JOHN Leggott College student Emily Midwinter has overcome the hurdles of a late Asperger Syndrome diagnosis, coupled with mental and emotional difficulties, to realise her dream of studying at university.
After three years of personalised support from the Learning Support team, Emily is embarking on a degree in Media Production: Journalism at York St John University.
For a student who started college with low confidence and communication skills, Emily is virtually unrecognisable from when she first walked through its doors.
Elaine Jowett, Learning Support Assistant at John Leggott College, said: “Emily struggled at school and found it difficult to communicate with staff. Her parents were very concerned about her transition to college, but our team assured them we would do everything to help with her transition, progression, confidence and independence.
“We tried different ways of communicating with Emily, initially through email but then through 1-1 meetings, encouraging and securing her trust in us until she became a regular visitor to our office. Her ability to communicate flourished, but going to university was a very scary prospect for her, and something she didn’t believe she would achieve.
Read more at: http://www.scunthorpetelegraph.co.uk/news/scunthorpe-news/university-bound-emily-overcomes-mental-309475
