Autism resources

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Studying with autism can be challenging and exhausting. Here are some tips and ideas that may help you plan, organise, and meet deadlines.

We have included links to services you may find useful, as well as information on apps you may like to try. We have broken up these tips into different sections so you can easily find the tips you may want to try first.

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Before starting uni

Register for a low sensory orientation tour of the campus before you start uni. Contact drcentre@deakin.edu.au for more information.
If you can’t come on a low sensory tour, come to uni before the Trimester starts (when it is quiet) and find the locations of your classes so you don’t feel stressed about finding the locations in Week 1.
Use noise cancelling headphones when walking around uni or when in busy locations on campus to reduce noise sensitivity.
If you are driving to campus, give yourself plenty of time because the roads can get very busy and it may take you a while to find parking.
Practice driving to uni in peak and off-peak times – remember, the first 4-6 weeks of the trimester are the busiest.
Find out where the reset rooms are on campus – these are quiet, low sensory spaces where you can relax or undertake some focused study
Did you know that part-time study may be available? Speak to a student adviser to see if you can undertake part-time study (one or two units per trimester).
Register with the DRC for an Access Plan.

Preparing for study

Learn about STAR (Deakin’s timetable system) and how to submit your timetable preferences on time.
Once you have your timetable, take a reconnaissance trip with a friend or family to become familiar with the campus and the rooms you’ll be attending if you haven’t already done so (the weekends or study breaks or the end of trimester are usually quieter) and while you may not get into all spaces it will give you a rough idea of how to find your way around the campus.
Once your unit sites are open in OWeek, check each one to see where to find everything you need before the first week of study.
There are lots of planning tools to help you develop good study habits and scheduling assessment tasks. You may like to print them out as a visual reminder.
Always remember to check your student email regularly – if you’re unsure about what any of the emails mean, make sure you seek help: Student Central, DRC or get a friend/family member to help you.
Bring things to class that will help you cope and reduce overstimulation: comfort items, fidget toys, wear comfortable clothes/layers to adjust for temperature, drink(s), snack(s). Check if you have a writing utensil or computer – whichever is most pleasing for you to take notes.
Join the NAVIGATE program for weekly support from a mentor or use the NAVIGATE Drop In Service for support on an as needed basis.
Book in to see one of the friendly Deakin counsellors to learn strategies to avoid or overcome overwhelm or burnout.
Join a DUSA club that aligns with your special interests – it’s easier to make friends with people who share your same interests.
Join the Deakin Disability & Neurodivergency Association (DDNA) to meet likeminded students and join in on neuro-affirming events. You will meet a lot of people through your studies but because class groups change all the time, it can be difficult to make connections and build friendships – that's why it is a good idea to join a club – don’t be disheartened if it takes a while to make friends.

Apps and assistive technology to try

Goblin tools can help you to interpret emails or write an email in the right tone or explain concepts (e.g. concepts from your lecture materials) or help break down large tasks into more manageable action plans. Use the ‘judge’ tab to explore/explain the intended emotion within the text.
Communication and Teamwork Skills to Support Neurodiversity is an open access resource written by a neurodivergent Deakin student and the SEBE Faculty to support neurodivergent students with group work. It’s tailored to SEBE students, but it has some good general resources, in particular email templates, which students can use if a fellow group member is not contributing to the group.
Use the ‘Rehearse with Coach’ tool in PowerPoint to build your confidence and practice your presentation skills. Go to the ‘Slide Show’ tab in PowerPoint to get started.

Communicating your needs and understanding others

It can be hard to communicate your needs to others – whether they are fellow students, academic staff or professional staff. You might try getting help to develop a few standard email templates or scripts you can use to communicate with others. Your DLO can help you develop some standard templates for you to use when communicating with your Unit Chairs.
If you struggle to understand the wording in an assessment, or if you feel it is too ambiguous, check your understanding with either a trusted friend or a Writing Mentor or consider re-writing the question in your own words and sending it to the Unit Chair for comment.
Ask your Unit Chair or Tutor for concrete examples when they are discussing abstract concepts.
Listen to class recordings to help with processing information. You can pause, rewind or fast forward your recordings, and you can listen to them as often as you need.
Working in teams and communicating with group members can be very challenging. This is Open Education Resource, Communication and Teamwork Skills to Support Neurodiversity, will be very useful, and also contains templates you can use when communicating with group members or unit chairs, and contains useful information on self-advocacy.

Managing your time

Check out the study support guides for a range of ideas and advice.
The Study Workload Planner is a visual tool to ‘see’ time, which may help with ‘time blindness’.
Consider using timer apps to aid focus and limit distraction. A range of ideas are listed on ADCET (Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training) resource. Mac users can also use the studybreak time tracker for free. Chrome also has extensions called Focus To-Do. and RoFocus , which has environmental sounds to help keep you in a study zone. One sec app forces a pause when opening social media apps.
Create a launchpad at home: this is where you can keep your laptop, keys, wallet, phone – everything you need is in one place and ready to go.
Consider a study load that works for you. While some students may spend about 10 hours per week on each unit, some students may need to spend longer, so take this into account when you are considering full-time vs part-time enrolment. Speak to a Student Advisor about all enrolment issues.

Managing readings

The library has a great guide on active reading which has a range of tips on effective reading, note taking and referencing.
Consider listening to your readings or any text documents – the library’s converting text to audio page has some ways to do this.
Read and Write – free for Deakin students. Watch the text help introductory video (3:27 CC available) to learn more about core functions.
Try TextAloud.
Both PC's and Macs also have inbuilt text to speech capabilities. Check the accessibility features.
Immersive Reader is an inbuilt Microsoft tool, which can work in Word, on your Mac, or with your iPad. It can also work in OneNote (you can try Immersive Reader with your own reading material on this page). If you would like a more detailed understanding of immersive reader, watch an online seminar (58.28 minutes CC and transcript available. Starting around the 9 minutes mark may be helpful!).
Do you need to reduce visual distraction when reading? Tools such as Screen Mask or ReaderMode might be helpful. Read and Write has screen masking and ruler functions to help isolate text and limit visual distractions.
Sometimes it can be simple things that help – like adding, changing, or deleting the background colour in Word.
Do you work better with hardcopy? Most printing is free (up to $100 per month) on campus for Deakin students. Some key readings in hard copy can be helpful.
Highlight – do you know how to highlight in a PDF (Portable Document Format)? Highlight on your iPad? Read and Write also has highlighting.
Be strategic with your reading. Some weeks you may not have time to read everything, but it is unlikely you will be able to achieve your best marks in written assessment tasks without referencing key readings.
Student Success Learning Advisors can help with effective reading techniques.
Explore the DRC’s Assistive technology resources webpage for more ideas.

Other support services at Deakin

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Do you have any tips or tools that you find useful? Send your ideas to drcentre@deakin.edu.au so we can add them to this resource and share them with others.

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