Life on the Autism Spectrum
Autism & going to college or university
Alex describes what she has done since she left school.
Alex describes what she has done since she left school.
Ian's first college was a 'disaster' as it was a special course where the students were 'treated...
Ian's first college was a 'disaster' as it was a special course where the students were 'treated...
And then I went to [college name] which was a whole disaster really [laugh]. Because we went to a special course where they treated us all like kids really which wasn’t really… because they had like a severe … and also our type of disability as well, which, and they all treated all like severe which was, that’s why I moved to [town name] and all that, and I’ve got, had a better course and I’ve done really well. I’m on a, I’m on a mainstream course now. Did catering last year and now I’m, service skills, waiting skills, which is going to be quite good. I’m looking forward to it actually in September.
Debbie talks about her experiences of further education and the different courses she did.

Debbie talks about her experiences of further education and the different courses she did.
Catherine describes her experiences of doing an NVQ.
Catherine describes her experiences of doing an NVQ.
Simon became depressed in his third year at college and found that people didn't respect each...
Simon became depressed in his third year at college and found that people didn't respect each...
So I started my last year of college and I had to go through the whole process again of making friends. And it was really difficult for me because I sort of had this sort of friend, and he sort of had been with me for the whole course I’ve started off in basically and now he’s gone and it’s like, sort of a bit being left on your own again basically and I found it really, really hard, and that kind of really affected me and another thing was the class I was in was quite a few characters in there and a lot of mixture of people and there were a lot of arguments in the class. A lot of friction because some people in the class disagreed with certain things other people in the class with and most of the time it was just whole lessons with argu… arguments basically and one main subject that caused a lot of arguments was the whole fox hunting subject, because there was some in my class who was, worked on a farm, and then there was some people that didn’t work on a farm, and they sort of didn’t understand that the person working on the farm didn’t like the foxes, because they’re killing their crops and stuff, and basically the whole argument, thus, basically what all the argument was about a few people didn’t sort of quite respect other people’s views in my class. That caused more problems and that basically all built up together and then yes, I sort of got depressed from it really.
Some lived at home during the course and didn’t socialise much, while others experienced living with other students, again with mixed feelings. Some people were currently at university. A few had found university too difficult to manage and left without graduating. Two people were preparing to go to university and they discussed the support they had been offered through the disabled student support services at the universities. Christopher hoped to do some A levels and eventually go to university.
Laurie has been offered a laptop and a recorder but said no to a note taker because she didn't...
Laurie has been offered a laptop and a recorder but said no to a note taker because she didn't...
James was worried about going to university but it has been 'brilliant'.

James was worried about going to university but it has been 'brilliant'.
And all of a sudden, you know, you find, you break the barrier, you start thinking well I quite like these people and you know... and you know I mean just for an example like, I made friends with, well basically I met up with this girl on the Sunday night and it was like Freshers week and I suppose it was one of these things where it is almost meant to be a little bit of a fun week and you go out and have a good time and everyone goes out clubbing and I met this girl and it was all going really, really well and I didn’t really think anything of it, but I am still going out now. So that has been three years since September, so that was sort of like brilliant.
It is like a financial sort of its where you get your student loans and all that. It is a financial support sort of place. They have quite a lot of generous funding actually. I will show you this in a minute because it is just here. [interruption] They gave me this and basically what it does, it allows me to sort of organise myself, organise when I have got meetings and things like that [coughs] and I can write to do lists and they probably do a lot more things and a lot of different fancy things that you probably know what to do but I don’t really know how to [laughs]. And basically it allows me to organise my week you know organise my week and things like that, my week at university and you know they have a disability advisor and basically I thought, I mean basically they will do whatever you need , and provide you funding for whatever you need, they provided funding for, for me for a lap top which is you know, great, a printer, a lot of financial sort of support in terms of things like that. And they were really generous in that sort of aspect.
Mark is more optimistic about his new course at university because he has a diagnosis now and can...
Mark is more optimistic about his new course at university because he has a diagnosis now and can...
Miranda finds the pace of work at college very fast and has had help at college since getting her...
Miranda finds the pace of work at college very fast and has had help at college since getting her...
And so it is, it is quite difficult. So I do find it hard. I don’t have much of a social life really, because I have to look after my mum. Although I do go to college two nights a week and I think if I didn’t go to college I wouldn’t have an outlet. I wouldn’t have anything else. That’s the only that I’ve got really that keeps me sane really because that’s the only thing that I’ve got really, to look forward to really, because it’s quite difficult out there.
And also I found with Asperger's we work at a slower pace, and then a lot of the other people although we get there at the end. And I find that the way that we work, because we work at our own pace we’re doing things, and I find that we make not as many mistakes as the rest of them, who rush through and have to re-do it again. So, but the, but the pace at college now is very, very fast and the teacher who was teaching me last night, he’s he has this, apparently he has the same disability as me. He has Asperger's. He’s a Chinese boy and he was doing astrophysics but he had to pack it up for the simple reason was, because he just couldn’t keep up with the pace because the pace is so quickly now, because I’m finding now as you probably realise yourself that so many courses that used to be something like 38 weeks has now been probably reduced, down to something like 29 weeks and you’ve got to sort of be writing. And I know it sounds ridiculous, almost two essays a night, and that is very, very difficult perhaps for the average person to actually keep up with. And it isn’t easy.
Can I just take you back to the diagnosis?
Yes, yes.
We were talking about the diagnosis weren’t we?
Yes, yes.
And you said this was this one woman sort of pretty much diagnosed on the spot when she saw you. But you had to go through some sort of tests or questionnaires and questions and stuff. What did you think when she diagnosed you?
Well I was quite pleased actually that she diagnosed me. I was really pleased because it had taken me three years, and I had to battle myself, and the girl, that actually was supposed to be helping me didn’t. So I had to, I had to actually battle this all on my own. So … but it is it is renowned for Asperger's that once we get hold of something we don’t let go.
James describes how he gradually weaned himself off support and started university without...

James describes how he gradually weaned himself off support and started university without...
Some people had positive experiences at college or university. They found college or university easier than school because they were studying subjects they liked. A few people also found students more understanding than those at school and it was easier to avoid people they didn’t really get on with.
Damian is constantly studying after dropping out of school and being written off by teachers. He...
Damian is constantly studying after dropping out of school and being written off by teachers. He...
From where I same sort of academically I got a scholarship to private school did hopelessly there, and had a horrible time. I got sort of 4 Cs, 3 Ds, and an F at GCSE. Dropped out, went to college, got a B, and E, and a U at A level. Went to uni dropped out of that course, went back to doing more A levels. Got a B and a D. Then did a Degree MA, PGCE and am now doing another Degree and PhD and stuff. And I am constantly studying and to think I had teachers saying I wasn’t very bright, that I had no organisational skills or motivation to work. And its kind of those labels as well that, how teachers see you, how peers see you, how doctors see you. There’s all felt like I’m being negatively judged, when I knew I had ability [laughs]. And it was a good thing I was so stubborn and bloody minded all along because otherwise some friends of mine kind of dropped out of the system altogether it seems because they just can’t put up with it.
I’m going to do my PhD. I think it’s very hard now my son’s living with me, because I’ve got very little time to work, only sort of term time and school hours. I was made redundant from the only local job. So it’s difficulty with moving, getting work in the area I’m qualified in which is very specialist, and I don’t want the horrid kind of work I used to do when I was younger. And I want hopefully, sort of to do research into autism and education and carry on with my studies and do more philosophy I think. Kind of do research and writing and try and get the odd session or two teaching and stuff like that really. See where it takes me
Sam enjoyed the academic focus at university and also met his best friend who he was able to...
Sam enjoyed the academic focus at university and also met his best friend who he was able to...
Last reviewed February 2020.
Last updated November 2010.