Dr Donald Maciver is a Lecturer in Occupational Therapy at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. Donald was part of the team that led the development of the Autism&Uni Toolkit at QMU.
The university experience can be incredibly rewarding but for some autistic students, it can also bring some difficulties. Sensory overload, unclear expectations from staff, and a lack of tailored support can turn what should be an exciting new chapter into a source of stress and anxiety. We wanted to change that.
As someone who is passionate about neurodiversity and inclusive education, seeing universities around the UK implement the Autism&Uni Toolkit seemed like a really exciting development. I also work in a research team focused on neuro-affirming practice and working closely with neurodivergent people so had lots of ideas about how to put our own spin on our version of the Toolkit at QMU, and offer practical strategies and guidance to our students.
I’ve been closely involved in developing this Toolkit alongside colleagues and students from across QMU and we’re proud to be one of the first institutions in Scotland to launch our own Autism&Uni support site.
This Toolkit isn’t just for students with a formal diagnosis, it’s for anyone who identifies as neurodivergent or faces similar challenges. We’ve designed it in collaboration with autistic students and staff, and we hope it reflects their voices, priorities, and lived experiences.
For me, this project is about more than just a website. It’s part of a broader movement to create an inclusive and neuro-affirming university culture. We hope to improve access and help more students succeed and feel they belong.
We express thanks to Marc Fabri and all contributors to the Autism&Uni Toolkit project as we know it will make a huge difference to our staff and students at QMU.
Explore QMU’s Toolkit: https://qmu.autism-uni.org
For the full press release, visit https://www.qmu.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2025/2025603-qmu-launches-support-site-for-autistic-students