If you choose to have your Study Needs Assessment at Keele University Outreach Access Centre , the team will be pleased to meet with you and aim to ensure you have access to the most effective support available to assist you in your studies.

Once you have applied for DSA and been given approval to have a needs assessment you can contact us to arrange a date. You will meet with a Needs Assessor at Keele, and the assessment will last for about one hour and thirty minutes. ( Due to Coronavirus this may happen by a video call)

The Needs Assessment will allow you to fully discuss your individual support needs, so it is good to plan and prepare a list of issues and the kinds of support that you think you will need to access your course. We want you to fully participate in the assessment.

The assessment will cover:

• Your disability and/or medical condition and the impact it has on your learning
• Previous education/employment details
• Discussion of your course’s content
• Effects of your disability on study
• Demonstration of specialist equipment and software
• Recommendations for support
• Recommendations for any institutional arrangements

In advance of the Needs Assessment appointment, it would be good if you could think about some of the following areas:

• Study skills that you may have difficulty with. This could include, for example, reading and research, or attending lectures with large numbers of students
• Drafting assignments
• Your time management and organisational skills
• Exam arrangements
• How you cope with practical work
• Any accommodation issues
• For more information have a look at  What is the Study Needs Assessment?

If you have any access needs or preferences to enable you to fully participate in the assessment, please do let us know. It is very important to us that you are able to express your views and opinions so that we can ensure you get the most out of this process and that the recommendations we make are appropriate to your individual requirements.

Recommendations will vary from person to person, depending on your course, how your autism affects you and the impact on your studies. DSA can offer an immense about of support if you choose to engage with the assessment process and the actively follow up the recommendations.

All recommendations must be considered in relation to the DSA regulations and guidance.

For any queries please email support.dds@keele.ac.uk