As thousands of young people take their places in colleges and universities across the country, many parents will be feeling anxious about their teenagers’ first foray into the big wide world. But in the case of young people with additional needs, the transition can be even more overwhelming for both the student and their parents.
Ailbhe Daly is excited and nervous about the prospect of heading off to third-level education but, having been diagnosed with autism as a child, her parents have been worried that she “may not be ready for the independence” and for the past year have been worried about how she will settle in.
“She was always an anxious child and slow to make friends, so it wasn’t too much of a surprise when she was diagnosed with autism,” says her mother, Deirdre. “It didn’t impact on her intellectually, as she has always been bright and likes to study, but socially she is very awkward and if she doesn’t like someone or doesn’t find them interesting she will tell them. Also, she has a tendency to obsess on certain topics and talk about them endlessly, which can be a bit intense for the person on the receiving end.
“All the way through school she has had additional help from a resource teacher, mainly just to keep her focused and also to help with interacting with others and, while I know they will have similar facilities in college, it won’t be as routine as she is used to. She rolls her eyes and worse when I bring up the subject of making sure to mix with others and talk to teachers if she has a problem, but I do worry as I think she could be very isolated.”
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The 19-year-old will be embarking on an art and design course in Dublin and will continue to live at home for the foreseeable future – something that, her mother says, is a comfort. “She is a very good artist and this is what she is going on to study in third level – it will suit her as she can be creative and do her own thing, but we are concerned about how she will fit in and also if she will be able to be independent.
“Throughout school she very much kept to herself, which has always been very hard for us to see. But she would alienate people by being too honest about things – if she didn’t like what they were doing or what they were wearing, she would tell them, which, as you can imagine, didn’t always go down well.
“And if people were misbehaving in class, she would also get involved and tell them that they shouldn’t be doing stuff like that. After a while, her classmates got used to it, but they ignored her rather than made allowances for her, and the thought of this happening all the way through her life is heartbreaking.
“But we have been assured by her resource teacher in school that she is ready for the next stage and that she will make friends as it’s not as cliquey as it is in secondary school. Also, in her particular course, there are other people with additional needs so not only will the teachers or lecturers be well aware of how to include her, but hopefully she will also make friends.
“We’re not at all worried about her intellectually as she is more than able, but just hope that she can integrate, make friends and start laying the foundation for her future.”
There is no doubt that the journey to third level education is a big step for all students, particularly those with additional needs. But according to a spokesperson for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, “equity of access to higher education is a fundamental principle of Irish education policy and is a key priority for Minister Lawless and the department”.
“Third-level institutions are committed to creating an environment where diversity is celebrated and everyone is treated fairly, including students with a disability,” they say.
“Each university has an access office or disability support service which is there to help students with the transition to their new environment and during their time at college. So, a key piece of advice would be for students to make contact with the college that they wish to attend before entry and to get in touch with the access office, which will be able to help with information concerning supports and any financial assistance available.
“The needs of each student varies and therefore accommodations are provided on a case-by-case basis – and it is recommended that contact is made with the access office early on so that supports and guidance can be provided as soon as possible.”
The department states that “reasonable accommodations in Irish third-level education for students with disabilities aim to reduce barriers and ensure equal access to learning and assessment”.
“These accommodations vary depending on individual needs, but may include alterations to the learning environment to facilitate access, such as accessible classrooms, adapted furniture, or designated parking and providing access to computers with assistive software (screen readers, voice recognition), recording devices, or other specialised equipment,” says the spokesperson.
“Other accommodations may include offering enlarged exam papers, Braille versions, readers, scribes or extended time for exams, providing access to educational support workers (ESWs) who can assist with note taking, physical tasks or other support needs and allowing for flexible start times, breaks or adjustments to attendance policies to accommodate individual needs.”
As well as making good use of college supports, the department spokesperson says parents should try to make plans in advance – and third-level institutions should be also be able to advise on any steps that need to be taken.
“To help with planning, parents should contact the access services of the college as they are the central infrastructure to providing pre-entry and post-entry support to students to access higher education and enjoy a positive student experience,” they say. “They should be the first port of call for students with additional needs starting out on their journey.
“Each student is an individual, especially those with additional needs. So, in addition to the access offices, the department provides targeted access funding streams which are managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to support students entering third-level education who have additional needs, such as the Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) and the Programme for Access To Higher Education (Path) programme under the National Access Plan.”
When it comes to financial support, the FSD allocates funding to universities for the provision of services and supports to full- and part-time students with disabilities. It aims to ensure that students with disabilities have the necessary supports and equipment to enable them to access, fully participate in and successfully complete their chosen course of study.
“The fund is provided directly to publicly funded universities and institutions each calendar year to assist them in offering supports to students with disabilities,” says the spokesperson. “Funding can be used to provide supports and accommodations for assistive technology equipment and software (including student training), non-medical helpers (eg personal assistants, note takers), academic/learning support, supports for students who are deaf or hard of hearing (such as sign language interpreters and SpeedText) and transport support.
“The fund is provided directly to the universities and not to individual students themselves, who can access supports by registering with the disability or access office in the institution they are enrolled in.
“To be eligible for support under the FSD, a student must have a verifiable disability and provide evidence of disability documentation as set out in part D of the FSD guidelines for HEIs in the Republic of Ireland. The support is designed to complement other funding the universities receive and is not the sole source of funding available to universities to support students with disabilities. Therefore, if a student is not eligible for supports under the FSD due to certain criteria not being met it does not exclude them from receiving other supports which may be available from the university.”
Knowing that the Department of Further and Higher Education and individual third-level institutions are doing all they can to help make the transition easier for students with additional needs is of great comfort to parents like Deirdre Daly.
“We know that Ailbhe is ready for the next step and much as I know it will be difficult for us to take a step back and allow her to be independent, we also know that it is the best thing for her,” says the Dublin woman. “We have had a lot of help from her SNA and also from the career guidance teacher at her old school and they have put us in touch with the relevant people who will keep an eye out for her in college, so we know it’s going to be okay.
“All of us want the best for our children, and when they have additional needs, it can seem like this is harder for them to achieve. But we are so proud of our daughter for all she has overcome so far and while she will be taking this next step on her own, we will always be there in the background if she ever needs any support.”
Details of access offices in third level institutes can be found on www.cao.ie.
