Support at uni

[ScienceGeek]

For those at uni or have been to uni what kind of support do/did you get? This is my current support notetaker for lectures and 1hr mentoring each week. I'm still struggling at the moment at uni and socially. The thing is I'm not sure what other help to ask for really and where from?

[Mumble]

what kind of support do/did you get?

Support??? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Oh, I love a good joke...

 

Erm, on paper and in funding, fantastic support thank-you. What I actually get - I get the technological assistive technology they give to dyslexic students because they know how to do that, and there it stops. I'm supposed to have 7 hours a week mentoring and befriending - I get nothing. I'm supposed to have regular meetings, support and reviews with the disability office - they don't even answer my emails. It is only due to some very good friends and the support of my GP practise that I have got through the last few months at all - and it shouldn't be like that.

 

However I get the impression from other forums I've read that my uni is particularly bad, and it is definitely dyslexia focused - I don't fit their cosy box so they don't know what to do with me. I don't know if you have had an assessment of needs but even if you have, you should have another one now you have a formal dx and you should ask (and the uni may complain so it's worth fighting) for it to be carried out by a specialist autism assessor - there aren't many of them around, but they do exist and for me it was a very positive experience. I have my assessor's report detailing exactly what I need to compete on an equal footing with other students (and because it's autism specific it understands the impact of social issues on academic issues rather than seeing them as not part of the disability support remit) - it's just a shame it's been totally ignored.

 

[ScienceGeek]

Thanks Mumble, I will ask my mentor about sorting that out. I have had an assessment of needs done but that is 1.5 years old and mostly based on dyslexia, the dyspraxia wasn't really taken into consideration plus the new dx of hfa to add to that. It would probably be a good idea to have that reviewed, thanks for mentioning to ask for someone who is autism specific as I didn't realise they existed.

[NobbyNobbs]

i am repeating my final year on medical grounds after being diagnosed AS in the last month of last academic year.

currently i get...

distance learning. i live at home (west sussex) and am at swansea university

i dont attend any classes

i have a note-taker for all classes

all exams are re-written in a style chosen by me - some are converted to smaller questions rather than one big one, others are done by spoken questions. this term i have one exam which is being changed into two short questions, i get them and submit my answers a week later, done from home

all course material is re-written to remove metaphor - particularly useful for my literature classes

i have 1 hour study skills support a week this term, more for the next two as i will be doing more work

all course material is sent to my house

if i feel i dont have enough information or dont understand course material i can ask for extra support from the lecturer or the disability officer for the department

 

i feel this is excellent and am very greatful to my university as i know its rare to be so well supported

 

obviously because i'm distance learning social problems aren't an issue, but it has been agreed that if i do for some reason need to live back in swansea i would get my own accomodation with private kitchen and bathroom. no doubt they would also be happy to help with any other issues that would come up. i have a fantastic disability officer, both in the disability office, and in my department. i'm actually under the mental health supporter in the disability office rather than the learning difficulties one and i think that this is a big help because she doesn't get caught up in specifics. if i have a problem she gets it fixed, and makes sure that it is designed to work for me, even if that is over what the department wants (not that thats an issue cos the department are completely behind me too!)

Edited November 17, 2008 by NobbyNobbs

[ScienceGeek]

That sounds good Nobby, I am really struggling right now and finding it hard just to leave the house on my own without having panic attacks. I'm thinking about e-mailing my disability adviser to see if I can have notes sent to my house from my notetakers and do the work at home. I really can't face going in right now and it is impacting on my work.

[NobbyNobbs]

everyone comes to me with my set-up so i'd ask about that. i only have to go into university once this year to sit an exam in may. i submit my work through the post and online, they send my notes the same way and i have a phone-call once a term from the disability coordinator in my department to check if theres anything that needs adapting.

 

when i was getting this all sorted i asked about attendance and note takers because i was under the impression they wouldn't provide notes if you didn't attend class, but the disability office said that if my disability meant i couldn't attend class then they would, it was only for things like dyslexia where theres no reason why you can't be in class that that rule applies.

if you're interested i'd jump right in and ask for distance learning - if you think you're controlled enough to get the work done theres not really a disadvantange for us AS people, others would miss the social life but.... no thanks!. have you had a new educational psych. assessment done since your diagnosis? if not then ask for one and stress to them the problems you have with attending classes. they should then recommend that you dont!

the one complication with distance learning is seminars and discussions that often carry grades, along with presentations. they would probably suggest these were either done by phone, email or one to one with the lecturer as they have to be done somehow (fortuantely for me i did enough last year that they're ignoring it this time)

[CEJesson]

I have up to 3 hours per week with a mentor, I used 3 for the first month of my first year, then this went down to 1 hour. This was because 2-3 hours a week would require more than one mentor and I wasn't comfortable with this. So from October 2007 until this month (Dec 08) I have had 1 hour per week with 1 mentor and it has worked very well.

 

Since 12th December 2008 this has increased to 2 hours per week with a different mentor and this is going well so far.

 

I can also drop in to Disability/Dyslexia Support Service whenever I need to and someone will be able to talk to me.

 

I also have extra time in exams (+25%) and the Department is given full consultation on my AS.

 

Then there is DLA.

Edited December 23, 2008 by CEJesson

[ScienceGeek]

Update:

 

- Contacted Disability adviser at uni who is usually pretty good, but feel like I was fobbed off. They are trying to get away with not having another needs assessment done, not sure where to go with that next. I contacted her a couple of weeks before Xmas and haven't heard back since.

 

- Currently sitting in the disability officer are the whole month of Decembers notes that were supposed to have been mailed so I could catch up over the holidays. The person in charge of this has been off sick a lot this year and when she is out of office everything tends to fall apart and pile up until she gets back. They are going to send them out now that I phoned and complained, how am I supposed to keep up if they send the notes out only once a month.

 

It's not all negative though some positive things:

 

- Course leader has agreed I can work from home for the rest of this year, only need to go in for the compulsory labs

- I have a great mentor who kicks butt

- I can resubmit last years coursework so I only have to catch up with learning from the notes (when they arrive)

 

 

 

[Mumble]

- I have a great mentor who kicks butt

Please may I share? Any idea where your uni got him/her from?

 

[NobbyNobbs]

have you tried asking if the disability office can 'hand over' responsibility to your departments disability person? this is what mine have done. now i go straight to my department, who then talk to the disability office if they need anything done. my notes are being sent by department and everything. this way theres a professional chasing the disability office and they're far less likely to ignore them than you.

 

also is it exam time at your uni? the disability office is always exceptionally busy then with all the people with 'reasons' why they have missed exams and so on. perhaps wait a few weeks and try again when things have calmed down?

 

my only other suggestion is to try making an appointment with a different member of staff. the learning difficulties one i presume you're under might be a bit 'seen it all before'.

[CEJesson]

 

 

 

Currently doing an essay at the moment, but will reply to this thread in the morning, I have some suggestions

 

 

[CEJesson]

Update:

 

- Contacted Disability adviser at uni who is usually pretty good, but feel like I was fobbed off. They are trying to get away with not having another needs assessment done, not sure where to go with that next. I contacted her a couple of weeks before Xmas and haven't heard back since.

 

Please contact her again, even if you feel obliged not to, I too would expect her to make the effort. Alternatively ring reception at disability services (if there is one) and book an appointment that way, they should have access to each staff member's schedule. It is important you meet your advisor to ask why there isn't a push for another needs assessment. It could be something like lack of resources, or reasons that are personal to your own requirements. At Sheffield needs assessments are currently on a temporary basis at disability services as Sheffield College has pulled out of offering the service. Needless to say that many new students will have to be assessed in their home county like I was. Ask your advisor if this is the reason.

 

It is unacceptable they haven't contacted you but it is more likely to accept christmas vacation as a reason for 'forgetting to contact'. It does show disorganisation in the workplace which isn't great but this could be something to pick on if they ever ask for your review of the service.

 

- Currently sitting in the disability officer are the whole month of Decembers notes that were supposed to have been mailed so I could catch up over the holidays. The person in charge of this has been off sick a lot this year and when she is out of office everything tends to fall apart and pile up until she gets back. They are going to send them out now that I phoned and complained, how am I supposed to keep up if they send the notes out only once a month.

 

If you arrange to meet someone please explain you are unhappy with the level of service. Its best to be honest, much in the same way that when something good happens you thank them for their efforts. It is difficult to approach people who are taking partial responsibility for you. I would tell them the notes not being given on time is causing anxieties that aren't needed and this might have effects on the rest of your education.

 

It's not all negative though some positive things:

 

- Course leader has agreed I can work from home for the rest of this year, only need to go in for the compulsory labs

- I have a great mentor who kicks butt

- I can resubmit last years coursework so I only have to catch up with learning from the notes (when they arrive)

 

If you have a really good mentor, then you can communicate these issues with them too - they should be fully acquainted with the disability advisors and can pass on information on your behalf. They could also ring up university departments to get things done. For example mine rang accommodation up to enquire what precise day and time the fire alarm test was.

 

Very good news about the coursework and home working. As long as these settings are firmly in place and on paper then this should be fine. Maybe for peace of mind you could request a copy of your arrangements on paper?

 

Are exam arrangements going ok for you?

 

I hope this helps, if you are apprehensive about my suggestions please reply back or send me a private message, I'll be happy to help

Edited January 17, 2009 by CEJesson

[ScienceGeek]

I was hoping to see my mentor next week, but he has to have another 2 weeks off. Recovering from cancer sugery

 

I e-mailed the lady that sorts the notes out and notetaking support. She said that she sent out notes before xmas, which means a whole load of notes went missing in the post They went from Bristol to... Bristol, how the heck did they get lost?!

[Mumble]

I e-mailed the lady that sorts the notes out and notetaking support. She said that she sent out notes before xmas, which means a whole load of notes went missing in the post They went from Bristol to... Bristol, how the heck did they get lost?!

I realise that this is probably a really 'out there' suggestion and that these poor lecturers can't cope with technological change or different ways of doing things from when the dinosaurs invented lecturing (yes I'm generalising, not attacking specific lecturers, please don't shout at me ) but couldn't they scan and email the notes to you? And if they really wanted to be helpful and inclusive, they could scan them in the disability office using assistive technology compatible software/hardware so that you could open the attachments and they be in a format ready for your computer to 'read' or use in whichever programmes you find helpful

 

[ScienceGeek]

I realise that this is probably a really 'out there' suggestion and that these poor lecturers can't cope with technological change or different ways of doing things from when the dinosaurs invented lecturing (yes I'm generalising, not attacking specific lecturers, please don't shout at me ) but couldn't they scan and email the notes to you? And if they really wanted to be helpful and inclusive, they could scan them in the disability office using assistive technology compatible software/hardware so that you could open the attachments and they be in a format ready for your computer to 'read' or use in whichever programmes you find helpful

 

Hahahaha! I wish. I remember trying frantically to get notes during summer term last year so I could revise for the exams and I never did get them in the end. I need to sort through my folders and figure out which weeks are missing first, then I can try and get the notes.

[ScienceGeek]

So I got an email from the disability adviser from uni saying the LEA have agreed to pay for my notetaking support in my absence but only for 4 weeks. They won't do it for any longer because it isn't in my needs report The assessment centre that did my report is going to contact the LEA to recommend that this support is put in place. *fingers crossed*

[NobbyNobbs]

all my lecture notes are emailed to me by the student note-takers. which is pretty handy since the department aren't being particularly helpful at the moment. my tutor is gearing up to get very firm about some legal issues relating to them not supplying me with course material that students attending class get. i got a very amusing email that is going to make her day, where they state that i may want to see certain videos shown in class (which form a quarter of every lecture!) but i do not need to see them, so they aren't going to send them.

 

i hope you get things sorted out soon!

[ScienceGeek]

Thank goodness for that! LEA have agreed to pay for my notetakers in my absence and I have already heard back from 1 module leader about missing some labs and have alternative form of assessment which is an assignment due after Easter. I don't know why this couldn't be done last year, but at least it is an option this time around.

[CEJesson]

Thank goodness for that! LEA have agreed to pay for my notetakers in my absence and I have already heard back from 1 module leader about missing some labs and have alternative form of assessment which is an assignment due after Easter. I don't know why this couldn't be done last year, but at least it is an option this time around.

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