BACK TO CONTENTS 13 UNITE STUDENTS | MEETING THE NEEDS OF NEURODIVERGENT STUDENTS FOCUS GROUP FINDINGS Some students talked about sensitivity to bright lights and the connotations it had for them as a ‘hospital’ environment, especially a psychiatric hospital. Lower lighting or the ability to dim lights would make a lot of difference to their comfort. Every time I turn on the lights in my room I have to suffer because there’s two lamps that go on simultaneously and they’re very bright... Just something to prevent your eyes from bleeding. Mattress comfort was also raised by a student who had additional chronic illnesses, and who had spent their own money on a mattress topper in order to be able to sleep. The ability to use common spaces in the accommodation was also a key theme. Students spoke about not feeling comfortable at first to use shared kitchens, and having periods of ‘hibernation’ in which they kept to their rooms. This made it very difficult to eat well. I think it took me four months to start using the common kitchen because I always came out at night... Because it was quiet and dark and no people, it was just perfect. A need for privacy was also mentioned, and the stress of using communal bathrooms, and yet they felt unclear about whether being neurodivergent would be considered a valid reason for requesting an en-suite.