I made a request on Twitter for people working or studying in academia to share what adjustments or accommodations work to make things better for them. As usual, #AutisticsInAcademia came through, and made some great suggestions. I’ve compiled them into a list below.

You can find the original thread (including some wider discussion of relevant issues) here: https://twitter.com/LoomesGill/status/1147086537210904576

You can follow me on Twitter @Loomesgill

And you can keep in touch with autistic people working/studying in academia internationally via the hashtag: #AutisticsInAcademia

Here are the things that #AutisticsInAcademia have found useful:

• Having someone outside of the institution to provide advice and support.

• Attending meetings and events via video-conferencing.

• Clear expectations.

• Captions for video/audio.

• Option to work from home.

• Following things up in writing, as verbal instructions/discussions can be forgotten.

• Using (noise-cancelling) headphones in open-plan or shared offices.

• Working part-time.

• Using lamps instead of strip-lights.

• Having a designated desk, rather than hot-desking.

• Context and detail when people ask questions.

• Having unspoken/unwritten rules written down.

• Flexible working.

• Having a mentor.

• Mental health support.

• Access to quiet space.

• Autism training for colleagues.

• Prior notice, and support during changes.

• Warning about any noisy/crowded events on campus.

• Accessible parking.

• Support with admin and form-filling.

• Recording meetings and classes.

• Completing work orally, rather than in writing.

• Access to a note-taker.

• Access to pdf documents to read with screen-reader.

Do you have any further suggestions? Or any comments about being #AutisticsInAcademia? Feel free to respond in the Comments Section. I’ll update this article periodically to expand our discussion.