Abstract:

UPC is a Technical University that only provides studies in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) area. Currently, it is unlawful for universities and colleges to discriminate against students with disabilities (which includes those on the autistic spectrum) by treating them less favourably. MEET-UP is a support program at the UPC designed to fulfill this legal duty. Rules and strategies have been designed at the UPC for making 'reasonable adjustments' so that students with ASD (Austistic Spectrum Disorder) are not put at a substantial disadvantage and ensuring that ASD students can fully participate in all aspects of studying, including education and other benefits such as social activities and the use of student facilities and services.

At present, there is a big push by the government for higher education settings such as universities to move towards inclusive practice. These include:
• making key reading resources and lecture slides available online and in advance of classes
• the use of a variety of assessment methods (1-1 presentations, take-home exam papers, essays, multiple-choice exams)
• allowing the use of recording devices and laptops in lectures, seminars and exams as standard.
• Extra time in exams.

However, students with ASD often undergo stress and experience difficulty in the transition to college or in assessment periods. For this reason the UPC launched the MEET-UP orientation program to help such students in universitary life by designing follow-up monthly sessions supported by psicologists from the ASAC (Catalan Asperger Association) and UPC administrative and academic staff.

MEET-UP was launched at the 2017-18 academic year. A person-centered rather than a “one size fits all” approach is applied and students are actively involved in the program. Individual and group sessions have been designed. Individual sessions depend on student needs and group sessions are monthly scheduled in a face to face relaxed context (during COVID-19 quarantine were moved to videoconference system).

Monthly group sessions consist of face-to-face meetings with the students forming the pilot group and a final lunch. The objectives of these meetings are as follows:
• To combat isolation and loneliness: make students aware that they are not alone. Help them to build a friendship network,
• To pre-empt additional difficulties: Reduce stress, obtain support and understanding from others,
• Identity development: Recognize themselves in others, increase self-esteem, learn how to tell others about ASD, and
• Learn social rules and communication skills: make the group itself a place for social interaction, training social competences in a safe environment.

A secondary goal of the program involves to carry out screening questionnaires to assess pre-post results and program effectivity. The students fill four different questionnaires before the session’s beginning at the end of the academic year:
• The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) test is used to assess levels of anxiety.
• The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) test to evaluate depressive symptoms.
• The Empathy Questionnaire (EQ) is used to measure empathy difficulties.
•The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) test to measure its ASD characteristics.

Significant improvement in their abilities in social interaction and reciprocity has been observed after analyzing the EQ questionnaires.

Keywords:

Autistic Disorder, Support program, Universitary life.