Results day can be a high-stress experience for any learner, but for neurodivergent students, it can present unique challenges that require thoughtful and proactive support. Your role as tutors and advisers is to help these students feel safe, understood, and empowered during this critical time. This guide, whilst not exhaustive, has some top tips and strategies for preparing neurodivergent students navigating results day and Clearing.
Understand the challenges
Neurodivergent students may experience:
- sensory overload in busy, noisy environments
- difficulty processing unexpected outcomes
- challenges with executive functioning, such as organising and finding application documents or making phone calls
- heightened anxiety around social situations or decision-making
Prepare in advance
Preparation is key. Consider:
- pre-results day planning sessions: offer one-to-one or small group sessions to walk through what to expect on the day, including possible outcomes and next steps. UCAS resouces can help with this
- visual guides and checklists: providing clear, step-by-step resources for the day’s process and what students might need to do
- guide students to make a list of the universities they have already applied to, along with their Clearing contact details. Students may have already attended open days during the application cycle, which may help with familiarity
- role-playing scenarios: practise phone calls or conversations they might need to have with universities
Create a neurodivergent-friendly environment
On the day itself:
- set up a quiet, low-stimulation space where students can open their results or take a break
- use clear, calm communication, avoiding jargon and being patient with processing time
- have familiar staff available who know the student and can offer reassurance
- support and reassurance are vital, as some students may need extra processing time for unexpected results. Consider providing support in the days after results day to allow for this if you can
- even if a student receives grades below their predicted or published entry requirements, advise them to contact their first-choice university first. There may be other courses available that can help with familiarity
Support through the Clearing process
The Clearing process can feel overwhelming. You can help by:
- offering structured support by sitting with students as they navigate UCAS or make phone calls to universities
- providing scripts or templates for phone conversations with universities, with space for key information such as their grades and UCAS Personal ID
- encouraging self-advocacy whilst being ready to step in where needed
Additional tips
- Many universities now have adviswrs available via their social media channels, which can be a good way to have initial conversations if phone calls are overwhelming.
- It can be useful to have a list of Clearing contact details so students can easily access these if needed, rather than becoming frustrated searching on the internet.
- Some courses, such as nursing, will offer on-the-spot interviews during Clearing, which can feel overwhelming. Reassure students that it’s ok to request a call back the following day if this is more comfortable.
- If you have completed a strengths identification, it can be useful to revisit this if their chosen course is full. It can help identify other courses they're interested in to discuss with the university.
- Encourage students to disclose any specific support needs on the telephone call, so advisers can make appropriate adjustments during conversations.
Final thoughts
Supporting neurodivergent students on results day isn’t just about academic outcomes, as ultimately one person’s meaning of success is different to another's. With the right preparation and on-the-day strategies, you can help this milestone be a positive and empowering experience.
UCAS step-by-step guides for students
We've created some engaging animated videos you can share with your students to help them understand the results day and Clearing processes.
