Giving Cambridge University students with Asperger syndrome a voice: a qualitative, interview- based study towards developing a model of best practice

This paper has been written jointly by staff at the Disability Resource Centre, University of Cambridge1, the Disability and Wellbeing Team at the London School of Economics2 and the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge.3 Twenty- eight Cambridge University students who identified with Asperger syndrome (AS) or High Functioning Autism (HFA) considered the question, ‘What would improve your university experience and increase your chances of success?’. Findings have been fed back to staff at the University with a view to developing best practice. Qualitative methods sensitive to individual preferences were used for capturing student views. These included focus groups, one- to- one interviews and e- mail contact with the researchers. Broad themes are presented in this paper. Initial insights from their comments on different aspects of University life suggest that simple and inexpensive changes could benefit students with AS. A list of ten recommendations generated by the students is provided within the paper.