Declaring your "disability" to the college?

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ValentineWiggin
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11 Oct 2011, 4:31 pm

The only professors who know are my psych professors, this semester and last (last semester was...a fantastic mentor. I'm so thankful for him),
and my communications professor, who read a rough draft outline for an introduction speech in which I mentioned having it, but I ended up not using it as part of my speech at all, and don't know that she even remembers.

I was considering dropping my psych class at the beginning of this year. My professor is abrasive, very confusing (not just to me) and in-your-face. Every class is like a Socratic interrogation. He's also a clinical researcher in the field, which is what I want to do, and he demands that his students develop a healthy questioning of authority and prevailing wisdom. I've come to really like him, and am glad I stayed.

I consider dropping my math class every day, as me learning math is akin to a dog learning the Twelfth Symphony,
but it's required for my major, and probably even more when I'm in graduate school.


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fashionista
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12 Oct 2011, 5:42 pm

I'm trying to find a way that I can come up front to the university tell them about my disabilty but at the same time not have the other professors treat me as the favorite or if I need special attention.

Are any of you treated differently by your professors because of your disability?



whiterat
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15 Oct 2011, 12:49 am

ValentineWiggin wrote:
I consider dropping my math class every day, as me learning math is akin to a dog learning the Twelfth Symphony,
but it's required for my major, and probably even more when I'm in graduate school.


Sorry to hear that.

Out of curiosity, what your math class about?



RLgnome
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18 Oct 2011, 6:07 am

I declared it, and it absolutely helped. One thing is extra time for exams, but I could've got that simply by pointing to my hay fever. I know people who get extra time for that reason, in December... But notifying the accessibility office of my AS resulted in me also getting a blanket permission to ask for more time for assignments, my own room for exams, permission to do group assignments alone if I need to, etc. They're also good at keeping things private, so unless I give permission, only the accessibility office and my program coordinator will know about the diagnosis.



Yumeji
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19 Oct 2011, 4:01 pm

I mentioned my AS in an e-mail to a program coordinator for media design (i.e., web design, mobile apps, flash games), however now I'm kicking myself for doing it. The response I received was that it would be an issue as there is a lot of group work, clients and social media involved and I might benefit from looking at a more appropriate program.

In addition, they were concerned I had no clear goals after graduation. I don't understand what they mean by "no clear goals." Does any web/mobile app designer have "clear goals" prior to entering such a program? I assumed that "wanting to do this as a career" was suffice enough? Or is this just an excuse for not accepting me into the program? It did take them over 10 days to respond to my initial e-mail.



Last edited by Yumeji on 20 Oct 2011, 12:27 am, edited 1 time in total.

Tudball
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19 Oct 2011, 8:52 pm

I wouldn't even consider it. The last thing I want is any sort of special treatment - whether beneficial or otherwise. I've gotten to University on my own steam, and I plan to get through it in the same way. Like somebody said earlier, the real world offers no special amenities, and I've no intention of receiving them at University.

For people with more severe autism, of course, it's a different story.