Navigating the Neurotypical University
Bringing together current research with lived experience, this book considers the challenges of being an autistic woman in postgraduate education with the aim to raise awareness, challenge misconceptions and ignite change within the system.
Despite strong numbers of autistic students attending higher education, and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) drives within academia to increase the number of disabled graduates undertaking further study, autistic postgraduate students are defined as having poorer outcomes than autistic people without degrees. This book will consider the ‘unseen’ challenges autistic women in postgraduate education may experience, with the aim to raise awareness and help to reduce this discrepancy. Combining a holistic view of up-to-date literature with personal experience, the author will discuss some of the stereotypical beliefs that surround autism, highlighting stigma but also dispelling misconceptions, and will explore how these experiences may be transferrable to other disabled and minority students.