How do you handle being in a class room?(having trouble)

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Sophia1312
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20 Feb 2018, 10:41 pm

I am currently attending community college to transfer to a four year for astrophysics. I am having a lot of trouble being able to be in the class room setting though. Everything stresses me out, from other students chewing gum, to the feedback sounds from speakers, florescent light, to being able to stay on top of my work. Does anyone have any tips on dealing with these things or experience the same things in class. I am currently going through diagnosis, so I am unable to access and "disability support" until everything is formally recognized.



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21 Feb 2018, 5:33 am

I went for a computer related degree and a group of students were being ridiculously loud. I went to my car to retrieve my MP3 player and headphones to block out the noise.

I also think the right kind of music can help me get in the mood to work on a technical assignment.



Embla
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21 Feb 2018, 7:15 am

I tended to hide under the classroom tables when I went to school. Annoyed the hell out of my teachers. I think that if only I had been allowed to wear a hat or hoodie indoors, I wouldn't have had to retreat down there. A lot of schools prohibits hats/sunglasses/headphones in classes, but if your teacher knows about your condition, there's a big chance they'll let you use things like that anyway. You don't need that diagnosis on a paper to ask for permission to wear a hat. You don't even have to say ASD. You can just tell them you're sensitive to light and sound, so you'll need something to shield you from that environment in order to be able to perform as you are expected to.
If the teacher is a decent human being, they should be cool about it.



Sleepycat001
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06 Mar 2018, 10:08 pm

I sit in the back so that I don't distract anyone and can look at faces without being rude. also try folding your hands or tucking them under your lap. And putting a bag in between your legs.



Kiriae
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07 Mar 2018, 3:47 pm

I used to sit in the front - it creates a space bubble with just me and the teacher. I can't see other students and the sound they make is behind me. This makes listening and focusing way easier.

If it wasn't possible the other strategy was sitting by someone you would call an unofficial "buddy" (as in buddy system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_system). A friend making sure I do what everyone is doing (if I took my book as everyone else but seemed lost what to do next she she would whisper: "Page 22.", if I was too focused on my notes to hear teacher calling me she would touch me to get my attention). It wasn't a big deal for her but helped me a lot. And she benefited from the relationship too - I have awesome memory and I am really smart so I could explain to her how to do tasks she heard we are supposed to do. She was our eyes and ears. I was our brain.
If she wasn't present I was getting really stressed and my day was full of "What is going on?"/"What did I miss?"/"Why is everyone doing?"/"Why is the teacher angry at me?" moments and half of my tasks/homeworks weren't done not because I didn't know how but because I didn't hear/realize we are supposed to do them.

BTW. If you are getting assessed you might consider telling your teachers about it. I was in the same situation and I only told them "I am being tested for Asperger but it's taking a while. I am not sure what the result will be so I don't know if I was allowed to tell you. But I can't stand the situation anymore!" after I developed depression due to being repeatably called lazy, unresponsive, rude brat and troubles with schoolwork despite telling them about my issues and was about to drop out of school. And what they told me then? "We were wondering what is wrong with you. You should have told us sooner! People like that require different approach!". After that they suddenly started to pay more attention to me and make sure I am listening before they said something important. They would also come to me when I asked them to show/write me what we are supposed to do (I have trouble following complex verbal instructions) - before the situation they would just say "I explained it to whole class a moment ago, it's your fault for not paying attention".



Muziek
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08 Mar 2018, 8:41 pm

Yes, I agree partly with Kiriae. For me too, sitting in front of the class room is most conducive to learning. Though I do not like a "buddy"; I prefer to work alone. When something that is close to my heart needs to done well, I cannot rely on others, I just have to do it myself. Also, I don't think it is helpful to tell teachers that you have autism. Where I live you can get some extra time on examinations if you have autism and/or adhd. However, this is of no use because your attention span and energy levels start to collapse after the regular 2 or 3 hours period.


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15 Mar 2018, 10:39 am

Yes, yes, yes, this is a problem I have too. I spoke with the faculty, but they didn't really understand what I was talking about, so that didn't help. I would detail to them everything that I heard, but since they couldn't hear what I could hear, it just sounded bizarre to them. I always sit in the front so I can hear the instructor better. But then a lot of instructors walk around the room so they can keep all of the students engaged, so that foils my plan. I audio record all of my lectures so I can go back and listen to them again with fewer distractions. I have requested to other students that they refrain from chitchatting during lectures, but that doesn't work. I recommend that you do everything you can to get your diagnosis official ASAP- I found that at least being able to take tests in other locations or use earplugs as needed was helpful. And remind yourself that school isn't forever.


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