Study Abroad - Netherlands

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I'm thinking of doing a semester overseas in Utrecht, but I don't know if the Netherlands is particularly Asperger's friendly. Is it a good place to study?

i'm going to study in utrecht next year i think it would be a great place to study... don't know about aspergerfriendlyniss though

If you're wondering about the Asperger-friendliness of Dutch society in general, I would say we're relatively open to autism over here. Society is fairly individualised, peer groups don't strongly impose social scrutiny on its members, and special education and support for autistic children and adults in the Netherlands is fairly advanced. We have paedological institutes, a general organisation for support with people with disabilities, a national organisation for help with autism (primarily run by therapists and parents), and an organisation for and by autistic individuals ourselves, which organises meeting days for autistics about once a month.

The University of Utrecht, among other universities over here, does provide a certain amount of assistance to autistic students if needed, which is outlined very briefly in the pdf brochure on their site: http://www.uu.nl/EN/informationfor/students/studentcounselling/studentswithdisabilities/Pages/default.aspx

The Dutch people in general, I would say, are accepting of autism, though perhaps especially if you explain a little bit about why you are the way you are. I find that the attitude in general is that the Dutch don't mind all that much if you're a bit odd, quirky, or less sociable, as long as you're not bothering anyone. I do sometimes get some complications when people feel as though I'm keeping to myself too much, or that I'm too quiet, that sort of thing. But in general, it's fine.

CyclopsSummers, I heard the Dutch like hugging a lot? Well, personally I'd love that - no one has hugged me for ages, and I often grow desperate in vain - but, I suppose, many people with ASD would hate that. Do you then think the NL is one of the friendliest nations in this regards? Would you know how it compares to Scandinavia?

To most people in the Netherlands, hugging is restricted to very close friends and family. I don't know who started the rumour that we hug a lot! Honestly, very much like you, I haven't been properly hugged in forever, and even with my friendly demeanor, I haven't grown close enough to anyone to hug or be hugged.

I'm unable to compare the Neth to Scandinavia, as I've never been to any Scandinavian countries... I used to talk to a girl (who has AS) who lived in Sweden for a while as a child, but the subject of whether the Swedes are warmer and friendlier in this regard never came up.

I'm kind of hoping that one of the other Dutch WP posters has a better view on this.

Well you are lucky! I happen to be dutch and a fan of Sweden and Swedes. Sweet.
My grandfather lived in Finspang as an engineer and that is where my mother is born. My grandparents are Belgian originally and so my mother is. I have been to Sweden twice, first at age ten and lastly the summer before.

Getting hugged by a stranger would be many times easier then in Utrecht than in Stockholm, if you ask me. What I saw in Stockholm were beautiful people, both men and women. I think they have high standards in social norms and appearance. But if you ask me, the Stockholmers are a bit closed-minded to foreigners. It is easy for a Swede to pick out the outlandish, immigrants and tourists, even with a person with Swedish or Scandinavian blood that was raised in another country/culture. Some say that the people in Sweden are glum or curtly, rather than neighborly. Beautiful people nevertheless! The main best thing form what I noticed is that the differences between men and women are not as important, and rather feministic than patriarchal. But I just made that up because I only speak from what I saw on the street image (many women don't wear underwear so I guess they don't feel restricted to do so, and moreover the men look refined, or 'meterosexual')

Utrecht is not as sparkling and gloomy as Stockholm, but if you ask me, much more welcoming and buzzing. The part where my sister lives is a bit chaotic and poverish, but I felt compassion instantly, because I am used to this as a flying Dutchman. The people don't mind the way you look/act (of course if you stand out too much that is never a good idea in a darwinian way of speaking) but what is more important is that you are comfy, we have a word for it; 'gezellig'. I certainly recommend Utrecht because many young people settle here to study. You learn how to find a way automatically, and luckily, we don;t live in the medieval era (although it might feel that way sometimes in Utrecht), and Utrecht has a sophisticated public transport system, by the way, anything can be found on the 'net. another advantage is that it is a small city so everything you need is close by. Most dutch people speak English. Have you thought of taking a street-view with google maps?

Is it a city for aspies?
no, because it isn't built in straight lines and unpredictable.
yes, because of the architecture, rich history, unique canals, high change of meeting eccentric people.

Yes and no.

We have a lot of rules. Public transport is relatively clean, modern and on a clear and strict schedule. There are even silence compartments in the trains! While most urban area's are crowded, with a bit of wandering you can find quiet spots easily.

Not everybody follows the rules though, and complaining about that is a past time hobby for most of us. Public transport is often crowded during the morning (7-9) and evening (17-19) because it's so good. Not everyone stays silent in the designated compartments and due to our individualistic culture, it's not always "normal" to say something about this.

You can practice understanding the English "dialect" spoken in the Netherlands by listening to South African English speakers. Hardly anyone actually speaks proper English, expect heavy accents and limited vocabulary from the general population staffing kiosk's, public transport and cashiers. Thankfully, there are machines for tickets, cigarettes etc. In higher education, you are expected to speak English for most studies, so don't expect real issues with classmates or teachers.

It is relatively common to smoke and drink beer from as early as 16, but don't take jokes about not drinking alcohol too serious; you will not be excluded. While cannabis products are accepted among the <35 population, hard drugs are more easily frowned upon when used and spoke of less often.

We more often strive for consensus then elsewhere, even in education settings. Discussions are thus common and may seem heated due to the language and direct approach, but direct insults on a person's values are a big no-no! Religious arguments particularly. You should mock them behind their back, like anyone who disagrees with your social groups standards! Don't ever say this out loud though, we pride ourselves of being tolerant. Really, this could be the hardest thing to pick up on from our point of view.

Personal info is for your personal circle mostly, but 'deviants' are widely accepted as long as they adhere to certain standards. I socialize with strong religious types and people who think hitting your children and the death penalty are just fine for example, but I don't invite them to my birthday. Health care, social services and education are educated and caring enough to help with most issues, though personnel may sometimes be less distant and professional then expected at times.

You can add "getting invited to someone's home for a birthday party" to your socializing to do list, if you care for such things. That's probably the biggest thing around here, right after Christmas.

Sorry for the wall of text, semi-relevant observations kept popping up.