can i get into uni with selective mutism

i'll just go straight to the point -- i'm autistic and have also been selectively mute my whole life so idk if i can get into uni because. i genuinely have 0 experience despite taking a gap year to sort my mental health out. i cannot put myself out there no matter how much i try. all i can do is get good grades and research about my wanted course. but is that enough...? also, selective mutism is a very debilitating condition (especially if you're an adult) so simply "facing it" isn't going to help, i very likely need professional treatment to overcome it but i seriously do not know where to find it. i've tried cbt before but it did not help. idk what to do... i don't wanna stay like this forever

i'll just go straight to the point -- i'm autistic and have also been selectively mute my whole life so idk if i can get into uni because. i genuinely have 0 experience despite taking a gap year to sort my mental health out. i cannot put myself out there no matter how much i try. all i can do is get good grades and research about my wanted course. but is that enough...? also, selective mutism is a very debilitating condition (especially if you're an adult) so simply "facing it" isn't going to help, i very likely need professional treatment to overcome it but i seriously do not know where to find it. i've tried cbt before but it did not help. idk what to do... i don't wanna stay like this forever

Yes, you can go to uni and have an excellent time. You should research unis to see what support they have available for students.
Also, if you find your own crowd, you could open up better and be yourself more. Maybe consider Cambridge uni or Durham, as their close-knit student communities could provide the small settings for you.
Also consider getting a boyfriend, as he could help you to connect more with social circles and you wont need to do it alone.
Good luck.

im a lesbian

Still works the same. Get a gf and you both can explore social circles together.

Guys you’re not helping OP here by arguing.
In my opinion and experience, what the student rep wrote here is the best advice. But also I’d recommend doing some research into which unis have the best support services for neurodiversity and mental health. You may even want to contact the unis directly to ask them how they can support selective mutism in your case specifically.
All in all, you won’t be disadvantaged during the application process because of your selective mutism - unis look at how you perform academically instead of socially!

I would suggest as other posters have checking out what the mental health and disability services are at the universities you are interested in and ping them an email. You should also make sure you register for DSA if/when you apply for student finance as this will also help you get the assistance you need.
In the meantime can your gp offer any advice? What did your school do in the way of assistance when you were there? What helped and what did not? Be kind to yourself, this is not your fault.

i didn't have any labels for what i was experiencing until around year 11 when i started researching myself, and before then people simply assumed i was behaving that way on purpose so i ended up thinking the same too. i've seen psychologists in the past but i was only referred by my school for things like depression and anxiety so those sessions never ended up being useful as my issues were a bit deeper than that. it was only after many years of research that i started to realise that i was neurodiverse, and even then, it wasn't until i reached out to my sixth form myself that i got this professionally checked and diagnosed. i've tried contacting my school about university admissions but they seem a bit dismissive whenever i email them so i'm not gonna bother anymore. it's not like they were of much help during my time in sixth form anyway. i'm hesitant to contact my gp because... i'm just not sure how to express what i need, honestly. it took me so long to understand what was wrong with me and i still don't fully understand it so articulating my thoughts is difficult. plus i believe this should be treated by someone who is knowledgeable about these conditions, it already takes me a lot of effort to open up, and doing so only to get misunderstood makes me feel even more hesitant about getting help because if no one understands what i'm experiencing, what's the point?
sorry if this sounds too pityful but i don't have much support rn so i'm not sure what to say or do. but i appreciate anyone who's willing to (respectfully) listen to me

i didn't have any labels for what i was experiencing until around year 11 when i started researching myself, and before then people simply assumed i was behaving that way on purpose so i ended up thinking the same too. i've seen psychologists in the past but i was only referred by my school for things like depression and anxiety so those sessions never ended up being useful as my issues were a bit deeper than that. it was only after many years of research that i started to realise that i was neurodiverse, and even then, it wasn't until i reached out to my sixth form myself that i got this professionally checked and diagnosed. i've tried contacting my school about university admissions but they seem a bit dismissive whenever i email them so i'm not gonna bother anymore. it's not like they were of much help during my time in sixth form anyway. i'm hesitant to contact my gp because... i'm just not sure how to express what i need, honestly. it took me so long to understand what was wrong with me and i still don't fully understand it so articulating my thoughts is difficult. plus i believe this should be treated by someone who is knowledgeable about these conditions, it already takes me a lot of effort to open up, and doing so only to get misunderstood makes me feel even more hesitant about getting help because if no one understands what i'm experiencing, what's the point?
sorry if this sounds too pityful but i don't have much support rn so i'm not sure what to say or do. but i appreciate anyone who's willing to (respectfully) listen to me

i know that, academics are the most important thing. but the thing is that being selectively mute impacts my academic performance too, which really sucks because i know i have the potential to do much better but my lack of drive and motivation is holding me back. i'm not sure how to explain the correlation between my condition(s) and poor academic performance, but someone who barely participates in class, feels deeply isolated / "different" from their peers and is unable to communicate and understand other people is gonna be a lot less motivated than your average student. i didn't do very well in my a levels for this reason and due to undiagnosed autism/adhd (i'm diagnosed now), but i'm gonna resit my exams again this year to achieve better grades, as well as apply to university. regardless, i'm still very scared of this whole process and i'm not sure if i can get into my preferred uni/course. i can get good grades in this year's resit, but i don't have any work or volunteering experience (i know this isn't compulsory but since i took a gap year... i think they'd prefer some real life experience). i'm gonna try anyway because not going to school is making me more depressed and isolated and aimless than ever and i don't want experience this any longer

Ok so there are basically two ways that you can go about this - 1. Get support via your school and GP (e.g. access arrangements, mentoring, mental health services, specialist advisor), and if you can’t get that then 2. Apply for extenuating circumstances via UCAS (if that’s the way you are submitting your uni applications) or directly to the unis.
Ideally you will be able to get the help you need and won’t need to apply for extenuating circumstances. However, if you can’t get the support or your circumstances get worse then applying for extenuating circumstances via UCAS means that UCAS would increase your exam marks by a certain percentage. Applying for extenuating circumstances directly to the unis would mean that the unis would look at the application with your circumstances in mind, and so may be more lenient on giving you an offer.
Mental health can also explain a lack of volunteering experience so it may be useful to write in your reference / personal statement that during your gap years you were focusing on bettering yourself or something like that. I’m afraid I don’t have much experience with gap years, so if someone else could confirm this that would be very helpful!

Is this something that is part of your ASD diagnosis? With your diagnosis could you email your GP (if your surgery offer this, which would allow you time to formulate your thoughts)? Or could you have someone attend an appointment with you to advocate for you with a list of things you wish to bring up?
I only ask as my cousin has ASD with selective mutism and he was signposted to speech & language therapy via his gp for his although I don’t know if it is different as he is a child.
If it is not recorded as part of your ASD diagnosis, It may be worth seeing if you could seek a separate diagnosis for it via right to choose?
I hope that you can find a path to some help. You do not sound pitiful at all. You sound frustrated and that is understandable.
I am just now going through the process of ASD assessment with my parents help, so I’m no expert on these things but it does seem like you have to keep pushing to get things moving.