Volunteer work as a mentor professor for students with Asperger’s syndrome as part of the Inclusive University of Applied Sciences initiative. Please use the email address manfred.bartel[at]hs-aalen.de for initial contact
Inclusive University of Applied Sciences
In Germany, the estimated number of unreported cases of depression ranges from 10 to 20 million (11.9–23.8%). Prevalence: In 2024, 17.0% of adults in outpatient care in Germany received a diagnosis of depression. At 20.4%, the rate was higher among women than among men (12.8%). Former victims of school bullying certainly hope that moving on to an academic institution will put an end to the bullying. If the bullies have not been weeded out of their schools, they can, of course, continue to wreak havoc at academic institutions.
Seeing the world through different eyes—students with autism share their experiences
Finally meeting others who feel the same way. A group at the University of Applied Sciences makes it possible. Students with autism meet weekly during the semester at the University of Applied Sciences to discuss visible and invisible barriers and how to break them down.
Most neurotypical people think they know what it’s like to be autistic, for example from the movie “RainMan”1. As with so many fads, the idea has taken hold worldwide that the character Raymond, played by Dustin Hoffman, is autistic—but he isn’t; he is an “amazing savant,” he has a specific talent.
Autism, on the other hand, affects 1% of the world’s population, which amounts to 74.7 million people with autism worldwide. Due to the wide range of individuality and personality, the term used is German ASS—Autism Spectrum Disorder (English ASD—autism spectrum disorder or ASC—autism spectrum condition)2. People with autism who have an average to very high IQ may be capable of pursuing higher education. However, 40% of people with autism have ADHD—Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder—as a comorbid condition. Due to these differences, they require targeted support. Neurotypical individuals with ADHD or depression should also seek support.
People with autism perceive the world differently than neurotypical people, which is why they are referred to as autistic. They could lead an almostnormal3 life if there were more knowledge about autism in the neurotypical environment.
The key difference between autistic and neurotypical people lies in the varying degrees of “social cognition.” Social contexts are perceived and evaluated differently by these two groups of people, which ultimately results in different social behaviors. Both sides are alien to one another and therefore often reject each other. Without bidirectional communication and mutual education, mutual inclusion is not possible.
Nonverbal neurotypical cues are difficult for autistic people to decipher. Autistic people tend to avoid social contact with neurotypicals because they are unsure how to interpret their social cues. This leads to many misunderstandings that can result in a complete breakdown of contact.
In highly industrialized societies such as Germany’s, learning and work processes are predominantly organized around the division of labor, in the form of team projects. During their studies, this organizational structure poses problems for autistic individuals, as contact with fellow students is essential for learning and academic success. Team projects, presentations, and coordination meetings are part of students’ daily lives. This daily, fast-paced flood of information clashes with common attention and learning difficulties. People with autism need more time to master the course material and support that enables them to prepare for exams in a structured way.
In response to these problems and the specific challenges faced by students with autism, a group was founded at Aalen University of Applied Sciences that has been supporting them since the winter semester of 2017. The goal is to help students help themselves; that is, members of the autism group provide each other with tips and support.
One of the group’s goals is to raise awareness within the University of Applied Sciences of the specific needs and challenges faced by students with autism and to improve students’ daily academic lives through concrete measures.
SCPs4 – Social Credit Points – are awarded as an incentive to participate. The following requirements must be met:
An attendance list is kept. Participants must have attended a specified percentage of the scheduled meetings.
A brief summary must be submitted to the university advisors at the end of the semester. This short report gives the organizers insight into the relevance participants assign to these meetings.
Anyone who would like to know more about the group can contact the Central Student Advisory Service
The distinction between early-onset, atypical, and Asperger’s autism has been abandoned both internationally and nationally, as it was not possible to make a sufficiently precise diagnostic distinction.
[3]
Regarding the term “normal,” you should read the book “Ludger Tebartz van Elst, Autism and ADHD. Between Variation from the Norm, Personality Disorder, and Neuropsychiatric Illness, 2015, Kohlhammer-Verlag,” which is available at the Aalen University of Applied Sciences Library.
Generated with the AI software SUMM (https://summ-ai.com) “We make the digital world accessible. Translate any text into plain language with our AI-based tool—fast, affordable, and straightforward. True to our motto: Plain language—made easy.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Students with autism share their experiences. They share their experiences. Students with autism meet in the university group. The group meets every week. They talk about what it’s like to study with autism. And how to overcome obstacles. Many people think: I know what someone with autism is like. For example, from the movie: Rain Man. [1] In the movie, Dustin Hoffman plays the role of Raymond. Many people think: Raymond is autistic. But he isn’t autistic. Raymond has an intellectual disability. And he has a savant skill. That means: He knows a great deal about one specific area. People also say: He is an amazing savant. 1% of people have autism. This means: 74.7 million people worldwide have autism. People with autism are all different. [2] Some have a normal IQ. Others have a high IQ. People with autism can also go to college. 40% of people with autism also have ADHD. ADHD stands for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Support is beneficial for people with autism and ADHD. People without autism should also receive support: if they have ADHD or are depressed. People with autism see the world differently. [3] That is why we refer to them as autistic people. If everyone knew more about autism: then people with autism can lead a good life. It is important: Both sides must understand each other. Both sides need to keep each other informed. Then both sides can live together well. Some people can’t always show their feelings. People with autism can’t always understand other people well. That’s why people with autism often don’t want to be around other people. Because they don’t always know: What does the other person want from me? Maybe the other person won’t understand me anymore. In some countries, industry is very strong. For example, in Germany. In these countries, people often work together. This is also called a team. This is very important when studying. You learn together with others. And you have to get along well with the others. Many people with autism don’t handle this very well. That’s a shame for the students. But it’s also a shame for society. Aalen University has founded a group for people with autism. The group helps people with autism. The group offers advice and support to people with autism. The group aims to identify the special needs of students with autism. And the group wants to provide special assistance for students with autism. The group gives points for good behavior. People with autism can do as well as possible. The group says: You must meet the following requirements: There is an attendance list. Participants must attend a certain percentage of the meetings. Participants must write a short report at the end of each semester. In this report, participants state: - What they expect from the meetings. - What they take away from the meetings. You can contact the Central Academic Advising Office about this. The email address is: student advisory service@hs-aalen.de Or you can contact Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Bartel. The email address is: manfred.bartel[at]hs-aalen.de
[2] There are various classifications among autism specialists. Early-onset autism, atypical autism, and Asperger’s syndrome. This distinction no longer exists.
[3] The word “normal” is a difficult word. Ludger Tebartz van Elst’s book asks: What is normal? And what is a disorder? The book is titled: Autism and ADHD. Between a variant of the norm, a personality disorder, and neuropsychiatric illness. The Aalen University of Applied Sciences Library has the book.
University Coaching for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
The articles provided here offer background information and a general framework for a “university autism coaching concept” aimed at “preemptive accommodation.” This serves as a supplement to the “reactive accommodation” currently available. This form of disadvantage compensation, developed specifically for people with autism, was tested at Aalen University of Applied Sciences from 2015 to 2022. Specialized articles are being developed one by one and made available here.
If you are interested in the Neuro Round Table, please download the flyer. Two dates are available for an initial meeting. You do not need to register.
The documents provided here represent a compilation of globally available information and guidance regarding the topic of "Neurodivergent Suicidal Tendencies and Suicide." The information and guidance pertain to a highly diverse spectrum of individuals, making any generalizations virtually impossible. Nevertheless, an attempt is made here to provide some general guidance. If this guidance is implemented, there is always a risk that it may not work for a specific individual or may even be counterproductive. Therefore, the author cannot assume any responsibility for specific applications. No guarantee can be given that the guidance will achieve the desired effects.
Emergency Medical Care for People with Autism - There are no uniform, global guidelines for the admission of people with autism to clinical emergency facilities. Based on the available information, several important aspects can be identified that must be taken into account in the emergency care of people with autism.
To prevent from the outset a low mood that can develop into depression—leading to loneliness and social isolation and potentially triggering suicidal tendencies—a self-therapy approach is described for reframing negative (self-)perceptions – Permanent realignment of life and perception of the world.
Thirty years ago, Edwin Shneidman identified 10 commonalities among the suicides he observed. They can be used for self- and external observation to specifically address suicidal individuals regarding their suicidal tendencies, thereby relieving their distress and potentially halting an already active downward spiral.
In the US and UK, many autism organizations are already further along than in Germany and have developed documents that provide caregivers with important guidance on suicidal tendencies in individuals with autism. Three documents were translated using Google Translate and compiled into a single document.
While working on the document "Support for Autistic Children and Adolescents in Times of Crisis," various additional questions arose. These were processed into PROMPTS and systematically submitted to the three chatbots PERPLEXITY, GEMINI, and ChatGPT for processing.
For many years, scientific literature on autism has reported high rates of suicidal ideation and suicide. People with autism do not have affective disorders; they are autistic. However, the exceptional psychological situations that suicide prevention researchers postulate relate to affect. These exceptional psychological situations may therefore not be relevant to autistic individuals. However, the underlying conditions can only be assessed once statistical data has been collected. Worldwide, suicide attempts are not documented, making it impossible to draw reliable conclusions. We are thus facing a deadlock that must be broken.
Here, several hypotheses regarding suicidality among neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals are formulated and submitted in the form of PROMPTS to the three chatbots ChatGPT+, PERPLEXITY, and GEMINI. This process examines which hypotheses correlate with the chatbots’ trained datasets and which hypotheses are likely novel and require empirical testing.
The oak processionary moth (Thaumetopoea processionea, EPS) poses a growing challenge for German municipalities. Existing control methods are implemented too late—they begin after the formation of health-hazardous stinging hairs starting at the L3 larval stage. This concept paper presents an integrated early-warning system, a drone-based VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds; BVOC—Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds) early warning system based on the Bosch BME688 sensor for detecting herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) as early as the EPS larval stages L1–L2. For the first time, the system allows for intervention before the stinging hair phase (starting at L3) and can be integrated into municipal planning structures as well as existing monitoring databases (FVA-BW).
Starting in the third larval stage (L3), the caterpillars of the oak processionary moth (EPS) develop tiny stinging hairs (setae) that contain the urticating toxin thaumetopoein. Upon contact, these hairs can cause severe skin irritation, breathing difficulties, and allergic reactions.
Traditional oak processionary moth (EPS) control is labor-intensive and requires large machinery. It involves the use of aerial work platforms, helicopters, and a large number of personnel, all of whom must wear protective gear. Research into alternatives is underway worldwide, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being used for certain developmental stages of the oak processionary moth (egg → caterpillar → moth).
A further improvement is the use of FPV (first-person view) drones. To avoid the large-scale aerial application of biocides by helicopters, the combined use of UAV drones and lasers must be researched. TRUMPF LT (laser technology), for example, offers such technologies. A Google search using the query “TRUMPF ‘quantum dot laser’” returned 377 results on August 21, 2025.
The company Quantum Systems is exhibiting at INTERGEO 2025 in Frankfurt am Main and has provided me with a free visitor ticket.
Chatbots can also be a valuable resource for people with a scientific background. I’ve been using prompts ever since ChatGPT first became publicly available (November 2022) and have also been using GEMINI and PERPLEXITY in parallel.
If, after many attempts, you’ve developed a good PROMPT method that reliably provides more information on a specialized topic than you’ve incorporated into the PROMPT—and if this information is also reliable and doesn’t consist of hallucinations—then you’re on the right track. In recent years, many experts have already followed this path and have documented their methods online, making them available to others. I would like to add one more method to this variety. A method should have a unique identifier. ChatGPT suggested an acronym to me, and I checked its availability.
