Mental illnesses may interfere with your ability to function at school -- or
they may have no effect at all. If your mental illness is affecting your ability
to do things such as concentrating or communicating effectively, you're probably
aware of it. Then again, you may not have made the connection between your disability
and your problems functioning. Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and
the ADA, educational personnel only need to provide accommodations for limitations
that can be directly connected to your disability. You should document the types
of functional limitations caused by your disability to show your need for academic
adjustments.Here's a list of some of the limitations you may be experiencing.
If you have a psychiatric disability, you may have trouble doing some of these
things.* Please remember that since that are many different types of mental
illnesses, this isn't a complete list -- and that not everyone experiences all,
or even any, of these limitations. Here's how you might cope:
Inability
to screen out environmental stimuli. Stimuli such as sounds,
sights, or smells, which distract you. For example, it may be hard for you
to pay attention to a lecture while sitting near a loud fan or to focus
on studying in a high traffic area.
Possible solutions: Move away from the fan; ask the
professor to shut off the fan during the lecture; ask someone to help you
find a quiet study area.
Inability
to concentrate: You may feel restless, have a short attention span,
be easily distracted, or have a hard time remembering verbal directions.
For example, you may have trouble focusing on one task for extended periods,
reading and retaining course material, or remembering instructions during
an exam or a classroom exercise.
Possible solutions: Break large projects into smaller tasks;
ask permission to take short, frequent breaks to stretch or walk around;
ask for a tutor to help you with study skills and information retention;
ask for assignments to be given one task at a time or in writing.
Lack
of stamina. You may not have enough energy to spend a full day
on campus, carry a full course load, or take a long exam in one sitting.
You may also find your medication makes you drowsy.
Possible solutions: Enroll as a part-time student; schedule
your classes during your high-energy hours; ask to take exams in sections.
Difficulty
handling time pressures and multiple tasks. You may have trouble
managing assignments, setting priorities, or meeting deadlines. For example,
you may not know how to decide which assignments to do first, or how to
complete assignments by the due date.
Possible solutions: Break larger assignments and projects
down into manageable tasks; ask for a course syllabus detailing class topics,
assignments, and due dates for the entire semester.
Difficulty
interacting with others. It may be difficult for you to talk to
other students, gett notes or discuss assignments, participate in class,
meet students outside of class, chat with other students at class breaks,
and make friends.
Possible solutions: Ask for help finding a mentor or "buddy"
who can introduce you around and help you fit in.
Difficulty
handling negative feedback. You may have a hard time understanding
and interpreting criticism. For example, you may get defensive when someone
tells you your work isn't up to standards. It's hard for you to figure out
what to do to improve. You might want to withdraw from class or even drop
out of school because of a poor grade.
Possible solutions: Ask your professor to talk with you
about your performance and suggest specific ways to improve; find out whether
you can make up for poor grades with alternative assignments or extra credit
projects; ask your professor to meet with you and your school's disability
services counselor to facilitate feedback.
Difficulty
responding to change. Unexpected changes in your coursework, such
as new assignments, due dates, or instructors, may be unusually stressful
for you.
Possible solutions: Ask your professor for advance warning
of any changes in the syllabus; ask your school's disability services counselor
to be sure to tell your new instructor about your needs.
*Adapted from Mancuso, L.L. (1990) Reasonable accommodations for workers with psychiatric disabilities. Psychosocial Rehabilitation Journal, 14(2), 3-19
.
©
1997, 1998 Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University