What we offer Our dedicated team of Specialist Mentors and Mental Health Mentors offer support to students to help them succeed in their studies. What does a Specialist Mentor actually do? A Specialist Mentor provides one-to-one support for autistic students in higher education. The support helps identify various barriers to the students learning and support strategies to overcome them. What happens at a mentor session? Our Specialist Mentors will meet students, on campus, on a regular basis and are trained to assist in a wide range of areas, including: Getting settled into university life Accessing university resources and social opportunities Time management and organisational skills Planning and starting assignments Developing communication and group work skills Managing stress and anxiety Preparing for exam revision Maintaining motivation Specialist Mentoring support provides dedicated time spent discussing your needs, setting actions and reviewing goals. This type of support is usually on a one-to-one basis with your advisor and typically takes between 1-2 hours for each session. Our Specialist Mentors have all undertaken degree level qualifications and are familiar with university processes. They are also highly trained and experienced autism specialists. What does a Mental Health Mentor do? Our Mental Health Mentors support students to develop learning strategies to assist them in overcoming difficulties associated with mental health. What happens at a mentor session? During your sessions our Mental Health Mentors will provide coaching in the following areas: Motivation and goal setting Strategies for effective time management, organisational skills and study/exam preparation skills Study related stress or anxiety management Assist students to better understand their illness and how to manage symptoms, signs and triggers to assist them with management of their condition Help students to develop coping skills and where appropriate support the employment of self-help strategies, such as stress apps and independent study techniques Develop an agreed learning plan which is appropriate to the students’ needs and demonstrates the development of techniques and strategies which will help to promote independent learning and progression Who is eligible for the service? Specialist Mentoring is suitable for anyone who: Is undertaking Higher Education Is studying in the North East of England Is eligible or in receipt of Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) DSA is support to cover the study-related costs you have because of a mental health problem, long term illness or any other disability. The type of support and how much you get depends on your individual needs - not your household income. You do not have to payback DSA. Find out more about DSA here. Contact us. Manage Cookie Preferences