Autism team helping students to thrive at university

Matthew Schafer reached out for help when studies and personal problems stacked up

Leaving home for the first time to begin university is a daunting prospect for any teenager.

But for Matthew Schafer, embarking on a big lifestyle change was made even more tricky, as the 20-year-old is autistic.

His journey towards graduation has not been without its struggles.

But he credits De Montfort University in Leicester's specialist autism team with helping him feel welcome and allowing him to thrive in his studies.

De Montfort said it has higher numbers of students with autism in its student body compared to the general population.

It's built up a good reputation in the higher education world for its autism support, something which attracts students to the university and helps students complete their degrees after they arrive.

Autistic students are more likely to drop out of university than the general student population or any other disability group, according to the North East Autism Society.

'Find a path'

Mr Schafer, from Blaby in Leicestershire, found his workload increased as his personal problems mounted.

He thought his nan was going to die in 2023 and sought help from the De Montfort University's autism team.

He said: "Tabitha, my autism mentor, helped me organise emails to send out to people if she died.

"She's helped me calm down, figure out, find a path through this, email people and let them know I'm struggling.

"I'm so glad they're here, I don't think I would have made it this far without them - there's been times when it's crossed my mind to drop out but I've made it to my third year, nearly ready to graduate."

Isolation and making connections can be a problem for people with autism, said Matthew, who added: “I'm not a very sociable person, but they've helped me find people and basically feel welcome at university."

"Every week there's an outing, it's just so helpful.”

Each year more than 600 students are supported by the autism support team

De Montfort University’s lead autism mentor Adam Davison said his team works to ensure an easy start to life at university for new students.

This includes campus tours and a quiet hour at the fresher’s fair.

He said: “It really benefits the students we're working with because otherwise they may not come to the fresher’s fair at all.

“We're currently in contact with around 540 students who identify with having autism and that number will typically grow over the year by around another 100."

Lazarus Plimmer said they felt thankful for the support the university provides

Student Lazarus Plimmer, 18, from Calverton in Nottinghamshire, said: “Honestly it’s wonderful. Fresher’s is a very stimulating time, an overwhelming time.

“Having a team that knows what it’s doing, I’m very thankful.”

Alice Speller is the chief executive officer at the National Association of Disability Practitioners, which gave De Montfort University best service team award for its work in 2023.

She said: "Not all universities have a specialist autism team. It's often included within disability services.

“It's important because the numbers of people with autism going to university are low, and the numbers of people with autism in employment is too low."