ScienceGeek Report post Posted January 18, 2008 I'm progressing with sorting my head out about things. I've got a few things planned and wanted to let you all know how I'm doing. I'll just keep updating this thread instead of keep starting new ones. Anyway so this is the plan so far, if you have any suggestions just give me a shout although I'm sure you will anyway as you lot are ace The first part has been done about approaching GP. Next is CMHT guy and thinking of writing a letter to give to him and the disability adviser at uni, I feel that I am better able to explain in this format and then answer any of their questions afterwards. I get very nervous about talking to people anyway, but especially about personal matters and normally just come across as a gibbering mess so it probably would be better in a letter. Read the books that my friends and the people on here have recommended. Try some of the suggestions in the books, see what works and what doesn't. Not nice feeling so bombarded all the time, sensory deprivation sounds like my idea of heaven sometimes. I know that being so stressed and overloaded even before I enter the lecture is preventing me from accessing the learning materials. Why does everything have to be so complicated, why does nobody ever say what they mean? Why does everything have to be so loud/smell so strong and be so intense? Something I did do though is explain a lot of things to my gf while we were out walking about, and I think she is coming around slowly. Meh I'm rambling now... Anyway I'm working on it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clare63 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 Hi SG, Sounds like you have made a really good start, will look forward to reading your progress. Clare x x x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bagpuss Report post Posted January 18, 2008 What a positive start you have made Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pearl Report post Posted January 18, 2008 Well done Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted January 18, 2008 Had a chat with Ian Jordan on the phone today. Trying to find a way to make it possible to get up there to Scottyland. Thinking it may be possible if I fly instead of using the train at least then it will only be 1 and a quarter hours each way instead of 9.5. *Sits and ponders* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clare63 Report post Posted January 18, 2008 Oh wow, lucky you a trip to see the famous Mr Jordan. Flying I guess would be best, so much quicker but no doubt expensive too. Let us know how you get on. Clare x x x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted January 20, 2008 Getting really nervous about going back to uni now. First day back is Tuesday. I think I will be ok, the day I'm dreading the most is Thursday. We have a maths test on Thursday and I know that I'm going to do badly Thursdays are a full day I need to figure a way to make it up to and through the maths test without having a meltdown, bearing in mind that the maths test isn't until 14:30 and would have been out since 6:30am. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clare63 Report post Posted January 20, 2008 As I always say to DS "tomorrow always comes" then the next day remind him how he had gotten through the previous day with what ever was stressing/worrying him and that we survived. Its horrible going back to school/work/uni etc after a break. Why are you so sure you'll do badly in the Maths test ? Have you come up with any strategies for getting through Thursday yet ? maybe you could type up a list of all the things that will be happening that day and plan a way around each step and how you intend to manage them, perhaps then you'll be able to visualise how the day will go and have a positive outlook of the day ahead. Ignore me SG if I am talking rubbish Its been a long day and its getting late, well that's my excuse. Clare x x x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted January 21, 2008 Whoot! It looks like this Thursday is going to be shorter than usual. It has been announced that because we have a test that it will start at 13:30, there will be no lectures and I have 1.5hrs instead of 1 to do it in. That means we will be done by 15:00 instead of the 17:30 that we normally finish! Huzzah!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted February 1, 2008 I have been thinking about my attendance record and have realised that the lectures and tutorials I've missed the most are all on afternoons. Thursdays are a complete nightmare and I've failed to complete a whole Thursday for a long time. I've been finding that I can cope with the half days that we have the rest of the week, only the Thursday which is the full day that I can't. I need to email my disability adviser but I'm not sure how to word it without sounding like I'm making excuses for not going on Thursday afternoons. The thing is I don't get anything out of Thursday afternoons except stressed, overloaded and a set of notes (the notetaker doesn't take notes unless you are there). I've never coped with full days, it lead to high truancy in school and complete breakdowns when working. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pearl Report post Posted February 1, 2008 I think if you paraphrase what you just said here then no one will think you are making excuses. Any way of getting the notes without actually being present? The lecturer must have a set, surely? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kinda Report post Posted February 2, 2008 (edited) ScienceGeek Have you asked the lecturers if their lecture notes are available on the net for you to access later? During the lectures try and get a feel for what the key principles of the lecture are (these are the key points of what the lecture is trying to teach you and the rest of the other issues generally hang off these). If you pick up and learn the key principles then all other learning hangs off these and so your knowledge builds up like lego building blocks. I know its natural for you to be concerned regarding what the disability adviser thinks about you not attending lectures in the afternoon but this should be a given by him (I mean he should accept this without any debate) as the meeting is about you not being able to attend and why you can't attend rather than any issue that you just don't want to turn up My son had a panic attack before a presentation and the lecturer had listened to some gossip from the other students that he just didn't want to turn up. When I complained that he hadn't been allowed a re-take I then presented the argument that the lecturer shouldn't listen to gossip when he had medical evidence that the panic attach was likely to happen and that the system should accept what he says since it was very likely to be true. He wasn't trying to get out of doing the presentation but just wasn't ready mentally at that time. He was then offered a re-take. I think also a lot has to do with the university, my son's first university was a new city university whereas his second was a red brick and the attitude towards the students at this is to treat the students with a lot more maturity. Edited February 2, 2008 by Kinda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted February 2, 2008 I finally stopped being a wimp and emailed my disability adviser, so should hear back from her sometime early next week. Also I have my regular session with my mentor on Wednesday. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mumble Report post Posted February 2, 2008 Also I have my regular session with my mentor on Wednesday. Going off your topic here - apologies - but how often do you see your mentor? Did you get any choice in who you had? I've had a totally disastrous mentor (find and read the 101 uses thread in off-topic ) and it's been suggested this past week that I really need one and though I can see that in part, I'm very reluctant given the probs with my last one. How do you use your mentor? How useful is he/she? What sort of things do they do? Do you have a buddy/befriender as well? How often and for how long do you see your mentor? Is there any flexibility? How have you found building up a relationship with them to be? How did you do this? I still have scars on my hands where I gouged at my skin in an attempt not to scream at my last mentor because I knew this wasn't allowed - hence my worry about a new one Sorry about all the questions - it'll be a year since I was dx'ed next week and my uni still haven't found an appropriate mentor And sorry for going off your topic Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted February 2, 2008 Going off your topic here - apologies - but how often do you see your mentor? Did you get any choice in who you had? I've had a totally disastrous mentor (find and read the 101 uses thread in off-topic ) and it's been suggested this past week that I really need one and though I can see that in part, I'm very reluctant given the probs with my last one. How do you use your mentor? How useful is he/she? What sort of things do they do? Do you have a buddy/befriender as well? How often and for how long do you see your mentor? Is there any flexibility? How have you found building up a relationship with them to be? How did you do this? I still have scars on my hands where I gouged at my skin in an attempt not to scream at my last mentor because I knew this wasn't allowed - hence my worry about a new one Sorry about all the questions - it'll be a year since I was dx'ed next week and my uni still haven't found an appropriate mentor And sorry for going off your topic Tis ok Mumble. Anyway I see him once a fortnight on Wednesdays at 1pm, same every time at the same place just as I like it. I didn't have a choice in who I saw but it has worked out fine so far. It has taken this long but I think we have breakthrough, after my mental breakdown and illness last term we are making some progress. We are getting there although it takes me a long time to build up a relationship with most people. He is a nice guy and he wants to help just doesn't know how most of the time. He has been really helpful in sorting out some practical things like my bursary when the uni was mucking me about last term. Next week he is going to let me know if he managed to get hold of the lecturer about getting the notes for Friday chemistry that I missed last term. I don't have a buddy/befriender though. I'm not sure if they do anything like that. SG Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted February 2, 2008 oh yeah I forgot to say that I have put in my request to change to my degree choice to psychology I wanted to do biomedical science but I know for a fact that I would never cope with the workload. I never really knew what I wanted to do anyway, there was nothing that I was particularly passionate about and I was drifting. After the last year I now have a real aim and I would like to train to be an Ed psych, private but on a sliding scale. I know the one thing that stood in the way of earlier diagnosis was money and would like to provide an affordable service for those on lower incomes. When I went to the ed psych that I got my dx of dyslexia and dyspraxia we went to her home and she worked for herself, this really appeals to me as I can set my own hours and tailor the working environment to make it more suitable for myself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kinda Report post Posted February 4, 2008 Science Geek and Mumbles It sounds to me that you guys know what you want out of life. I like the idea of pyshcology and looked myself recently at the Open University offering but noticed a good deal of it is related to statistical analysis which didn't really press my buttons. The idea of knowing how our brains works does so I put it on hold for a while until I know more clearly what I want. I suggest before deciding ask the lecturers more about the course and what the demands are then ask some students who are nearing completion what their experience was and whether the course has met their expectations. Having a mentor is an excellent idea but can understand your concerns regarding previous experiences. The one major drawback of university and college is the demands places on lecturers themselves and sometimes students leave issues and when it becomes urgent then the lecturers can't/don't respond in time. Not sure what your planning skills are like but again if you can prioritise and write the issues down then you can monitor and track where you are with the issues and then nothing gets forgotten. I wished I was back at University and I recently competed an Open University course but because its distance learning it can be lonely at times and you are forced to network with other students but I think the Open University is a great organisation. I don't know if you have seen the advert where a student states it changed his life but the course I did realy did change my life. I became a lot more aware of what was going on around me in business and it gave me great confidence. It also taught me how to be more strategic about my thinking. Perhaps you should give some thought to what you would want from a mentor and then see if anyone can advise who they think would be suitable. I realise this is not easy but I guess as a starter someone who understands AS (or is prepared to find out), can empathise with you, is patient and perhaps can be sympathetic to possible communication issues etc etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pearl Report post Posted February 4, 2008 SG, my daughter wants to be an ed psych too but has to work as a teacher first, did you know that? There may be different rules for private ed psychs though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted February 4, 2008 SG, my daughter wants to be an ed psych too but has to work as a teacher first, did you know that? There may be different rules for private ed psychs though. Did not know that. I have absolutely no interest in teaching at all Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pearl Report post Posted February 4, 2008 Yup, I think she has to do 2 years teaching in order to become an ed psych. She's working as a TA at the mo & having probs getting onto a PGCE, but like you she doesnt particularly want to teach anyway, so its putting her off. She's now thinking of Speech Therapy instead. As I said though, it may be different for private ed psychs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted February 8, 2008 I heard back from the disability adviser at the university. I'm not sure how I want to go forward with this yet, I will think it over during the weekend and then email her back on Monday. I've copied the email she sent to me below. My mentor suggested something similar as well. I'm not even sure how they can help really Hi J Thank you for your e-mail. I am putting my thinking cap on and will come back to you within the next few days, not sure how you will feel about this but we could approach the Faculty and see if we could arrange a meeting with Fac disability contact and an academic memeber of staff present to see how we can proceed given that Thursday's are particularly difficult for you and you are having sensory overload. We could then explore all options with everyone present. My concerns are J that this is something that is not going to go away and if you are seeking diagnosis of ASD then this is not going to be a short term thing. Let me know what you think, as I won't do anything without your permission first. Speak to you soon, Have a good weekend L Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tally Report post Posted February 8, 2008 Well, it sounds like she wants to help! Could the Thursday afternoon lectures be taped so you can listen to it over the weekend? Just an idea that popped into my head. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted February 8, 2008 (edited) Well, it sounds like she wants to help! Could the Thursday afternoon lectures be taped so you can listen to it over the weekend? Just an idea that popped into my head. That sounds like a good suggestion. Another suggestion (from my mentor) was a keyring with little laminated cards, as when I'm having problems I find it really hard to verbalise what the problem is. Edited February 8, 2008 by ScienceGeek Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted February 15, 2008 Latest email from the disability adviser Hi J I have thought long and hard about this and basically, I would advise that if you find the prospect that I outlined below daunting then the first step might be for you to have an initial meeting with your Faculty student adviser(you may also want to take S along to this with you) to explore in detail what would happen if you did not attend the lectures on a Thursday. You may want to ask/think about: are all lectures/seminars/tutorials/practicals compulsory, would you miss too much by not attending and would the notetaker be able to pick most things up in your notes?? You might want to consider with the Faculty adviser whether part time is an option or if you could drop a module, obviously there are time and financial implications tied up in these options and you should discuss this also. You may want to ask S to help you set up this meeting and i would be more than happy to discuss any issues before the meeting with the student adviser to clarify things given enough notice. I would think that this would be a practical first step and then we could look to how you move forward once you have the correct information as these are Faculty issues. Please do let me know what you think and if I can help any further. Kind Regards L Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted February 15, 2008 I've had a chance to think about the email and my view is: - I can't drop any modules and would be foolish to this far into the year. We only have 8 teaching weeks left for the year. - Going part time wouldn't be possible as I need the full time funding (student loan) to do stuff like eat. That and I really don't want to drag out my degree any longer than necessary. - Finding out if I can get the notetaker to still take notes even if I'm not there would be a good possibility and then just popping into the disability centre to pick them up and sign paperwork. Think I need to talk this through with my mentor to see what he thinks about it. Got my appointment with the CMHT next Friday. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted February 21, 2008 (edited) Bumped into my disability adviser at lunchtime while I was wasting sometime before my lectures. We had a brief discussion about the problems I've been having and she is going to get in touch with the faculty disability bod to see if i can have the notetaker attend the lectures and I just get the notes from the disability centre therefore making my Thursdays only half day like the rest of the week. Sounds like a good idea. I just realised today that we only have 5 teaching weeks left of the year! Oh yeah and I have my appointment with the CMHT person tomorrow morning. Fun times! Must prepare something for that so I can get across my point without sounding like a rambling fool. Edited February 21, 2008 by ScienceGeek Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pearl Report post Posted February 21, 2008 thats good. The notetaking, not sounding like a rambling fool Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted February 29, 2008 Have my meeting with the course leader, disability adviser and faculty disability adviser in about 30mins! I'm so nervous, my stomach is not feeling good at all. Got to go talk to the disability adviser before the meeting so we can discuss the point I want to get across in case I can't verbalise it myself in the meeting. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mumble Report post Posted February 29, 2008 Have my meeting with the course leader, disability adviser and faculty disability adviser in about 30mins! I'm so nervous, my stomach is not feeling good at all. Got to go talk to the disability adviser before the meeting so we can discuss the point I want to get across in case I can't verbalise it myself in the meeting. Hope it goes well I am officially sulking now at how understanding your disability adviser appears to be Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted February 29, 2008 Well that was a lot of stressing over nothing! Had a quick chat with the disability adviser before the meeting. When the meeting did start they asked me some questions and I was really struggling with getting what I wanted to say across, the disability adviser took over and explained everything which was nice. I felt like she understood everything fully. The outcome of the meeting is that I only have to go in on Thursdays for Biology once every other week, the lectures I miss by not being there will be covered by the notetaker. My IT work can be done at home (not normally supposed to as it is supposed to be supervised as there is no exams for that module) but am an exception. The relief that I felt after that meeting was great, no more stressing about Thursdays! They are going to make sure I have a separate room for the exam, I already had extra time and use of a computer but would have been in with other people and their noise would have been distracting. All in all a positive experience. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bagpuss Report post Posted February 29, 2008 So pleased it went well SG. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kinda Report post Posted February 29, 2008 Hi SG That's great news, I think it would benefit others if you could explain what/who made it all such a positive experience. Others maybe able to use your experiences with their own universities and colleges etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clare63 Report post Posted February 29, 2008 Hi SG ~ that's great news, glad the meeting went so well and that you nolonger have to worry about Thursdays ! Clare x x x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mumble Report post Posted February 29, 2008 Brilliant news I'm now going to leg it to your uni and kidnap your disability adviser for myself. It's OK, you can have mine as a replacement Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tally Report post Posted March 1, 2008 I'm glad it went well! Do you have this in writing? It might be worth dropping in a note to confirm the outcome of the meeting, just in case they try to renege on it later. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pearl Report post Posted March 1, 2008 Good news SG Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted March 1, 2008 I'm glad it went well! Do you have this in writing? It might be worth dropping in a note to confirm the outcome of the meeting, just in case they try to renege on it later. No, I don't have this in writing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted March 23, 2008 I'm slowly getting everything in order. Once my mum goes home I need to tackle the mess that is my notes, they are all over the flat and in no particular order. At least my DLA form is filled in and ready to go. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScienceGeek Report post Posted May 14, 2008 I'm making a list here of stuff that needs doing. Appeal DLA decision See Dr Get dressings changed (again) Start applying for jobs E-mail admissions tutor for Psychology degree to see if I can still get on even if I fail Foundation Chem exams Tidy bedroom Organise flat and many more things... So much to do so little energy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tally Report post Posted May 14, 2008 Ooh, I've been meaning to say, your recent hospitalisation and injury might be worth mentioning if you appeal the DLA decision. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
