My experiences as an autistic student: Ruhi’s Story
The School for Cross-faculty Studies at the University of Warwick is proud to be part of a diverse and inclusive community of staff and students. Our community includes many neurodivergent individuals across the spectrum, whose different perspectives, strengths, and ways of thinking enrich our learning environment and strengthen the collaborative work we do. To mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week, we spoke to one of these neurodivergent community members Ruhi - a first year GSD and Life Sciences student - about living with autism, and how the Higher Education sector still has a way to go to support neurodivergent individuals.
When did you find out you were autistic?
The story behind me discovering that I was autistic is quite an unconventional one! I first found out about my condition when I was nine years old, after finding a note in my mum’s handbag detailing my diagnosis and some recommendations on how to best support it. Upon quizzing her further, my mum admitted that doctors had confirmed my autism when I was four years old, after she had noticed that I was meeting certain developmental milestones later than what was considered typical, and that I preferred doing activities by myself rather than interacting with other children.
I initially felt hurt that my mum had not told me about my diagnosis, especially as it came as no surprise to myself that I was autistic. However, I understand now that she was just acting with the information that was thought best at that time and not deliberately trying to deceive me.
What strengths do you feel your autism gives you towards your studies?
Having a neurodivergent brain definitely benefits my degree studies in some ways. For instance, I find it easier than many of my peers to verbalise my opinions and be outspoken about the issues I feel most passionately about, which allows me to confidently contribute to group and classroom discussions.
I also find that because autism gives you an insatiable thirst for knowledge towards certain interests, I can research and retain information about sustainable issues in great volume, which enables me to deliver unique insights and attention to detail to my assignments that perhaps a neurotypical brain would not.
Being autistic deeply influences how I think about sustainability and global challenges, as I have experienced first-hand how acceptance towards neurodiversity has improved over the years, so feel more motivated to replicate the same effect towards sustainability initiatives!
How has being autistic shaped your experience at university?
When I first came to university, I did experience some hindrances when it came to socialising with my peers. In contrast to the common autism stereotype, I am quite sociable, however one of my biggest challenges is reading people and engaging their true intentions, which has caused some problems in the past and lead to me being taken advantage of. I am also prone to interpreting language literally, as I don’t always understand metaphors or hyperbolic phrases.
Luckily, I have now been able to make an amazing group of friends at Warwick who are understanding and accepting to the fact that I am just wired differently. Warwick is also very accommodating if you have a disability; for instance, if I am struggling to complete a project in time for one of my classes, the university offer a lot of flexibility for extending deadlines, which is valuable as my condition often makes organising a to-do list and executing tasks to completion difficult.
The teaching staff at GSD have also been incredibly helpful and supportive and are constantly offering extra guidance to ensure that neurodivergent students understand the course content. They also make extra accommodations when marking some assignments, for example they won’t mark you down for stuttering in a presentation, as they recognise that it comes with the territory of having a neurodivergent condition.
Where can universities work to improve their understanding of neurodivergency and provide better accommodations?
I still believe that universities have a long way to go in recognising that people - especially those who are neurodivergent - learn in many ways. There is still a lot of emphasis on visual learning, when personally, I have always found that listening whilst doodling on paper helps me process information much more effectively. Yet this kind of learning is often seen as the person being “fidgety” or disruptive, and therefore still widely discouraged and lambasted in educational settings.
I also wish that more people understood that not every day is the same for my brain, and there are some social situations where I am not as responsive as the previous day because I am either overwhelmed or genuinely have no clue what to say!
What advice would you give to neurodivergent people about to start university?
You may sometimes feel like you are the only one overwhelmed and struggling, but the truth is there are many people in the same boat as you having similar thoughts. I would also warn against taking on too much work - it can be exciting at first to say yes to all the new opportunities and projects that university life presents, however it is so important that neurodivergent people take the time to rest. Otherwise, don’t worry too much as there will be lots of support here available for you, especially at Warwick!