19 Feb 2014, 3:12 am
Im mostly housebound nowadays except for a few trips that I have no choice but to make (work shops admin stuff). Lectures are just ridiculously stressful for me, the environment as a whole just turns my nerves into lit touchpaper.
I dont know how to explain this to my lecturers without sounding like im trying to use my OCD/ASD as an excuse. I was accused of being manipulative by someone I know a few days back and that's stuck with me so now im even more worried about appearing to be manipulative as its about the worst thing anyone could accuse me of imo.
Im in touch with disability services but im not sure they can do all that much to be honest apart from "Put in a good word". I was in class yesterday for example and the lecturer mentioned that this was my first lecture (Hi ...... welcome to your first lecture) I smiled nervously (my nervous smiles look totally gormless) and then realised the implication which was extremely awkward. I then had to leave early for a doc appointment but just asked the lecturer "can I leave early". I neglected to explain that I had a doc's app. He was obviously annoyed and I had to backpedal rapidly and explain. 
BirdInFlight
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19 Feb 2014, 8:01 am
25 Feb 2014, 9:37 pm
You have legitimate reasons for your absences, and this is one of those situations where it really might be best all around if everyone pertinent to the situation was made fully aware of your issues and how they affect you. Your lecturers do indeed need to be made aware of your neurological conditions in order to fully understand what's actually going on, and not just dismiss you as whatever it is they are annoyed with you for as long as they don't know what's really happening with you.
I would call this a definite "need to know" case, because it's not fair for them to get irritated at you for things you should legally be given help and leeway with. Imagine if a person in a wheelchair was treated with annoyance and anger, for saying the lift was broken so they couldn't get to class up a flight of stairs. This is the same.
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Thank you for this! I've been in the same boat as the OP (except I've only just now started the process of going to counseling services, it will be a few weeks before I have advocates over there), despite making A's on all assignments, classes are absolutely horrible for me... consequently we're almost halfway through the semester and I've already missed enough to hurt my grades.
I've been going back and forth over and over again in my head about if it was appropriate to send off some e-mails to instructors explaining what's going on and what steps I'm actively taking. I couldn't decide if that's the kind of information a student should tell an instructor.
To the OP, you aren't alone, I deal with the same agonizing, internal debate of "to go, or not to go" debate in my head and the former usually wins out.
I seriously would love school if they would simply allow me not to show up
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