Supporting Students with ASD at Third Level
Declan Treanor, Director of the Disability Service, Trinity College Dublin
Presentation
Aims
• Provide the context to this presentation
• Discuss ASD and University Life
• Explore the model of support for students
with ASD at TCD from entering to
graduation
• Students perspectives on managing college
with AS
Context-Where
are we now?
Past
Now &
Developing
• Less supports at secondary school
& third level
• Less information on ASD
• Increase in supports available
• Increased recognition and
diagnosis
• Increased legislation
• Access routes to education- DARE
Scheme
Disability 2008
%
2009
%
2010
%
2011
%
2012
%
AS / ASD
36
2.2
76
3.4
68
3.70
94
4.3
129
5.3
ADHD
40
2.5
107
4.8
70
3.80
114
5.2
156
6.5
Blind / VI
24
1.5
54
2.4
36
1.90
36
1.6
1
0.0
Deaf/HoH
67
4.2
110
4.9
70
3.80
77
3.5
70
2.9
Dyspraxia
32
2.0
74
3.3
88
4.7
143
6.6
153
6.3
MHC
49
3.0
115
5.1
89
4.8
129
5.9
226
9.4
Neuro
0
0
43
1.9
39
2.10
36
1.6
36
1.5
Physical
17
1.0
94
4.2
62
3.30
94
4.3
92
3.83
SOI
178
11.1
72
3.2
189
10.2
226
10.4
269
11.2
SLC
0
0
0
0
17
0.90
14
0.6
26
1.08
SpLD
1152
72
1560
69.9
1108
60.3
1197
55.4
1199
50.0
Total
1595
2229
1836
2160
2397
DARE eligibility by disability 2008 – 2012
TCD Registered Students
Total
Arts, H, & SS Eng, Maths
Health
(incl TSM) and Systems Sciences
Cross
Faculty
Medical/SOI
144
53
26
48
17
Mental Health
197
81
39
37
40
Physical
98
47
16
18
17
HOH/Deaf
38
25
5
6
2
Visual Impairment
23
13
4
ADHD and ADD
61
21
10
Dyspraxia
52
11
7
Neurological
28
14
3
5
6
Autistic Spectrum Disorder
40
7
24
3
6
Intellectual disability
33
33
Speech Language
2
1
SpLD
370
188
78
89
49
Total
1086
494
212
217
163
6
10
12
8
1
Trinity College Dublin Information 20072012
Maths
2
5%
History & Politics
2
5%
Course of Study
Medicine
1
3%
Pharmacy
2
5%
Science
13
32%
History
2
5%
Law
2
5%
Engineering
7
18%
Arts
9
22%
The Transition
Secondary -v- Third Level
Secondary School
Third level
education
ASD & University
Life
• Living away from home (Nat. Autistic Soc, UK, 2006);
• New university environment is challenging;
• Poor organisational skills (Adreon & Durocher, 2007);
• Poor self-advocates, decreased leisure engagement & social
participation (Gleeson, Nolan & Quinn, 2012);
• Leading to ↑ anxiety, stress & depression (Baron-Cohen et al,
1999, Fujikawa, et.al., 1987, Whitehouse, et.al., 2009).
Reactive Model
Disability
Service
Counselling
Service
Tutor
Student at the
centre
Student
Union
Unilink
Health
Service
Pathway’s Model of Support for
Students with disabilities
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
• Phase 1: Pathway to College
• Pre-entry, admission and the first year experience
• Phase 2: Pathway through College
• Building and maintaining a college career
• Phase 3: Pathway to employment
• Transition to further study or employment
Phase 1: Pathway to College
Dedicated
Transition
Website-
Pathways workshops
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
study skills
assistive technology
transition to college assessment and planning
self-determination and self-advocacy
examinations
managing stress
sleep hygiene
Supporting students
as they make
decisions
• Individualised meetings with OT’s in
supporting transition
• Open Evenings-designed for students with
ASD and their parents
• Working with ASD Support Groupslectures, talks
Pathways
transition planning tool
AS Webpage
Orientation days
• Orientation/Welcome Day for students with ASD
• Day Schedule
– Getting to know Trinity-Being a Fresher Student
– Campus Tour
– Meeting the DS and SU
– Being a student learner
– Getting to know TCD Computers/Library
– Tour of BLU Library
– Questions and Answers??
Students Comments
about the Day
“Everything seems clearer now as a result of the
Welcome Day”
“I now know what I must do in the coming weeks”
“I wanted to look around and learn about Trinity and I
did that!”
“I came to learn names and find my way around”
“Between meeting important staff and being shown
around I found I gained the information I wanted.”
Phase 2: Pathway through College
College Life: Building and
maintaining a college career…the
bigger picture
Phase 2
Supports
• Students with ASD can avail of a number of supports in
college:
– Needs Assessment
– Weekly individualised student centred Unilink
appointments with OT
– Weekly Social Leisure Group
– Mock exams
– Low Distraction Exam Venues
– Meeting with DO-advocate;
LENS etc.
Weekly Social
Leisure Group
The Unilink
Process
1. Referral.
2. Assessment of student-perceived need (various assessments
used on a needs-basis; TSP).
3. Weekly meetings with students (or as required).
4. Contact as needed via phone, text.
5. Reports back to referral sources – all reports co-signed by
student.
Interventions: what the
students with ASD and
therapists do in Unilink
Some examples of the interventions we use are:
–role playing social interactions/situations
–developing non-verbal communication skills
–making out timetables and setting weekly goals
–developing healthy and balanced routines
–helping with assignments – outline, structure, planning,
research, developing study techniques
–planning and organisational skills development
–develop strategies to manage mental health diffiuclties
Interventions: what the
students with ASD and
therapists do in Unilink
• providing environmental
management/adaptations/suggestions
• providing hands-on orientation of the college environment
• providing relaxation strategies and anxiety management
• providing practical help with understanding and using college
systems
• breaking tasks down – activity analysis, chunking
• making suggestions for eating & snacking
• advocating for the student
Phase 3: Pathway to Employment
Overview
• Supporting students getting Internships; 2
students with Internships last year
• Workshops- developing CV’s, disclosure &
interview skills
• Development of work readiness skills and
managing health & wellbeing in the workplace
• Employment booklet developed for use with
students
Student Outcomes
Outcome
• .
Passed exams
2006-
2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
2010-11
2011-12
2007
3 (60%)
5 (55.6)
10 (66.7%)
12 (52.2%) 22 (75.8%)
32 (82%)
Failed year
1 (20%)
4 (44.4%)
0
7 (30.4%)
4 (13.7%)
2 (5.1%)
Off-books
1 (20%)
0
1 (6.7%)
1 (4.3%)
1 (3.4%)
2 (5.1%)
Withdrew from
0
0
4 (26.7)
3 (13%)
2 (6.8%)
3 (7.6%)
5 (100%)
9 (100%)
15 (100%)
23 (100%)
29 (100%)
39 (100%)
incl. graduated
Course
TOTAL
What is the Future in supporting students with
ASD at College??
• Unilink now provided in DCU, UCD, DIT & Marino
• To continue to provide student needs based serviceslistening to the voices of students & adapting to the
need
• Encourage more & more students to think about the
possibility of college life
Student
Perspectives
on
University
Any Questions?
Thank you for listening!
Declan Treanor dtreanor@tcd.ie
Claire Gleeson clgleeso@tcd.ie
http://www.tcd.ie/disability/services/Unilink/index
.php
http://www.tcd.ie/disability/AS
http://www.tcd.ie/pathways-to-trinity/
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