Aquick read of a new report from Unite Students suggests that a lot of accommodation is a sensory and social hell for neurodiverse students.
The report looked specifically at the experience of neurodiverse students in student accommodation. The findings can largely be divided into three categories neurodiverse students struggle with: information overload, sensory, and social issues. It also provides recommendations proposed by participants as part of the report.
It is fantastic that Unite Students is asking neurodiverse students themselves for input on improving their university experience – and many of the solutions proposed are ones I have seen suggested and sometimes trialled elsewhere in the sector.
These operate largely around simple operational changes universities can make when onboarding neurodiverse students. They include bullet point summaries of all administration tasks for students with ADHD; early move-in options for students with autism; dimmer switches for students with sensory overload; in-room basic cooking facilities for students with social anxiety, and so on.
