the 2nd floor of University Place.
- Reviewing your support plan
The beauty of a support plan is that it isn’t fixed, so at any point during your time at university you can review it with your case worker and make changes. Sometimes the support decided on in your initial meeting won’t work for you further down the line, or maybe your circumstances have changed, and you need extra support in some areas. You can set up a review meeting by emailing your case worker directly and they can arrange one that works for you.
In conclusion, accessing disability support through DASS is a personalised process that begins with recognising your own needs and reaching out for help. The DASS process is straightforward and supportive at every stage, so it shouldn’t be a daunting task. It will be surprising how much small changes can make a huge difference to your capabilities at university, so don’t hold back from accessing what you need.