Autism: understanding, embracing and celebrating different ways of thinking

There is a widely reported increase in awareness about autism around the world, probably because there is a long-awaited increase in awareness, identification, diagnosis and capacity to serve the autistic community. At Kent we want to nurture the culture of discourse about different ways of thinking and being, in order to better understand one another and create a supportive atmosphere for everyone to thrive in our diverse university community.

What does it mean to be autistic?

Autism is not an illness or disease. It means your brain works in a different way. If you’re autistic, you’re autistic your whole life: it’s something you’re born with and is often first noticed when you’re very young, although many people don’t know they are autistic until they’re older. Autism can affect the way a person communicates and how they experience the world around them. It is considered a spectrum condition, meaning the way one person experiences their autism can differ a lot to another person with the same diagnosis. Some well known people from all walks of life are autistic, for example, environmental activist Greta Thunberg, actor Anthony Hopkins, writer and outspoken poverty issues campaigner Jack Monroe and film maker Tim Burton.

Every experience of autism is unique, and no one person will identify with every negative or positive feature of autism. Some autistic people need little or no support, while others may benefit from help from people who know lots about the condition.

Some difficulties often experienced by autistic people are:

Feeling overwhelmed by social interaction
High levels of anxiety
Specific sensory needs (noise/ light/ physical sensation)
Struggling with changes to routine
Difficulty processing lots of information

Some positive features of autism*:

Attention to detail (thoroughness, accuracy)
Deep focus (concentration, freedom from distraction)
Observational skills (listen, look, learn approach; fact finding)
Absorb and retain facts (excellent long term memory; excellent recall)
Visual skills (visual learning and recall; detail-focused)
Expertise (in-depth knowledge; high level of skills)
Methodical approach (analytical; Spotting patterns, repetition)
Novel approaches (unique thought processes; innovative solutions)
Creativity (distinctive imagination; expression of ideas)
Tenacity and resilience (determination; challenge opinions)
Integrity (honesty; loyalty; commitment)
Accepting of difference (less likely to judge others; may question norms)

Support for autistic students at Kent

Whether you are autistic or think you might be, looking at strategies to help you, or peers to explore this journey with might be really helpful. SYA? is an 8 week support programme to help students who have an autism diagnosis, or who are seeking one, to explore what being autistic means for them. If you would like to participate, please email AutismSupport@kent.ac.uk.

Student Support and Wellbeing

Student Support and Wellbeing provide assistance to autistic students with transition into university life, peer support and 1:1 guidance on managing academic work, accommodation & socialising. Find out more about autism support at Kent, including how to be supported getting a diagnosis if you think you’re autistic.

Autism social clubs at Kent

As well as support from Advisers and Mentors, autistic students at Kent can take part in various peer support groups. These are facilitated by Student Support and Wellbeing staff, and range from groups specifically for autistic students to explore what it means to be autistic, to social groups which are designed to be accessible to autistic students.

Have a look at the Student Support and Wellbeing events calendar to see what’s on this term, including the autism social club, modelling club and board games club, or attend the university-wide neurodiversity cafe on Monday 13 March from 12:00 – 14:00.

If you have an suggestion for a new group or have feedback on an existing group, please email WellbeingEvents@kent.ac.uk.

Get tailored employability support:

Finding disability confident employers: Online workshop for Kent students on Tuesday 14 March 12:00-13:00 – book online to receive details of how to join.
How to manage the uncomfortable when looking for employment or navigating challenges at work: Online workshop for Kent students on Thursday 16 March 11:00 – 12:30 – book online to receive details of how to join.

Written by Natalia Crisanti and Siobhan Mcghee, Sudent Services, 01.03.23

* taken from University of Leeds Infographic

Complete our Right to Food Staff Survey

The University of Kent wants to become a Right to Food University.

What does this mean?

it commits itself to promote food justice, to tackle food poverty, and transform our food system so that it operates to advance human health and an environmentally sustainable society.

The University has four missions to achieve this:

1) Putting the Right to Food on the World Stage, including inspiring and supporting other universities to establish the right to food.

2) Transforming food systems through teaching and research

3) Tackling food insecurity, while promoting a healthy and sustainable food community for staff and students.

4) Addressing food inequality throughout Kent and the Medway

Complete our Right to Food Staff Survey

This Right to Food Staff survey aims to look at the factors involved in food insecurity, including availability and accessibility of healthy food, cost and marketing; whether staff are currently utilising existing cost-of-living support from the University and elsewhere; and the impact food insecurity is having on staff wellbeing, including on physical and mental health.

The issues uncovered will form part of an action plan to improve the University’s food environment. This falls under our Mission 3 of the Right to Food project, which is: Tackling food insecurity, while promoting a healthy and sustainable food community for staff and students. The University’s aim to “provide a healthy, happy and purposeful environment that promotes the physical and mental wellbeing of all our staff”.

Following this survey, we will share the results and work with you on the actions we need to take to make improvements with some open sessions – Medway Session 19 June 10.00-12.00 and Canterbury Session 20 June 13.00-15.00 – More details to follow.

The survey is anonymous and is open from the 6 to 31 March, paper copies are also available if needed. Complete the Right to Food Staff Survey form.

Got a question email Claire Chapman, HR Manager- Strategic Delivery.

Upcoming strike days: Weds 15 – Weds 22 March

From Professor Richard Reece | DVC Education & Student Experience

At the time of writing there has been no major update from the national negotiations on industrial action currently taking place. While talks are continuing, this means that unfortunately we expect strike days to return this week for six consecutive days starting on Wednesday:

Wednesday 15 – Friday 17 March
Monday 20 – Wednesday 22 March

I can only apologise for this continued disruption which I know has had a real impact on you this term. As always, the nature of strikes can be very different in different areas so do check in with your lecturers or Division directly and they will advise where they can on what it might mean for you.

What else is on this week

While I know it doesn’t make up for missing classes, lots of university activity will carry on as usual across the strike days. Do look at our events roundup to see what is happening, which includes a number of free exam prep sessions. Kent Union has lots of activities running this week too, while our Student Support and Wellbeing team host regular events to get people together throughout the year.

You can read more on how to prepare for a strike day and how to claim back any expenses directly caused by strikes on our industrial action webpages.

Ensuring you can progress this year

I know that many of you also have concerns around the rest of this year with UCU balloting for potential further action. I want to reassure you that we have plans in place to make sure you can progress as normal whatever happens over the coming months. We’ve put together some FAQs with more on the background to this.

I know upcoming exams are also a worry – our general approach is that you shouldn’t have to answer anything in an exam that hasn’t been covered in one of your classes. Your teachers will bear this in mind when they are preparing your exam papers – some modules will also have multiple exam questions to choose from, meaning that in these cases you can avoid questions that you don’t think have been covered in a lecture or seminar if you prefer.

Getting advice and support

Talks are continuing at national level regarding the strikes so it remains my sincere hope that an agreement is reached that avoids further disruption. I will update you again if we hear more; in the meantime, if you are worried about the effect this is having then do contact us for further advice or support.

Walking to victory: VC Cup Walking Netball highlights

As we enter the 5th event of the VC’s Cup series, teams were primed to play walking netball, a game designed for anyone, regardless of their level of fitness or age.

Initially, it was mayhem on the court! Players were running, jumping, and going offside left, right and centre, which kept the umpires on their toes. Even experienced netball players and Kent’s very own Unicorns struggled to grasp the pace of the game, launching themselves across court and throwing themselves into each game as they would any other. However, as the games progressed, teams and players grasped the rules and became more comfortable and strategic.

Read our blog to find out which teams came out on top! You’ll also find an entertaining and creative rap, written in collaboration with some of the competing teams.

Want to find out more about the Vice Chancellor’s Cup, head over to the VC Cup webpage, where you can see which events are coming up, past event summaries and current leader board positions.

Specific Learning Differences: the positive aspects

Many of us have heard of the difficulties or ‘deficits’ associated with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs), like dyslexia, dyspraxia, and ADHD. But are we aware of the positive aspects that can make dyslexic individuals so successful?

Difficulties with attention and concentration? Time management and planning issues? Short term memory concerns? Persistent difficulties with reading and spelling? Word retrieval problems? Many notable individuals – such as businessman Lord (Alan) Sugar, poet Benjamin Zephaniah and Nobel prize-winning microbiologist Carol Greider – have not just overcome but have harnessed the power of their Specific Learning Difficulties in their lives and careers.

The ‘dyslexic advantages’

Dyslexic minds can be predisposed to specific strengths because of the unique ways they process information. The book, The Dyslexic Advantage, suggests that these strengths arise from the same variations in processing that cause dyslexic difficulties with literacy, language and learning.

Dyslexic advantages include:

Strengths in spatial visualization,
Perception of relationships,
Narrative reasoning, and

Abilities to perceive and use patterns in changing data sets.

So, the flexibility in visual thinking that can cause persistent problems with letter or number reversals when writing (eg b/d/p/q, 6/9 confusion), can also generate a flexibility in spatial visualization that is highly advantageous to a dyslexic working in 3D. This strength in spatial visualization facilitates success in fields such as architecture, engineering and science – see the iconic design of London’s O2 Arena, by dyslexic architect, Richard Rogers, for example.

Beyond dyslexia

And it is not just dyslexia: dyspraxia too is often associated with strengths in big picture thinking, being able to identify patterns, and problem-solving skills. Likewise, positive attributes of ADHD are recognized to include strengths in energy, divergent thinking, and adventurousness. Indeed, some individuals with ADHD describe how their divergent ‘outside the box’ thinking inundates them with ideas, providing a great source of creativity. Some also describe an abundance of physical energy that they can harness productively, and that makes them feel younger than their peers!

Recognizing these positive strengths for individuals with SpLDs is important for building confidence and encouraging success.

Written by Cathy Myers, Specific Learning Difficulties Adviser in Student Support and Wellbeing, 24.02.23.

Are you a Kent student who might benefit from support?

Student Support and Wellbeing have expert staff who are here to offer you support during your studies. If you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), or feel that you experience difficulties, register with Student Support and Wellbeing and make an appointment with an SpLD Adviser. Want to know more? Please view this visual guide on How to get Specific Learning Difficulty Support.

Get tailored employability support:

Finding disability confident employers: Online workshop for Kent students on Tuesday 14^th March 12pm-1pm – book online to receive details of how to join.
How to manage the uncomfortable when looking for employment or navigating challenges at work: Online workshop for Kent students on Thursday 16^th March 11:00 – 12:30 – book online to receive details of how to join.

Find peers:

Attend the neurodiversity cafe on Monday 13 March from 12:00 – 14:00.

What do you think?

Would you like to contribute your experience and perspective to conversations, podcasts or articles on this or other topics covered by Student Services (employability, support services, student wellbeing, faith and belonging, inclusion, student healthcare)? Please email StudentServicesWeb@kent.ac.uk – we welcome student and staff contributions.

Diamond Anniversary Orchard planting, 15 March

This academic year we have launched the Diamond Anniversary Orchard project and planned the planting of an orchard of over 300 fruit and nut trees. This project was designed to celebrate that most undergraduates starting this year will graduate in 2025 which is the University’s 60th birthday and it is hoped that our students can watch the orchard grow and be part of its transformation from grassland to a complete and flourishing space.

Help us plant more trees

We managed to plant some trees last week in the snow (!) but need your help to plant more. Our next planting session is Wednesday 15 March between 10:00-13:00. You can come for as long or as little as you like. There will be a full briefing at the beginning of the session and newcomers throughout will be paired up with someone that has been trained.

Why an orchard?

The Southern Slopes provides an ideal setting for a semi-natural orchard and meadow that will not only be a beautiful space for students, staff and community members to enjoy, but also provides a complex habitat that will boost biodiversity in the area.

Step one is planting the fruiting trees, which once mature, will provide future students with fruit and nuts that they can harvest and enjoy. Later this year we will be seeding wildflower seeds to create an understory meadow that we will cut swathes through proving a peaceful space to walk through and enjoy.

Because this orchard will be a mosaic of trees, grasses, shrubs, wildflowers, and a pond, it will support a wide range of wildlife. As fruit trees age quickly, they create the perfect habitats for invertebrates and birds, such as the lesser spotted woodpecker and the rare noble chafer beetle.

This unique habitat will also feature key elements for our human community bring people and nature together. Accessible pathing so everyone can enjoy the space; seating with a view for meditation, rest or socialising; an outdoor teaching area; and a bird hide to spot nature from a quiet vantage point.

All the elements will be tied together with a central point that marks the six academic divisions that make up our learning community, celebrating all the students that will be our class of 2025 and beyond.

Events roundup 13-19 March

Here’s a roundup of what’s on this week.

Online Module Registration (OMR) opens for undergraduate students on Wednesday 15 March. Find out more about choosing your modules for next year.

Industrial action reminder: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are UCU strike days, so your teaching may be affected on these days. The College and Community Life Team are offering drop-in support sessions on these days in Locke Building between 9:00-17:00. How to prepare for a strike day.

Monday: Graduation Message Day, Neurodiversity Café and PG Coffee Morning (Medway)

In your final year? On Monday head to the plaza outside Co-op to write a message about your time at Kent or a thank you message to friends or family. We’ll take a photo of you with your message and these will be displayed at graduation in July.

As part of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, we’re hosting our first Neurodiversity Café. The event is for students and staff who identify as neurodivergent (that is, who have or may have autism, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, Tourette’s) to get to know one another and share their experiences of neurodivergence at university.

Over Monday lunchtime we have a PG coffee morning in Rochester building at Medway campus. Come along to meet other PG students, staff from the Graduate and Researcher College and PG Network reps. If you’re an undergrad considering postgrad study, you’re also welcome to come along and find out more about the postgrad experience.

Wednesday: Diamond Orchard planting, Language Taster Sessions and Exam Chambers practice sessions

We managed to plant some trees last week in the snow (!) but need your help to plant more. We’re planting 300 trees in our new Diamond Orchard at Canterbury campus to mark our Diamond Anniversary in 2025. Our new undergraduates will graduate in 2025 when we’re celebrating our Diamond Anniversary! Be part of this legacy.

On Wednesday there are free language taster sessions as part of our Study Plus programme to help you develop new skills. You can try learning languages including Mandarin, Ukrainian and Italian. See all Study Plus sessions.

Student Learning Advisory Service (SLAS) are offering an exam practice session at Medway to help you improve your performance in exams and reduce any feelings of anxiety. There’s no revision and no marking, just an opportunity to practice. See all exams preparation events.

Friday: Gardening and Exam Essay Writing

Get involved at the Kent Community Oasis Garden, located near Park Wood at our Canterbury campus. Every Wednesday and Friday (10:00-14:00) there are open gardening sessions for students, staff and community members.

Starting to think about your exams? Join SLAS session about essay writing in exams, which includes a live presentation and time for questions.

See more student events.

Opportunities

Interested in postgrad study? Book your place at our Postgraduate Open Event on 1 April.
Funding for 2023 Summer Schools – the funding helps with the costs of attending 4-week summer schools at one of our international partner universities.

See more student opportunities.

Kent Stars: Kind Kent Mind

This month’s Kent Stars are the Kent Mind Society. A new society this year, Kent Mind has created supportive events for students and fundraised for charities including Mind and Student Minds. Hear from Shivali and Tommy at Kent Mind:

Shivali – “Hi, I’m Shivali. I am the President of Kent Mind Society and a third-year Economics student, looking at a career in Philanthropy after my involvement in many of the Community Action Groups here at Kent.”

Tommy – “Hi. My name is Tommy and I am the Campaigns Coordinator for Kent Mind Society. I’m an MSc by Research student in Computer Science and I’ve been a part of many societies throughout my four years at the University of Kent.”

Tell us about Kent Mind Society.

“Kent Mind Society is a very new society on campus, started in August, with the aims of creating safe and supportive spaces on campus, destigmatising conversations about mental health, and fundraising for Mind and Student Minds.

We founded Kent Mind to help with the demand for support as we face a student mental health crisis and our desire to enact change on campus. We’ve run a wide variety of events from socials, fundraisers and wellbeing drop-ins, and we’ve raised awareness for important dates like Disability History Month and Time To Talk Day.

Our greatest success this year was the launch of the ‘Safe Space’ initiative last term, providing a supportive environment with blankets, lights, board games and study materials for anyone who feels lonely, low or bored on a Friday night. This was a safe alternative to ‘Friday Night Drinks’, and we are excited to relaunch the initiative bigger and better in the Summer Term.

We’ve had the great privilege of working with other local charities such as Porchlight, supporting their NHS-commissioned project on 18-25 year olds who have experienced mental health crises.

We continued strong this term with our calendar of events for University Mental Health Day, including a Bingo Fundraiser at Woody’s and our Spring Prom at Venue. More details of upcoming events can be found on our Instagram (@kent_mind_society).”

What advice would you give to other students?

Tommy – “I think that it is important to remember that your mental health is the most important thing. It can be very easy for the university workload and life to get on top of us, and we need to remember that it is acceptable for us to take a step back and look after our own wellbeing.”

Shivali – “My best piece of advice is to take note and make sure to do at least one thing every day that’s just ‘time for myself’. Whether it’s 5 minutes of reflection, going for a walk or having a long bath, try and make time once a day to look after yourself.”

What are your plans for next year?

“During our summer term, we hope to continue our ‘Safe Spaces’ initiative to provide a chilled and relaxed space amongst all the exam-related stress.

In the next year, we would love to continue our fundraising schemes and collaborate with other Community Action Groups, sports clubs and societies to raise even more money for some great causes.

We’d also love to work closer with student committees to raise awareness of how to look out for your members and be considerate of mental health.”

See more Kent Stars and nominate a Kent Star.

Inclusive Language Think-in: you’re invited

Have you ever read an article, and event description, a social media post about disability, accessibility, neurodiversity or inclusion and thought ‘oh goodness, what a choice of words! Did it make you feel unwelcome because of the way it talked about disability, chronic illness, neurodivergence, race, gender, age, etc?

Or, have you tried to write about one of these topics, or about adjustments for an event or society meet up, and felt out of your depth and worried about what language to use to get your point across clearly and inclusively?

Language matters

Whatever form it’s written or spoken in, the right language can make a world of difference to inclusion. As we try to communicate more openly, honestly and succinctly in the new Kent brand, we need to be able to reach for some good phrases to discuss potentially sensitive issues and make sure we’re consulting all of our audiences for their input.

Let’s think it through together: Monday 27 March 10:30 – 11:30 online/ in DG02 (opposite Nexus) in Templeman Library

Students and staff are warmly invited to an informal hybrid session to think through the terms you’d like to see less of and the terms you’d like to see more of in our University of Kent copy – bring your lived experience, your expertise, or just an open mind and willingness to learn and discuss it together. We’ll try to come up with some practical notes we can use and share with others.

Book now so we know who to expect and can send you joining details for online participation, and share the details with others who you think might be interested!

Questions? Email WellbeingEvents@kent.ac.uk

Diamond Anniversary Orchard planting, 15 March