SEN0308

 

Written evidence submitted by Open University Students Association

 

About us: This evidence is provided by the Open University Students Association. We represent the voice of Open University students. We are submitting evidence because the Neurodivergent Experience has been highlighted as a priority by our Student Leadership Team who advocate on behalf of Open University students.

Our student population varies in age, and some join the University in their teens. In 2024 4,992 students aged 16-19 registered for Open University study. The Open University is also the largest provider of higher education for people with disabilities: 38,991 students declaring a disability studied with the University in 2023/24.

The overlap between learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and those who are neurodivergent is widely appreciated, but we acknowledge that not all people who identify as Neurodivergent consider themselves disabled.

We advocate for additional resource for Higher Education institutions to be able to diagnose students who haven’t had sufficient access to assessment and additional funding to help universities provide adequate support for neurodivergent students.
 

What steps should be taken to improve the post-16 landscape for students with SEND? What reforms are needed to ensure that all post-16 qualifications meet the needs of students with SEND?

  1. In our Lifelong Learning Manifesto (June 2024) we championed the idea of government pursuing a joined-up approach to diagnosis of additional educational needs that brings together the health and social care sector and the education sector.
     
  2. We highlighted the challenge faced by students seeking diagnosis for a neurodivergent condition. This poses various challenges and can impact on the quality of study experience. Not everyone with a condition is confident in their self-diagnosis and they may be deprived of the relevant support and experience distress as a result.
     
  3. In 2024 we carried out an online survey with neurodivergent students from The Open University (n=241). 27% of respondents were self-diagnosed as neurodivergent, 44% of which had given up on accessing an official diagnosis due to long waiting lists.
     
  4. We support the approach of helping to clear the diagnosis back-log ahead of post-16 study by providing HE Institutions with sufficient numbers of trained assessors who can remotely diagnose University students. To mitigate the need for HE Institutions to take on this role in future we suggest better provision for diagnosis amongst school-age children.
     
  5. Our 2024 Neurodivergent Student Support Survey revealed that students with a condition were in favour of study sessions designed specifically for neurodivergent students (73% positivity rating). On a list of training areas for tutors from their institution the majority (77%) agreed that Understanding Neurodiversity was a priority. This was closely followed by Effective Communication Strategies (73%) and Adapting Teaching Methods (67%). To see real improvement in these areas HE institutions require the funding to put these provisions in place.

 

 

If you have any further questions please contact: oustudents-voice@open.ac.uk
(Kate Dungate, Open University Students Association)

 


SEN0308


 

  1. The issue is: An insufficient proportion of students are being diagnosed ahead of their post-16 studies.

    Recommendation: We advocate for adequate resource for Higher Education institutions, so that they can provide a sufficient number of highly trained assessors, as well as appropriate support to students with additional educational needs (this includes apprenticeship providers).
     
  2. These reforms would aim to create a more inclusive and supportive post-16 qualification landscape, which could empower students with SEND to achieve their potential. It is also important to note that education is not just for “young people.” Increasingly, people have multiple careers throughout their lives, and that leads them to require additional training and qualifications. This process may reveal special educational needs, disabilities, and neurodivergent conditions that were not obvious, or not addressed earlier in life.

 

  1. Our experience of listening to neurodivergent students shows that those who are undiagnosed face significant frustrations throughout their battle to receive a diagnosis and many give up trying along the way. For example, institutions providing diagnoses such as the ADHD Foundation are (at the time of writing) not able to take on any more cases. The neurodivergent students we’ve spoken with are often highly motivated, having chosen to study at The Open University, because it is a more accessible option suiting their needs, but the barriers to an official diagnosis, especially once outside of the school system, can limit their chances of educational success.
     
  2. The aspiration to create a system of lifelong learning necessitates the need for a parallel system that supports lifelong access to learning support, including diagnostic services. This needs to be addressed systemically, with joined-up thinking across education, healthcare, and local government, and from a higher-education perspective, involving the expertise of education providers and student representation in process design, to create the greatest chance of success.

 

 

 

 

January 2025

 

 

If you have any further questions please contact: oustudents-voice@open.ac.uk
(Kate Dungate, Open University Students Association)