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Navigating university life (Image by Caleb Oquendo on Pexels)

Students who identify as having neurodivergences such as autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or dyslexia are increasingly represented in higher education; however, without adequate support, they often face significant academic, social and wellbeing challenges (Le Cunff et al., 2025). Despite these systemic barriers, there is a ‘sparsity of evidence about the experiences of neurodivergent students and staff in higher education’ in the UK (p. 2). Without this robust evidence, universities risk not providing appropriate support to ensure equitable experiences and outcomes. As Butcher and Lane (2025) have shown in the Australian context, this can cause systemic issues and, ‘by failing to prioritise accessibility in education, cycles of ignorance, exclusion, and marginalisation perpetuate’ (p. 244).

To address the lack of research into neurodivergent experiences in UK higher education, we recently undertook an action research project drawing on interviews and focus groups with neurodivergent undergraduates. The ongoing phase of the project aims to co-construct a supportive toolkit for students to support their success. Most student participants identified as having ADHD and/or being autistic, but some students disclosed obsessive compulsive disorder, dyspraxia and dyslexia diagnoses. The students represented diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and gender identities.

Academic systems and institutional bureaucracy

‘Students who weren’t diagnosed before university experienced personal struggles and systemic resource disparities during the diagnosis process.’

The initial findings of our research suggest that, for many students, the transition from secondary school to university was challenging and non-linear and often included interruptions and time off. Students who weren’t diagnosed before university experienced personal struggles and systemic resource disparities during the diagnosis process. Although students appreciated supportive staff, they noted that existing support relied on their ongoing self-advocacy, which was challenging due to the stigma around neurodivergence, the desire to maintain independence, or the inability to reach out for help due to executive dysfunction or socioemotional reasons. One student explained, ‘It’s always the bureaucratic barriers that are getting in the way for me’. Another shared:

It’s just because of the rigidness of systems that neurodivergence becomes a disability, so if everybody would just chill the heck out and be a bit less bloody demanding, then a lot of the challenges with it would fade and people would be less unhappy all the time.

Wellbeing and mental health

Many students also shared a co-occurrence of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, eating disorders and substance abuse. Students often reached a crisis before receiving support, and many expressed a desire to drop out of university. One student shared:

I definitely noticed a major dip in my mental health. I wouldn’t leave my flat. I wouldn’t go to university because I didn’t have any friends, but also because I just felt so unsupported that it just kind of everything came crashing down.

Many participants described similar challenges in maintaining their wellbeing when adjusting to university life, including what one student described as the spatial and sensory ‘overwhelm of campus, of so many people all the time, everywhere, and so much noise’.

Holistic understandings of neurodivergence

Students also shared the importance of viewing neurodivergent experiences holistically and understanding that their challenges and successes were often not consistent. Students explained that their whole lives were impacted by neurodivergence – not just academic study. One student explained: ‘Neurodivergence is everything: it’s fundamental to who you are as a person and there’s nothing in your life that it doesn’t really touch.’ Students often described periods of burnout and struggle as well as periods of ‘high performance’ and thriving. Students also noted how intersectional identities impacted their experiences with neurodivergence and created additional challenges particularly surrounding class, race, ethnicity, gender identity and sexuality which they felt universities could better understand.

Action steps

Overall, students advocated for greater provision of support including executive function resources, mentoring and mental health and wellbeing support, guidance on advocacy with staff and spaces to connect with like-minded students, and support for navigating university systems and protocols. While our forthcoming toolkit aims to provide resources in these areas, we encourage universities to listen to neurodivergent student experiences, invest materially in supporting them, and question how best they can address societal and institutional ableism and inequities.

References

Butcher, L., & Lane, S. (2025). Neurodivergent (autism and ADHD) student experiences of access and inclusion in higher education: An ecological systems theory perspective. Higher Education, 90(1), 243–263.

Le Cunff, A.-L., Ross, F., Westwood, S. J., Koya, S., Caldwell, D. M., Russell, A. E., & Dommett, E. J. (2025). Key research questions to support neurodiversity in higher education: A participatory priority setting exercise. Education Sciences, 15(7), 839.