Fed Uni research to help neurodiverse students succeed at university

Federation University researchers are undertaking the Neurodiversity Inclusion and Success Project to look at the challenges of neurodiverse people in tertiary education.

"We live in a world where there is neurological diversity in how people think and learn. People may be neurodivergent due to autism, ADHD or other differences such as specific learning disability (often called dyslexia)," said project leader Dr Steve Edwards.

"Statistics tell us that neurodiverse adults ... are much less likely to have a uni degree and we know students in rural and regional areas are already disadvantaged when it comes to tertiary education."

Researchers have worked with neurodiverse students and staff to devise an accessible survey to shine a light on their experiences at university including what measures would help the academic success and social inclusion of neurodiverse students, and what barriers they face.

Both neurodivergent and neurotypical participants are welcome to complete the survey.

Gaps in the transition process from secondary school, where students might have had extra supports in place, to university were one of the factors that focus groups identified.

"They might never move from secondary to tertiary study or if they do, find the barriers are too great for them to succeed with their learning or to feel socially included," Dr Edwards said.

"It might be that universities don't provide the right environment or individual support and it might be that students don't feel they can ask for help."

While the university has access to contact details for current students and staff, and those who have graduated, Dr Edwards said it was difficult to contact those who had started at uni and dropped out and he suspects many of them might be neurodiverse and not had the supports in place to succeed.

It is these people he hopes will complete the survey and give the knowledge for institutions to put in place better supports and measures to help neurodiverse students and staff.

"About one in five people in our community are neurodiverse. Like other unis, Federation has some great support services to help neurodiverse students who ask for help but the numbers who use them are less than what we would expect.

"Some possible explanations include people might feel they have to get through on their own, they may not actually be aware that they are neurodiverse, they might have support outside the uni or they may feel embarrassed about actually asking for help.

"We know that children and adolescents who are neurodiverse don't just have a tough time with uni, they have a tough time with secondary and primary school. They come into tertiary institutions with history about how they feel about themselves, how they think other people think about them and treat them, success and failure, and they may be reluctant to ask for help.

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"It's clear there are quire a few neurodiverse students who don't keep going, they don't get through uni, they drop out and it might be the barriers are too great for them to succeed or be socially included."

Several people, including staff, who have already completed the anonymous survey have identified themselves to the Neurodiversity Inclusion and Success Project team as researchers with lived experience and asked to join the research.

Dr Edwards said the survey was created to be accessible, with text to speech options, interview opportunities, it is in two parts so people can do as much as they have energy to get through, and they can sit down with someone they know and have them fill it in for them.

The project can be contacted nd.inclusionandsuccess@federation.edu.au, by phone on 5327 9165 and the survey is online at https://federation.edu.au/ndsurvey.

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