ScienceGeek Report post Posted November 17, 2007 Back in September I was diagnosed with Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. I had the appointment with the Ed Psych just before starting university, it was to get the report done in time so I could get the support I need at uni. I had my needs assessment this week and hoping to have the equipment in place by the beginning of next term, I'm currently getting dyslexia tuition and mentoring. I'm 23 and a "mature" student. Due to the nature of my course we are a small group (well in comparison to the other courses). I've been suspecting that there is more to it than just the Dyslexia/Dyspraxia diagnosis, a lecturer took me aside and asked if I had been assessed for AS. I had already read up about it before I went to uni and a lot of things struck home, but I chatted with my partner about it and she said there was no way I had AS. I'm not sure where to go from here, but I'm not coping at uni at all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tally Report post Posted November 17, 2007 Hi ScienceGeek, and welcome to the forum. If AS makes sense to you, it's worth looking at in more detail especially if someone else has noticed traits. How much does your partner know about AS? Why does she think you don't have it? Do you live together? As you are not coping, it is important to understand why. Can you identify what it is that you are not coping with, and what support would enable you to cope? Even without a diagnosis, some support might be available to you. Have you discussed your problems with anyone at your university? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted November 17, 2007 Hi ScienceGeek, and welcome to the forum. If AS makes sense to you, it's worth looking at in more detail especially if someone else has noticed traits. How much does your partner know about AS? Why does she think you don't have it? Do you live together? As you are not coping, it is important to understand why. Can you identify what it is that you are not coping with, and what support would enable you to cope? Even without a diagnosis, some support might be available to you. Have you discussed your problems with anyone at your university? I'm not sure how much she knows about AS. We haven't really sat down and talked about it properly it was kind of a passing comment really. We do live together and have done for about 3years At the moment I'm not coping with how busy the university is, I get sensory overload really easily. I commute to uni which includes getting a train and a bus, the train is normally so busy that you are squashed up against a lot of people. At the moment during my breaks I disappear in the library to calm down, normally in a quiet corner somewhere. I've been ill recently and thats made it a whole lot worse, I like to rock backwards and forwards and fiddle with my jumper, apparently it alarms other people I've been told that my lack of eye contact and visible emotions are confusing people and making them think I don't care or come across aggressive. The truth is I just don't deal with people that well, I tend to cope better on a one-to-one basis. Apparently I keep offending people without realising it, mainly because I'm brutally honest. Supposedly I'm meant to pick up on subtle social cues, but unless it is blatantly obvious I won't pick up on it. Obviously it isn't all bad I'm a student rep and was the only one who went to the course meeting. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tally Report post Posted November 17, 2007 Well, if you live together, she obviously knows you well by now! Maybe if you got some information on AS for her, she might recognise the traits you are seeing. At the moment I'm not coping with how busy the university is, I get sensory overload really easily. I commute to uni which includes getting a train and a bus, the train is normally so busy that you are squashed up against a lot of people. Is it the noise or the squashing? Earplugs or an mp3 player can help to cut out noise. I like to rock backwards and forwards and fiddle with my jumper, apparently it alarms other people This might help prevent people squashing up against you on the train I've noticed that flapping my hands and staring at the sky scares off those people who pounce on you (not quite literally) in the high street and make you donate money to charity! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted November 17, 2007 Well, if you live together, she obviously knows you well by now! Maybe if you got some information on AS for her, she might recognise the traits you are seeing. Is it the noise or the squashing? Earplugs or an mp3 player can help to cut out noise. This might help prevent people squashing up against you on the train I've noticed that flapping my hands and staring at the sky scares off those people who pounce on you (not quite literally) in the high street and make you donate money to charity! I think it is a combination of both. I have an mp3 player which helps a bit with the noise aspect, although I have to turn it up to full volume. It is also the smell, lack of space, squashing. All the different pungent smells of the typical commuter, I swear they bathe in perfume and aftershave! Ha! I tend to pretend that I don't hear the charity people when they pounce on me, same with people trying to sell stuff or survey people. It looks like I can't hear them because I have my headphones in most of the time, even if I'm not actually listening to anything. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted November 18, 2007 I guess I would like to know just to know that there is a reason for the way that I am. I'm worried about bringing it up though as I think people will just think that I'm making things up to use as an excuse or that I'm being stupid. It probably won't work out that way, but I'm just real bad at asking for help. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mumble Report post Posted November 18, 2007 I guess I would like to know just to know that there is a reason for the way that I am. Absolutely - the dx told me that I wasn't going mad as I seriously thought I was. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tally Report post Posted November 19, 2007 I think the fact that a lecturer brought it up indicates that you are not making this up. It might help if you went back to the lecturer and asked him a little bit more about why he thinks you have AS. That way you can tell a Dr how other people view you, as well as your feelings about yourself. You could also ask your parents about your childhood, so you can show that the symptoms have been lifelong, rather than a recent thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted November 21, 2007 You could also ask your parents about your childhood, so you can show that the symptoms have been lifelong, rather than a recent thing. I had the chance to chat to my mum online about some things and got her to look through some information. Apparently the health visitor expressed a concern when I was younger, but the GP just fobbed her off. This was back in 1989 though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikergal Report post Posted November 22, 2007 That's exactly what I was looking for, a reason for the way I am. I was dx'd in June this year and it did come as a bit of a shock. I knew I'd never cope at uni so I did my degree with the OU. Hoping to begin a masters with them in a couple of years. I quite like science too, would like to do something related to micro biology. Oh, and welcome to the forum Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
