Support for University Students with Autism (SUSA)

What is mentoring?

Mentoring is 1:1 support designed to make university life easier. It is not subject-specific tuition. Each mentoring    agreement is negotiated individually, so it is hard to say exactly what would be provided. Mentoring normally takes place on campus, and sessions are usually 1-2 hours a week, term-time only. There is also flexibility for email, phone or video contact outside of fixed sessions (depending on funding recommendations). Examples include:

• Facilitating communication, e.g. liaising with tutors or disability advisors
• Helping you to develop organisational skills to improve time management, attendance, and deadlines
• General study aids, such as motivation, dealing with procrastination, or groupwork
• Acting as an advocate, and signposting other support
• Assisting with integration into the university
• Identifying any areas of concern
• Suggesting ways for you to develop your own strategies and become more independent

To illustrate this further, I frequently do sessions on presentation skills, as this is a key part of university assessment which makes many people very nervous. Lately, all of the students who have received my help in this area have reported feeling much more confident whilst giving their presentation - and as a result, vastly improved grades.

Simply having a familiar person to meet with on a regular basis helps many students stay on track and feel supported.

SUSA often works with students who have additional conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, or mental health problems.

Mentoring can help you feel better about yourself!