Information for parents and family carers
Information for family, friends and carers wishing to help a student access relevant support at the University.
Please be aware that support arrangements do not happen automatically
The best thing you can do is to encourage the student to make contact with the Disability and Learning Support Service as soon as possible. It can often be helpful to discuss any issues or concerns before applying to study at the University. Otherwise, the student should be encouraged to speak to someone in the Service as near to the start of the semester as possible.
The transition from school
Often the parents/family carers of students with a disability or unseen health condition ( e.g. chronic fatigue, mental health conditions) have had to work closely with the school to ensure appropriate support is put in place. Similarly, for students with Specific Learning Differences or neurodiverse conditions (e.g. dyslexia, AD(H)D) or an Autistic Spectrum Condition) family carers are likely to have been very involved in their child’s education. We realise that sometimes family carers have had a struggle to have the needs of their student recognised and adequately supported. However, once they have left school, most students are regarded as being in charge of their own support. This means that we cannot respond directly to family carers and can only work directly with the student.
The transition to university is a big step for all students, but particularly for those with additional support requirements. It can be difficult to find out what needs to be done and the appropriate times to do so. We want to ensure that every student is adequately supported, and hope that you (and they) find the information on our website helpful.
Although we are pleased to give general advice, it is best if the student contacts the Student Disability Service to discuss their support requirements.
We are happy to provide general background information to family carers. However, we are bound by Data Protection Law and must respect a student’s confidentiality. This means that we cannot discuss a student's progress with you unless we have written permission from them to do so. Even with the student's permission this will be at the discretion of the Advisor at the Disability and Learning Support Service.
Parents, guardians and carers are welcome to accompany their student to an appointment and, with the student’s permission, may attend the first 10-15 minutes of the appointment. However it is generally recommended that students attend appointments independently unless there are exceptional circumstances precluding the student from doing so.
If you are worried that your student is not coping well with their studies, and you consider they are seriously unwell, please advise them to contact their GP in the first instance. You can also encourage them to come to the Disability and Learning Support Service to speak to an Advisor. The links below might also provide helpful background information, depending on the specific circumstances.
If family, friends and carers need to inform us of an emergency situation relating to a student, please call Security on 0131 650 2257 and they can direct you to the appropriate support.
For many students who have received support or adjustments at school or college the transition to university can be confusing and hard to navigate, not least because the language and terminology used about Special Educational Needs (SEN), disability and support is very different. This can prevent some students from accessing the support they need. This short guidance document, written by Harriet Cannon with the support of NADP Members, aims to clarify the process and changes in terminology.