We are delighted to publish a guest blog post today written by Natalie Baker President of the OU Students Association.

Neurodivergent Students and Manual of Me

Here at the OU Student’s Association, we are committed to ensuring that the student experience at the OU is an equitable one and as such we are running a campaign about how Neurodivergent students can be supported during their studies. This is something that is incredibly important to us as there are a number of misunderstandings that can impact a Neurodivergent students’ studies.

One of the biggest issues that Neurodivergent students can face is the validity of Self-Diagnosis many students will have no choice but to self-diagnose for several reasons particularly as access to diagnostic services within the NHS is currently very limited. As of March 2024, over 170,000 people were waiting for an Autism assessment (National Autism Association, 2024). This lack of formal diagnosis can be a barrier for many who need adjustments particularly when it comes to claiming DSA which can mean that many students face extra barriers when it comes to studying.

Neurodiversity by its very nature is something that is unique to the individual and it is often said that when you have met one Neurodivergent person you have only met one Neurodivergent person. There is no one size fits all solution to providing support as what may work for one Neurodivergent student will not work for another. Therefore, it is incredibly important that we are aware of the needs of individual students, however facilitating this across a large cohort can be challenging and students can often end up have the same conversation several times.

One of the ways in which this could be avoided is using a tool that has been created by Mel Green the E209 Module Co-Chair in the school of Early Childhood and Youth Studies (ECYS) in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS). This is called the Manual of Me and it is a live document in which students can detail their support needs and any other information that they feel it is important for their tutor to know about including things such as study goals, communication preferences, barriers to learning etc.

This document is designed to allow students to provide information in a manageable way so typically it should be 1 A4 page so should not require lots of reading time making it easy to refer to if needed. This is useful for students to identify their own needs, but it can also be a tool for collaboration particularly if as a tutor you notice something that the student may have missed that could help them moving forward. The great thing about this is that it is something that can be used by a range of students not just those who identify as Neurodivergent. It can be difficult for many students to advocate their needs particularly for those experiencing mental health difficulties, disabilities or have English as a second language.

We are hoping to share more information about the Manual and other work we are doing to help the OU support Neurodivergent students in the coming months.

Thoughts on the Manual of Me ?

If you have any thoughts or comments about this initiative, and how it might positively  support  Neurodivergent students  please do post a comment below.