Autism Support

At Durham, we welcome autistic students. We understand coming to university is exciting but can also be quite daunting. We aim to maintain continuity of support from pre-application throughout your course. You can speak to any member of the team, but there are two Advisers dedicated to the role of supporting our autistic students and developing support opportunities.

Contact us

You can contact us at any stage during the application process to ask questions about your concerns or arrange an informal visit to your department and college. We will ask you to forward relevant supporting evidence of your diagnosis.

Support at University for registered students

We offer further support once you become a registered student. This includes liaising with your department and college about any reasonable adjustments and/or exam arrangements.

Potential financial support

You may be entitled to apply for Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA). We encourage you to apply as early as possible so that this is in place when you begin your studies here. This can fund equipment and software, as well as mentor and study skills support.

Preparing for university

We have developed an online resource Autism & Uni Toolkit – Durham University (autism-uni.org) which can support you in preparing for university life. It contains lots of information around academic life and preparing for living away from home.

Accommodation

If you have specific accommodation requirements arising from your autism you can discuss these with us. If you are concerned about your allocated college please refer to The Allocation Process - Undergraduate - Durham University. 

Transition to University – Induction Programme

We begin our induction programme following A level results day. Initially, this is in the form of information sent out regularly by email. We also organise online socials where people can meet each other, just observe and gather more information or ask questions. The main focus of the induction programme is an early move in to accommodation two days before the main body of first year students arrive. This allows you to orientate yourself to the campus and college at a quieter time. We also have two days of activities arranged to support you to meet other students and get to know what is on offer here at Durham.

Transition to employment

We maintain close links with the University Careers Service and Careers Advisers are experienced in supporting autistic students. They run a variety of advice sessions, workshops, and events, some with a specific disability focus.

We also run an internship programme for autistic students during the summer break. This offers support to develop employability skills and a range of internship opportunities to apply for. Some students have continued to work for these employers following their internship.

Peer support

Durham offers numerous clubs and societies where you can meet people with similar interests. Each college also has a support network offering advice and guidance.  

Information for parents

Parents or carers of autistic applicants or students are welcome to contact us for general information about the support offered by the University. In accordance with GDPR, sensitive personal information about a student’s disability and support needs may only be shared with the student’s explicit consent. Further information is detailed in the University’s Privacy Notice.