To Tell Or Not To Tell?

Why?

• Most universities now make adequate provisions for people with physical disabilities, but few have even heard of HFA/AS, let alone considered the possibility that it might affect any of their students. Many people still assume that if you can talk, let alone go to university, you can't really be autistic. If you have any special needs, or just want university staff to be aware of areas in which you may function differently, you may have to educate them yourself.
• Some people choose not to pursue a formal diagnosis, or not to tell university staff of their diagnosis - this is a personal decision (especially if you are concerned about privacy or think staff may be unsympathetic or even hostile, or if you are certain that your condition won't cause any problems), but it does make things harder if any autism-related problems do arise. See the Learning Disabilities Association's paper on To Tell Or Not To Tell.

  When?

• If you do choose to tell staff of your diagnosis, it's best not to leave it until a crisis makes it necessary, as this makes it more likely that ignorant people will assume that it's just an excuse. It's easier to get any unexpected special needs met if people have been informed of your disability well in advance. I've often opted for a little rehearsed speech running "I don't anticipate that this will cause any problems, but I think you ought to be aware of it now ..."

Who?

• Remember that you don't have to choose between "telling everyone" and "telling no-one". You can choose to tell a few people you trust, and ask them to keep it strictly confidential.

How?

• The most useful thing you can have is an official medical letter stating your diagnosis and giving a brief explanation of the ways it is likely to affect you (I've found mine so useful that I've photocopied it and make sure that I have a copy with me at all times). If you can anticipate in advance any special requirements you will have, ask your clinician to mention them specifically in the letter. Check out this sample university accomodations letter for an autistic student on Jim Sinclair's site.

  (If you haven't been formally diagnosed, check out the page of diagnostic resources).

• The second most useful thing you can have is a short paper explaining HFA/AS with particular reference to people of university age. The best thing I've found so far is the chapter by Tim Luckett and Stuart Powell entitled "Students with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome" in Special Teaching In Higher Education: successful strategies for access and inclusion, ed. Stuart Powell, Kogan Page, Ltd., May 2003.