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How to address neurodiversity for law students
For law students with neurodiverse conditions, how can higher education institutions make study more accessible? The president of the Australian Law Students Association weighs in.
Jess Feyder
Recently on The Protégé Podcast, the president of the Australian Law Students Association (ALSA), Annabel Biscotto, spoke with Jerome Doraisamy about neurodiversity and disability in higher education.
For law students facing neurodiverse symptoms, many find it much harder to get through university studies, Ms Biscotto explained, meaning some can’t graduate, because they don’t have a supportive environment in place.
Australia prides itself in multiculturalism and diversity, which extends to different ethnicities and backgrounds but also to different mental states and conditions, she explained, but “how are we going to get neurodiverse people in the legal profession if they can’t get past university to actually get there?”
Raising awareness and providing adaptations are key to addressing the issue, Ms Biscotto explained.
“While we don’t all have neurodiverse conditions, we would all know someone that does,” she said, “there’s a lot of ground to cover to make people more aware”.
“Workplaces can adapt and learn more about how to better support people.
“A lot of workplaces offer awareness training, yet those sessions usually focus more on disabilities that are visible and how to support those people. But the unique thing about neurodiverse conditions is that they aren’t visible. You can’t tell.”
“It’s so important that this disability awareness training is pushed to as many people as possible,” she explained, “because then you’re teaching people to support others in the workplace”.
“Having options for us and making learning more accessible and engaging for students is paramount.
“People could be capable of so much more if there were just small arrangements and adjustments that could be made to help them do well in their studies.”
Ms Biscotto noted that progress is already being made.
“We have a lot of other neurodivergent individuals on the [ALSA] committee,” she said. “It’s great to see people like us make it this far and to get into these positions, which I think is a great sign and a testament to what’s come in the future.”
Ms Biscotto was asked what she would say if she had all of the big decisions made together in a room — managing partners of big firms, general counsel of big business, and barristers.
“There are so many people out there that are struggling and facing hardships,” she said. “You can improve their quality of life by just making small changes.
“I would tell them, ‘Go speak to your family members. Go speak to some friends. See if they’ve got any kids with disabilities. Kids with ADHD, with autism, and see how they react [to] the world. Do you want them to be able to grow up and succeed in life?’”
