Do You Get Disability Accommodations In College?
I did. I explained to professors I had it at the beginning of the semester to make sure they understand why I ask a lot of questions. I also was allowed to record lectures with a voice recorder. I only used these my first year as I got sick of the comments from ignorant professors. One said, "Oh, you're an autistic super genius. Then you shouldn't need my help." another flat out said, "What do you want me to do about it? You can't get special treatment." I had a prof ask in front of the class after I botched a speech if I "forgot to take my meds today." So yes, I did but I was better fending for myself. :/
I already graduated, but I was diagnosed freshman year in college and didn't really tell my school, I didn't get any accommodation.
Extra time on test would have helped, so would extra time to turn in assignments. I was very lazy in college and always procrastinated my HW, extra time would have helped with this problem.
@PaintedDiva - I totally wish I had a parent like you to advocate for me. I applaud your efforts.
My experiences with university are similar to your son's. I have officially failed out of college twice. The first time was situational, the second was appallingly preventable. But I could not get the assistance I needed to continue. My professors didn't understand how someone so interested and intelligent had such difficulty with written assignments. The fact that I am diagnosed with depression only (not AS, as well) didn't get me much sympathy.
The disabilities office basically told me that they could give me exam accommodations and little else. My last semester (I left with 90 credits out of 125) I was so depressed that I was sleeping 14 hours a day. Also, I'd allowed myself to be roped into too many social responsibilities which were dragging me down (somehow I'd ended up becoming the Philosophy Club president, as well as chairing a weekly poetry workshop for other students). Neither of which I actually wanted to do. Several of my professors pressured me into a roles of responsibility and "spotlight" activities. One friend referred to me (in barely disguised revulsion) as the "golden child of both the philosophy and poetry departments." Because I am intelligent, and phl and poetry are my "special interests", I stood out too much.
Someone on this thread mentioned the accommodation for giving exams and paper requirements orally. That is something that could have helped me. When the pressure builds up, I simply cannot write. I freeze, and can't think. I can go catatonic for hours when I've got to write 13 pages about something that I can explain in 10 minutes verbally. I don't know if this is considered a "reasonable accommodation" or not, but I really wish it was.
I'd go back to school if I didn't have to write pointless papers about something that is easily explained verbally. I can write brilliantly, but only when it comes to me. Not when I am "required" to or else I fail.
I guess Gryffindor98 you are asking me?
I didn't know that I had AS until about a year ago. I didn't ask for accommodations at all when I applied to the school, as I didn't know that I had any official "issues" other than depression. The summer before my second semester of my junior year, I slid hard into a massive depressive episode. Knowing that I needed help, I went to the college mental health center. They didn't feel they could help me and passed me off to the local county mental health center that had a lockup and psychiatrists on staff (I wasn't admitted to the lock up
)
I saw a case worker there for about 4 months, then couldn't afford it anymore.
I went to the campus disability offices and asked if they could make allowances for people with serious mental illness mid semester. Their answer ended up being, "we are sorry, but we can't help you." Couldn't even get an extension in a couple of classes. But they didn't know about the AS, because I didn't know about the AS.
I wish I'd known and had an official diagnosis. Maybe it would have ended differently than an A+, B-, and 3 F's.
