The success of North-East charity in supporting university students with autism spectrum disabilities has led to the programme being extended across the North-East. Project co-ordinator for ESPA, Gill Linfoot, explains what this means.

Education and Services for People with Autism (ESPA), a large North-East autism charity, have announced that they are broadening their specialist university mentoring programme across the region. Having had great success in supporting undergraduate students on the autism spectrum on an individual basis, and being approached by Sunderland University to offer this service as part of the university's student support services following the success of the mentoring already being delivered, they are looking to expand further into other regional universities.

Autism spectrum condition (ASC) is a developmental disability and, as with dyslexia and ADHD ( attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) it is classed as a neurological disorder that can be likened to a difference in the 'wiring' in the developing brain.

It is complex, there is no cure and the condition is life-long. For someone on the autism spectrum, the nuances of social context and communication, whether in language or situation, are often extremely difficult to understand, with confusion and inappropriate reaction commonplace.

Even for those without associated learning difficulties and the numerous who are academically gifted, achieving GCSEs, A Levels and degrees, the problems of social interpretation, understanding and sensory issues remain, infiltrating all aspects of their lives.

Over the course of the past fifteen years, ESPA College have built up an excellent reputation for supporting young people with autism and Asperger's syndrome to attend mainstream colleges throughout the region. With ESPA staff's guidance and support these students have been able to achieve qualifications up to Level 3, including A-Levels, GNVQ, GCSEs and diplomas across a number of regional mainstream colleges such as City of Sunderland, East Durham and Houghall, Newcastle and South Tyneside Colleges.

In a number of cases they have gone on to study at university, where they have been able to fulfil their academic potential whilst greatly increasing their self-confidence, self-esteem and employability in the process.

For some of the students who have chosen to continue their academic studies, ESPA have been able to continue to successfully support them throughout their university life. From the wealth of experience this has manifested over the years, ESPA are now able to offer a distinct level of specialist support and mentoring for new students about to start, or already attending universities across the region, including those who have not previously attended ESPA College.

Going to university may seem like a daunting prospect to most young people - the change in the level of academic requirement, the amount of self-study and organisation, not to mention the general day-to-day living demands of just looking after oneself away from the family home for the first time, can prove to be quite an anxious and intimidating prospect.

To someone on the autism spectrum this may well be the final stumbling block to progress and achievement, with many gifted students either not attempting to make the move to higher education or experiencing difficulties soon after arriving on campus. While success, academically or socially, cannot be guaranteed, failure is not inevitable if there is the experience and expertise on hand to give the right support in an appropriate and timely manner.

The University Mentoring Service from ESPA can provide a discrete, specialised autism specific service, providing mentoring and guidance sessions (and note-taking where required) to university students with an autism spectrum condition. Currently working with eight students at Sunderland University, and individuals within other regional universities, it has recently seen one student graduating from Northumbria University with a 2:2 BSC honours degree in biomedical sciences and another navigating her way through the final stages of a BA Hons degree in art and design at Sunderland University. Many other ex-ESPA college students are currently achieving well at universities across the region, with one about to begin the final year of a PHD at Newcastle University and a further two having successfully graduated with a 2:1 BA Hons degree in Art & Design and a 1st class honours media/journalism degree at other regional universities.

If students/potential students on the autism spectrum are interested in ESPA's mentoring and support whilst at University, they should speak to the Student Support service at their own university in the first instance. Students must however, be eligible for DSA (disabled students allowance), which will require them to undergo an assessment of their needs to establish the level of support a student may require at university. Support packages delivered by ESPA are individualised and over the past few years have ranged from just an hour per week (guidance and support around deadlines/study schedules/dealing with difficult situations etc), up to 25-30 hours per week, where students have had a mentor with them throughout their university timetable (and in some cases, having the mentor take notes for them in lectures).

For further information contact Ben Hodgson on ben.hodgson@espa.org.uk or 0191 2859891