đŸ Archived View for eir.mooo.com âș nuacht âș iarm716746876007.gmi captured on 2023-01-29 at 03:23:49. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
26 Jan
Located in the main campus library, studentsâ union hub, and engineering building, the quiet spaces are fitted out with specialist furniture which promotes a sense of calm, reducing anxiety and stress.
Unveiling the quiet spaces, Senator Carrigy called inclusivity in higher education âkeyâ and emphasised the importance of having supports in place to enable autistic students to âmaximise their ability and get that qualificationâ.
âKnowing that TUS has these quiet spaces and supports in place for autistic students, it means a lot, particularly for parents to know that when their child goes to college, they will get that wraparound service.
âAs a father of a son with autism, Iâm looking into the future, and I want to see him progress as much as he can within education, and to have a facility like this quite close to home, it is fantastic,â Senator Carrigy stated.
According to Lisa Hanlon, disability officer at TUS, it is extremely important that autistic students have a place where they can go to get a break if they feel overwhelmed or stressed.
âA lot of students with autism âmaskâ, which means they try their best all of the time to fit in with the neurotypical environment, which can be exhausting for them.
âAutistic peopleâs brains process their surroundings differently from their non-autistic peers, often making them more sensitive to their sensory surroundings.
âClass can be loud and busy; there can be a lot going on and a lot of people moving about on campus at any given time. These quiet spaces are purposely located in low traffic areas, where autistic students can escape to, sit down and recharge until they are ready to re-join their peers,â Ms Hanlon added.
TUSâs VP for Student Education and Experience said this is about providing âperson-centred supportâ and adapting the university environment to make it more accessible to and inclusive of autistic students.
âNationally, weâre seeing year-onâyear increases in the numbers of students with autism. It is fantastic to see those students entering third level and we wanted to make adaptions to ensure TUS is welcoming to these students, so we created these quiet spaces.
âOur goal is to broaden participation in higher education and to do that we need to make sure it is accessible to all. The launch of our new quiet spaces today is yet another example of the actions we are taking to break down barriers to higher education and ensure all students feel fully supported from the moment they walk through our door.
âThis is about giving them the tools they need to thrive,â Ms Frances OâConnell said.
Earlier this year, TUS launched a special âAutism&Uniâ toolkit with the aim of helping autistic students navigate the transition to third level.
The toolkit, available online, is packed full of guidance, information, and strategies to help autistic students in overcoming commonly faced challenges.