I Start College This September

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I don't know if getting help online will work for you, but if you like you can PM me with questions and I'll do what I can. If your biggest problem is sensory overload in a classroom setting then comprehending the material itself is probably not an issue.

Take care.

That's kind of expecting insta-friendship. It does happen. It's a gift when it happens. You still want to take it step by medium step, but you can go faster with the steps. Wow, here's someone who "gets" you and respects you. It's a blessing. It just doesn't happen all the time.

Okay, an alternative, and many college students do some version of this, look for a roommate who is your judgment is a reasonable individual (for example, someone who's not a big drinker unless you're into that), with the expectation that you're probably be friendly acquaintances and probably not necessarily close friends.

That's good advice.

For my first two years of college, I stayed in single dorm-room so I didn't have a roommate. My third year I roomed with one of my close friends who had a sister who was mild to severe autistic so she understood my quirks better than most. She graduated so I'm rooming with another friend of mine who I can trust. Hopefully all will go well.

Could you also take a familiar book to the class (like a book you've read one time and liked and have kind of been planning to read again)? That way, if you so choose, you can kind of sit there and absorb and take in the social environment, and be ready to reciprocate if someone initiates conversation (which I find often works better than initiating the conversation myself), or . . . OR you have the book, and the book is a partial vacation, and often that is plenty good enough. (in a similar way, I love readying books in a airport!)

About the class itself, I suggest that you go at it diagonally. Almost in zen-like fashion, try less hard, but try diagonally. I have also had success rotating pretty quickly between a technical subject, like math, and a relatively nontechnical subject, like reading an interesting history book. It might be something as seemingly simply as looking at a sample problem for the upcoming section, reading some of the history book, then seeing if I can re-create this sample problem, and going back and forth again as the spirit moves me. I say seemingly simple because often re-creating the sample probelm is not that easy. But just the attempt, often gives me a handhold and foothold, some lay of the land so to speak, so that when the professor goes into this section in a future class, the whole thing starts to make more sense. Or something else entirelyl. You kind of have to play with the subject. I also like being used textbooks really cheap from Half Price books, for like $8! Yeah, it's out of date, but how much can something like math change, I mean really? It's someone else explaining something in a slightly different way.

In general, as people with Asperger's, with have this great laser beam ability. Or, I do. I don't want to speak for everyone, I can, at considerable expense of energy, really bring up this laser beam of concentration. But it's two sides of a coin, both a blessing and a curse. The feeling that this is the 'right' way or 'only' way, that's the prime negative. For sometimes, even with math, it's better to understand in a more loosey-goosey fashion. You know what a correct answer looks like, you have a feel for the steps, that kind of thing. So, I recommend holding the 'laser' in reserve. Go at it in a more casual fashion, more of a soft touch and a light touch. Then when we like a subject and already understand somewhat it, that's when we can bring the laser beam into play. That's when the energy it takes is more worth it, and it's in a time of our own choosing. And sometimes I need to remind myself that the teacher is merely one resource among many. Some are excellent, and a whole lot are mediocre, and that's just the fact of the matter.

Those are all good suggestions. I will definitely try them! thanks! I had my first class today. I really like classical music and it is calming to me so I brought my ipod and a book and went to campus almost 2 hours early and just sat there watching people and getting comfortable. I could block out most of the auditory stimulation and replace it with my music and had my book if I needed to look at something different. Once I got to class, I was feeling pretty good. My teacher turned out to be a cute Ukrainian woman with an accent just like my foster mom (whom I loved to pieces) and it worked out pretty good. It was just near the end of class when she started going really really fast with information (2 hours into the lecture) that it finally got so bad that I was dizzy. It took a few hours to come down from the over-stimulation, but over all I am really proud of myself for making it that far. Next class hopefully goes just as well, especially since new material will be thrown into the mix.....

However, she is making it a requirement for all DSPS students (ppl that are registered with the disability department for help) to meet with her this week or next week. I was only diagnosed with Aspergers a few weeks ago (but the asperger problems are hardly new...) and I simply have no idea what to talk to her about when it comes to accommodations. I know I'm having problems, but in many cases I don't know what is giving me the difficulty. *sigh*

You should be proud! I'm glad things went well.



I would suggest to just convey your experiences to her as best you can and go from there. For example, the over-stimulation--try to explain what it's like. I know it's not easy to put stuff like that into words (I have trouble with that too) but from what you described I think she'll make an effort to understand.

Good luck, and congratulations on a good start! Keep us all posted.

Thanks for this advice. I did just that. I sat down and talked to her and tried to be as honest as possible... but with as few words/descriptions as possible (ie:digging deep into it.... I will never understand why NT get freaked out by that). It seemed to work really well. Until she asked me what to call me (the roster was printed with the wrong name and she wrote the name that I corrected her in class with wrong) and I had to explain that I'm transgender. Then she acted freaked out or scared or something; I couldn't read it.

Its like a no-win situation, no matter who I talk to, something about me will make them freaked out!

So far so good though. Made it through the second class with next to no problems. It was still "review" though. I have a test already in 3 classes!

I think she was just "thrown"--it was something she wasn't expecting and didn't know how to react in a way that wouldn't be "offensive" to you. Even NT's can have this problem.



Sounds like things are going well. That's good to hear.

Take care.

thanks!

I like that kind of thing, too! I like where there's enough other people around so that I feel safe, but not so many people that it's chaotic, noisy, whatever. Instead, that medium thing, then I can really get into my studying, reading, my writing, etc., that is, if I get lucky and catch that zen wave!

What if you have a ready-made statement such as:

'And you can get used to it, too.' Said quickly and matter-of-factly, almost like in a business presentation, and then with the possible follow-through

'Believe me, it took me a while to get used to it. And you can get used to it, too.' said in a more conversational and normal speed, and you're also giving the other person a chance to be winning. Maybe. And whether they respond winningly or not is up to them

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At this point, with this teacher, I'd recommend giving her a chance to graciously recover on her own. She might come through in winning fashion for you, or she might not. But at least you're giving her the chance.

Sounds like she was trying to squeeze everything in. Yeah, teachers do this, and they really shouldn't. And 2 hours of math, is just a Marathon!! ! And I like math and am good at it, I even taught math for one year! A one hour class (50 minutes) is much better for math, more of the bite-sized pieces approach. Okay, but this is the class you have at this time. So, I'd really recommend the pre-studying approach, so that it's not all brand new to you. Or maybe not pre-studying, maybe just pre-skimming, and as casually as you like.

thanks! that is really helpful. I will try to get caught up and a bit ahead. It probably will help a lot!

You are very welcome! And in spite of this class, or because of it!, I wish you a very good semester.

good luck to you both KnucklesUK and ZeldaPsychology.

I myself statr back in January for accounting. One question I have is to anyone who may not have known they could do reduced course load or my have not had the option at all how difficult was it to cope with a full course load of sometimes 20+ hrs/week?