Modern higher education is characterized by "massification," a process that brings together students from an unprecedented array of cultural, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds (Nieminen 2024; Zaky 2025). This reality necessitates a shift from traditional pedagogical models based on standardized assessment (Zaky 2025) toward a framework rooted in social justice (Nieminen 2024). This paradigm posits that universities have an ethical and legal obligation to proactively identify and dismantle systemic barriers, ensuring that all students - regardless of their cultural, socioeconomic, or neurocognitive profile - can participate as agentic members of the academic community (Zaky 2025). Central to this study is the concept of diversity, which recognizes variations in humans as an added value rather than just challenges or deficits to be cured (Pachowicz 2023).

College and university students are exposed to a variety of stressors and life transitions, a developmental period that coincides with the age when mental health challenges most commonly emerge (Huang, Nigatu, Smail‑Crevier, Zhang, & Wang, 2018). This decline in student wellbeing is recognized as a part of a global landscape, often described by the VUCA framework (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity), which reflects world trends in higher education (Sztobryn-Giercuszkiewicz 2023). Studies indicate that the situation of young people worldwide pursuing higher education has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (Elmer, Mepham, & Stadtfeld, 2020; Visser & Law-van Wyk, 2021), which showed how much student inclusion and exclusion depend on global shocks and crises (Sztobryn-Giercuszkiewicz 2023). According to the American Psychological Association (2020), roughly 82% of college-aged Gen Z adults (18–23 years old) experience significant stress and uncertainty regarding their education due to the pandemic. Research conducted during and after this period focused on specific groups of students and yielded fairly clear results - they experience greater obstacles and increased susceptibility to stress (Alkowatli, Talal, Al Smady, Saad, & Muttappallymyalil, 2025). Therefore, the population of university students is considered particularly vulnerable.

A particularly significant challenge arises in the context of students preparing for educational and helping professions. These students are in a unique position: while they require systemic support to navigate their own educational or psychological needs, they are simultaneously being trained to provide such support to others in their future professional practice. The literature suggests that the goal of their education should be the development of the "reflective practitioner" - a professional capable of critically analyzing their own pedagogical concepts and worldviews while managing their personal diverse needs (Lejzerowicz 2024).

However, research points to a "process of unfinished emancipation," where increased access to university does not always translate into equal access to the labor market for graduates with diverse needs (Giermanowska et al. 2015). This is especially evident in helping professions, where individuals with neurodivergence or psychological crises may still face stigmatization despite their professional qualifications (Lejzerowicz 2024). Therefore, supporting these students at the University of Warsaw (UW) involves not only neutralizing environmental barriers through Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (Meyer&Rose 2014) but also fostering their professional and personal resilience and self-advocacy.

The current landscape of support at UW reflects a growing demand for assistance related to challenges and mental health crises. Experiences suggest that students seeking consultations are struggling with psychological issues, such as anxiety or depression, which require a specialized, integrated approach. This necessitates a support system that combines Individual Course Organization (IOS) with psychological counseling and tutoring, ensuring that students can meet rigorous professional standards without compromising their well-being.

The study employs a qualitative research design aimed at evaluating the current support systems for students with diverse needs at the University of Warsaw (UW). The methodology is structured around two core components: Desk Research and Document Analysis: A comprehensive analysis was conducted on official university resources and internal regulations. This included the Rector’s Decrees regarding support forms, the Office for Persons with Disabilities (BON) and Psychological Counseling Center (CPP) websites, the "University for All – Level Up" project documentation and UW’s reports. The research evaluated specific solutions such as the Individual Course Organization (IOS) framework, the functioning of the Academic Digital Library (ABC), and the "Support at the Start" or Autism&Uni programs for students on the autism spectrum. The research investigated how support mechanisms for students with difficulties are communicated and implemented, and how well these mechanisms adhere to the principles of Universal Design for Learning. Semi-structured Interviews with Heads of Teaching Units (KJD) and Programme Coordinators (PC): To verify the practical implementation of these strategies, interviews are conducted with KJDs and Coordinators of departments responsible for training future teachers and "helping" professionals. These interviews aim to capture the institutional perspective on balancing high academic and vocational requirements with the need for individual adaptations. The study explores how KJDs and PCs perceive the challenges of supporting neurodivergent students during classes, internships and practical training, the effectiveness of the mentoring system, and the barriers to fostering a truly inclusive environment within sensitive professional fields. This approach provides a comprehensive view of systemic policies while assessing their real-world impact on the quality of vocational preparation for students with diverse educational and psychological needs.

The implementation of the inclusive model at UW reveals a tension between the ethical imperative of social justice and the pragmatic necessity of public safety and the quality of professional competence development for graduates entering the labor market. In the context of helping and educational professions, this tension is particularly acute. While the university is committed to providing IOS and psychological support to neutralize barriers, it must simultaneously guarantee that its graduates possess the emotional stability and regulation skills expected by society. Crucially, the interviewees emphasize that inclusion should not entail lowering requirements, but providing adjustments that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge through diverse means. A major challenge identified in the study is the early identification of the needs. To prevent the escalation of difficulties into acute mental health crises, the university employs functional diagnosis - a proactive assessment of needs and resources beyond medical labels. This allows smoother transition to university, although the "invisible" nature of neurodiversity often leads to delay seeking help until a crisis occurs. The study highlights a professional paradox: students in helping professions are trained to support others while they may be part of the neurodivergent population or experience their own psychological vulnerabilities. Developing themas "reflective practitioners" is essential; they must learn to analyze their own pedagogical concepts and manage their diverse needs as part of their professional identity. In conclusion, UW must clearly move beyond reactive individual accommodations toward Universal Design for Learning (UDL), while also fostering professional resilience and self-advocacy in its students. Ensuring that future teachers and psychologists are both diverse and competent is not a contradiction, but a prerequisite for a modern, equitable workforce that reflects the diverse population it serves. The challenges faced by UW students are not unique; therefore,widespread sharing of practices aimed at reducing inequalities seems necessary.

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