college troubles

[cat]

wondering if any one has any advice on how to deal with college.


i've always struggled in main stream education . i started a hairdressing course a few weeks ago , hoping that it would help me develop and gain some social skills as i have been told this is an area that i really struggle with . at first i felt confidant things were going fairly smoothly however this changed . in particular i felt the levels of ignorance towards my difference were monumental , when i asked for my lecturer to provide me with tasks in prioritised list form instead of her usual demonstrations in witch she would constantly repeat information using different words/ways to communicate this each time . her response to this request was to belittle me in front of my peers and refuse to do this simple task ( she has no reason not to do this as she has been made aware of the slight issues i may have )

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO ABOUT THIS

 

[Spinning Compass]

What kind of school are you in? The fact you mention that you are taking a hairdressing course makes me suspect that you are in what used to be called a "beauty school" and not a regular college or university. If so, you may not have many options.

Now, if you were in a community college, you could go to your academic counselor and find out what options there are for students with disabilities. Because community colleges and traditional four-year universities are public institutions they are by law obligated to provide services that your "cosmetic academy" or whatever they are calling themselves these days are not. It sounds like you have a real insensitive instructor there. I hate to break the bad news to you, but you might as well get used to it. You will find the same situation in the work world. Believe me, I know. I've been there and done that and there are bosses who simply will not give you any breaks when it comes to your issues. That is just the way it is.

 

[Arashi222]

First of all you always have rights regardless of where you are taking classes or courses. So I would suggest going to their superior and talking to them about your issues. It is not the way it is...you can do something you can stand up for yourself and while there will always be people that are not going to understand or be rude but I would look up your rights even beauty school or whatever still has to abide by laws for fair education it may look different but I would suggest asking what your rights are through your educational system by talking to your local either Autism society or center or Local disabilities center.

 

[Soup]

I'dd add that you should document everything. Note when you spoke to the teacher, what you requested & the response you received. Try to remain as true to what was actually said by the instructor: not how you felt or reacted emotionally to what was said. People like this exist in every sphere of life. You do not have to let them limit your opportunities. If she has taken to mocking you aloud or insulting you, get a small voice activated recorder & record your classes discretely (keep the device small & do not tell any classmates about it). This way, you will have irrefutable evidence to support your claim.

 

[Sparticus]

1) call autism groups and learn your rights
2) call law firms and learn your rights
3) talk to her before or after class; compliment her on her passion/whatever. Then get into it, tell her you have autism etc
4) if that doesn't work, talk to her supervisor. If this is a business/trade school talk to your Admissions Rep
5) If that doesn't work write a legal letter to the President of the School, with copies to the teacher, her supervisor and a lawyer or autism group and think about calling up a newspaper

I used to work for a medium sized law firm. Had plenty of time to review legal documents. I'd suggest you write a polite legal letter.
Legal letters are direct without emotion.

Example:

Your name, address, phone number date
Professors name, Title, Dept
Re: Your public humilation of me in class on _____


"Kindly be informed on ___ I requested you to ___ and your reaction was to humiliate me in public via_____. Be further informed that I have autism/Aspergers and am legally informing you via disabilty laws {"or am requesting" & don't use the phrase disability laws} that you refrain from any futher public humiliation. Should you continue to harrass me I will notify ____ {State Dept of Education? Autism group, newspapers, etc}

Thank you for your attention to this matter {or thank you for your anticipated cooperation}

Your name_____

cc: President of College, Autism Group, Newspaper, Lawyer {here you can either send copies to those noted or fake it. If you fake it they might find out and ignore you. However if you do send copies to those noted above, be prepared for both positive and negative repercussions.}

Good luck!!!

wondering if any one has any advice on how to deal with college.


i've always struggled in main stream education . i started a hairdressing course a few weeks ago , hoping that it would help me develop and gain some social skills as i have been told this is an area that i really struggle with . at first i felt confidant things were going fairly smoothly however this changed . in particular i felt the levels of ignorance towards my difference were monumental , when i asked for my lecturer to provide me with tasks in prioritised list form instead of her usual demonstrations in witch she would constantly repeat information using different words/ways to communicate this each time . her response to this request was to belittle me in front of my peers and refuse to do this simple task ( she has no reason not to do this as she has been made aware of the slight issues i may have )

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO ABOUT THIS

 

[Wessicht]

I used to believe that I could have protection from insensitivity to aspergers syndrome. Eventually, however, I realized that there is no real legal protection whatsoever. Much of the social programs and disabilities offices on college campuses are token services that are required by the federal government. They consist of layers of beauracracy wrapped up in layers of binding strings. Going through these services is as taxing and difficult as learning the manage others myself.

So I decided to just drop enrollment in disability services and never disclose. It's been an interesting experience. Most people assume that I am an arrogant man who has little patience for the idiocy of others. I'll admit, this isn't far from the mark. Nevertheless, the social stigma of being arrogant is considerably less than the stigma of being disabled.

 

[Judge]

In my college experience I can only say that things went better for me in general. The people around me seemed far more easy-going, accepting and kind. My Aspie traits just seldom came up. I look back at those days as being infinitely better than my public school days.

Nicer times because of nicer people. Of course back then neither they or I knew I had A/S.

 

[Kadevilbig]

Hey cat my name is kade I'm also a college student at idaho state university and I also work for the office of disabilities services. Your teacher should not have responded that way you should go talk to your colleges disabilities Serivces office they can provide you with accommodations for school and can help resolve conflict between you and your teacher. They may also have a counseling center that may be able to help with some social skills and transitioning into college. The Ada office may even be able to help find you a peer mentor or person you could ask questions or talk to our university has a social skills class and peer-mentoring program. I would defiantly talk to he Ada office and bring up your concerns. Sorry about the teacher keep your chin up you can do and remember there's people there who can help.

 

[Kadevilbig]

Defiantly I think college students are more gown up and accepting compared to junior high and high-school my roomate was very understanding and after I told him I had Asperger's he helped me a lot it also took off some of the pressure of making a mistake and messing things up. I think you'll get negative people wherever you go you just got to keep plugging along and not let it get to you your at college for you not them

 

[Spinning Compass]

Not to sound picky here, but the word you want to use is "definitely" not "defiantly". They have very different meanings. Defiantly means, well, in a defiant manner. It's a word that can turn people off if used incorrectly, especially in an e-mail or written context where the other person may not know you and may not know what word you really intended to use. I can guarantee if you "defiantly" approached college officials you would not get a very good reception.

Maybe this may seem like a small point, but it seems a large part of our social problems involve communication issues. That makes it all the more important to know the correct spelling and meaning of the words we use, especially in written communication.