Specialist one-to-one Study Skills and Strategy Support – Autism Spectrum Conditions (SS-ASC)
This specialist one-to-one support is primarily provided for autistic students and ADHD students. This support aims to develop students’ skills and independent learning. It is tailored to a student’s individual needs with the clear objectives and timescales for achieving these goals.
Our highly specialist support workers will provide 1:1 study skills and strategy support and social support to enable you to overcome barriers to learning and progress throughout college or university. Support Workers will work with you to address specific academic issues that autistic students have in completing academic work alongside supporting with social barriers within the academic environment. Your support worker will support you in your academic journey by guiding you to develop a variety of study skills, strategies and transferable/interpersonal skills e.g. social and communication skills.
Study Skills Support Worker can help with:
- Time management and organisational skills: They can help you create a schedule, set priorities, and manage your time effectively.
- Efficient strategies for reading academic texts: They can teach you different reading techniques to help you understand and retain information from texts more easily.
- Note taking from texts, handouts, and in lectures: They can teach you how to take effective notes and organize them in a way that makes sense to you.
- Research skills: They can show you how to find and use relevant information for your coursework and assignments.
- Mind mapping and planning techniques: They can teach you how to create visual diagrams to help you organize your thoughts and plan your work.
- Proofreading strategies: They can teach you how to proofread your work effectively and improve your writing skills.
- Approaching written assignments: They can help you understand assignment requirements and guide you through the process of writing a good assignment.
- Memory techniques and strategies: They can teach you different memory techniques to help you remember information more easily.
- Revision methods: They can teach you how to revise effectively and prepare for exams and tests.
- Analysing exam/essay questions: They can help you understand the question and guide you through the process of answering it.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is characterised by a predominance of either inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive symptoms, or a combination of both. The condition involves challenges in managing attention, with considerable variability in how individuals focus on tasks based on their relevance. ADHD individuals often seek sensory stimulation and may have a strong need for movement, which can aid in concentration, anxiety regulation, or serve as a form of release. Organisational tasks can be particularly challenging, and there may be difficulties in retaining information in working memory. Written instructions or note-taking can be beneficial. Support in breaking down tasks and managing organisation is often needed.
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Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity acknowledges the natural variations in human brain function and behavioural traits as integral to human diversity, viewing conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia not as disorders but as different aspects of neurocognitive functioning. It advocates for societal shifts towards greater acceptance, rights, and accommodations for those with neurological differences, emphasizing inclusion and support. The concept of a "spiky profile" integrates with this view, illustrating how individuals may exhibit significant strengths in certain areas while facing challenges in others, further highlighting the diverse spectrum of human abilities and the need for tailored support.
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Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia affects both fine and gross motor skills, significantly impacting writing, typing, and self-care activities. Dyspraxic individuals may also face challenges with memory, attention, perception, and processing, leading to difficulties in planning, organisation, executing actions, or following instructions in the correct order.
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Dyscalculia
Individuals with dyscalculia struggle with mastering arithmetic skills, calculations, number sense, and mathematical reasoning. Challenges often extend to understanding quantities, time, and abstract numerical concepts. Dyscalculia is frequently accompanied by working memory difficulties. Approximately 50% of individuals with dyscalculia also face reading challenges, and many experience significant maths anxiety.
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Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects the ability to develop automatic and fluent word reading and spelling skills. It is often associated with challenges in phonological awareness, which involves understanding and manipulating the sounds in words, and may also impact orthographic processing—the recognition of whole words, letter strings, or spelling patterns. Dyslexic individuals might be self-conscious about reading aloud, which can also hinder comprehension, and may avoid using complex vocabulary in writing to prevent spelling errors. Though not officially part of the diagnostic criteria, dyslexic individuals often struggle with organisation, sequencing, and may have low academic self-esteem. A notable discrepancy exists between their confidence in verbal tasks versus written tasks.
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Autism
According to current diagnostic criteria, autistic individuals face challenges primarily in social communication and exhibit restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour. The severity of these challenges can vary significantly. Many autistic individuals have sensory sensitivities that are particularly challenging in new and unfamiliar environments. Furthermore, they often prefer structured and predictable settings, benefiting from ample time to process information and adapt to changes. Social anxiety can pose a significant challenge in unstructured and unpredictable social situations. While the challenges of autism might be less visible in certain settings, they can still have a profound, cumulative effect on mental health, well-being, and may lead to burnout.
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