Neurodivergent college student experiences is a topic getting a lot of attention recently, and for good reason. Having this topic addressed at our conference I (MAQQI) am personally pleased to see, not least because it links directly to my own work. But that aside, this matters because these are the people who will help shape our futures as business leaders, engineers, designers, educators and more.
So, what’s it like to be a Neurodivergent student?
More than anything, third level studies are about relentless hard work for most of us. Not just the course work, either – I’m talking about negotiating, often on an ongoing basis, for our mental health and basic needs within institutions that until recently have tended to be unwelcoming and adverse to change.
Large organisations tend to be like that, and colleges are no different. But we are seeing tangible, meaningful, committed change, and that’s exciting to see.
Barriers students often cite include a maze of bureaucracy around paperwork and accommodations; anxieties about networking, teamwork and socialising – the ‘hidden curriculum;’ rigid deadlines and, paradoxically, working to distant deadlines; low understanding in college staff; building a new suite of organisational skills… and doing all this often while dealing with physical or mental health issues also.
It’s not easy, it’s fair to say. College staff also have worries about how to address the needs of Neurodivergent students, and can feel uncomfortable broaching the topic for fear of offending.
This is just part of why we’ve made this part of our 2025 conference.
You can find out a lot more in the workshop from student mentor and counsellor, Grace Harrison here
