Article source: "Autisme à l’université : Un programme dédié aux étudiants autistes", Caroline Madeuf, Handirect, 22/02/2022.
A new support programme for autistic students has recently been introduced on French university campuses. The programme, known as ‘Aspie Friendly’, aims to improve the inclusion of current and future students with autism. “The figures are irrefutable as far as autism without intellectual disability is concerned,” explains Professor Bertrand Monthubert from Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, head of the nationwide Aspie Friendly project, “the number of autistic students in higher education is something like ten to fifteen times lower than one would expect.” Going to university poses its own set of challenges that can be difficult to manage for students with autism: dealing with noise and bustle, adapting to schedule changes, as well as being in constant interaction with lecturers and other students. The program was created to tackle all of these problems. Currently in place at twenty-six French higher education institutions, Aspie Friendly is only one aspect of a broader autism strategy introduced by the French government in 2018 as part of a policy to improve the inclusion of people with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Five Main Priorities
There are five major ways that this action plan aims to make universities more accessible to autistic students, and to improve their day-to-day experience:
- Support with classes. These measures include modifying curricula, making adaptations to the way classes are taught in order to accommodate the particular needs of autistic students (determined on an individual basis, this can involve the use of special equipment to help deal with hyperacusis – hypersensitivity to sound – alternative test sessions, distance learning, etc.) and providing academic tutors.
- Training for university personnel. This includes teachers and administrative staff, as well as the staff members in charge of student housing and transportation. Since 2018, one hundred training sessions have taken place to raise awareness of this topic, allowing 3700 people, 2300 of which were university personnel, to receive training and further information about autism.
- Social support. Aspie Friendly works in cooperation with university housing and catering services to help autistic students access these services. One of the ways students can receive social support is through a discussion platform called “Café Asperger”, a video conference that brings together students with Asperger’s syndrome to share and discuss their university experiences. It is also worth noting the student associations that have been created by students with autism – one example is the association, La Bulle ! in Toulouse.
- New teaching methods. As part of the Living & Learning Lab (LiLLab) research initiative, which focuses on autism and neurodevelopmental disorders, models of visual teaching aids, designed with the needs of autistic people in mind, are currently being tested. The programme also includes a 'hackathon' that is accessible to people with autism, with an emphasis on designing and prototyping digital solutions for improving accessibility for students with autism at university.
- Preparation for the workplace. In order to help autistic students find employment after their studies and to promote autism inclusivity in the workplace, a partnership has been created between Aspie Friendly and a number of businesses. So far twelve businesses have signed on to this initiative: Microsoft, AutiConsult, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, BCG Gamma, Avencod, THALES, SAP, and Sopra Steria. In addition, Aspie Friendly is a member of the EU-funded IMAGE project, which publishes resources to improve the employability of university graduates with autism.
Informational Videos
Aspie Friendly has recently added ten new short informational videos to its online library of resources. Each video is dedicated to a particular characteristic of autism and how it may manifest itself in a university setting. The topics of the videos include the following: difficulties dealing with the unexpected, social codes, sensorality, self-stimulation, organisation and time management, thinking in detail and special interests.
These videos, each dedicated to a specific topic, will help non-autistic people understand how people with autism process the world, to allow them to respond in more appropriate ways. The videos are available on Aspie Friendly’s website, and they will be promoted at all universities that are members of the Aspie Friendly program.
National Autism Strategy a Presidential Priority
France’s national autism strategy, as part of its policy on neurodevelopmental disorders, is a priority for president Emmanuel Macron. It has five key objectives and involves more than a hundred different actions to achieve them. The strategy brings together a diverse cast of participants, including a special interministerial delegation, nine French ministries, three national health care providers, and a number of other partners. This national policy was created in consultation with autistic people and their families, as well as various institutions and professional bodies. Representatives of all of these different stakeholders were brought together in 2018 to form a governmental board dedicated to dealing with autistic spectrum disorders and neurodevelopmental issues. Nearly five hundred million euros have been allocated to improving the quality of life for autistic people and their families.
Watch Aspie Friendly’s videos about autism at university (English subtitles): https://aspie-friendly.fr/serie
Translated by Tate Neilsen and Charles Cazalis
Editing by Sam Trainor