I’ve got autism and I feel abandoned by my university during this crisis
Without the structure of campus routine, a student with autism says it’s impossible to complete assignments and he’s worried about finishing his degree
The Covid-19 crisis has put immense pressure on all citizens of the world to carry on with business as usual despite the severe disruption to everyday life, and students are not exempt from these difficulties. However, in my experience as a student with a disability, since the coronavirus pandemic unfolded my university has shown complete disregard for my wellbeing. This is a pattern that I fear is being repeated throughout the UK.
I am a third-year student studying a BA in education studies at a university in England. I have been diagnosed with autism, something my university has been aware of since my enrolment.
Although my autism rarely plays a negative role in my studying, since the coronavirus crisis I have found myself virtually incapable of maintaining normality.
Autistic people rely on pattern making and routine as a coping mechanism to help with oversensitivity to stimuli, anxiety, and other issues. Life in the UK has become so unsettling that this coping mechanism has become virtually non-existent for me and many other sufferers. I find communication through emails, virtual tutorials and phone calls extremely difficult because of my disability. When I informed the university that I am struggling, it provided me no alternatives.
