Specialist Mentoring: Autism & ADHD
The role of a Specialist Mentor: Autism & ADHD is to provide additional support to students throughout their journey in higher education.
Your Mentor’s role is to help you better understand the academic requirements of higher education and identify any barriers to your learning. They can support your development of organisational and time management skills, which can help manage your workload and meet deadlines. With the help of your mentor, you can establish realistic goals, create plans of work, and set targets that cater to your individual needs.
Specialist Mentors: Autism & ADHD hold an in-depth knowledge and practical strategies to work alongside autistic and ADHD students to support them to succeed in their studies and work placements.
Through psychoeducation, you mentor can support you to better understand how autism and /or ADHD impacts on your learning, allowing you to better work to your strengths as well as better advocate your needs in terms of reasonable adjustments.
The role of a Specialist Mentor does not include subject-specific tutoring or acting as an advocate or counsellor. These aspects fall outside the remit of the SM:ASC role.
The overall goal of a Specialist Mentor: Autism & ADHD is to gradually reduce the need for their support as you continue to grow your independence. They aim is to provide the support that is unique to you and your experiences, with the intention of helping you succeed academically and prepare you for a seamless transition into the professional world.
The mentors typically assist with such things as:
- managing change and difficult emotions
- dealing with challenging social situations
- developing social and communication skills
- having a healthy work/life balance
- accessing academic support and guidance
- managing course requirements (e.g., speaking in seminars, giving presentations)
- Developing self-awareness and self-advocacy
- advising on quiet (low-sensory) study spaces
- any other issues that the student brings to the sessions
