Thursday, June 30, 2011

Survive College With A Social Disability







Social disorders inhibit a student's ability to interact with classmates and teachers effectively.


Attending college is stressful enough, let alone if you are suffering from a social disability, such as generalized social anxiety. Although common, social disabilities are often unrecognized. A person who suffers from a social disability can experience high levels of fear and anxiety when placed in a classroom. This can lead to panic attacks and cause the person to avoid going to class. Many schools have disability clinics with trained professionals to help students with social disabilities cope with academic life.


Instructions


1. Meet with a doctor to have your social disability clinically diagnosed. Your doctor will help you decide a method of treatment that can lessen the impact of your disorder. Possible treatments include stress-relieving tactics and medication. Once you have been diagnosed with a disability, such as anxiety disorder, your school's disability clinic will be able to offer assistance.


2. Contact your school's disability clinic to find out what services they offer. Once you meet with your disability counselor and are accepted, staff at the clinic will set out a plan to help you complete your college semester. They can provide any special school supplies you might need, or even offer you with special treatment for writing tests and exams. Your disability counselor's job is to help you obtain a college degree, while minimizing the stress placed on you as a result of your disorder.


3. Inform your teachers of your disability, if you feel comfortable doing so. By keeping your teachers informed, they will be able to gear the course load in your favor. For example, if you have social anxieties that prevent you from making oral presentations, your teachers might arrange for you to complete an alternate assignment. The more your teachers knows, the more they will be able to help you as a student.








4. Meet regularly with your counselor to track your progress and help you deal with any pitfalls you might encounter along the way. If you are having problems with a specific teacher's course, or with students, talk to your disability counselor to find out how the situation can be resolved.


5. Switch your enrollment to part-time status if you feel the workload and constant interaction with classmates and teachers are still too much for you to handle. Consider lessening your course load. Although it will take you longer to complete your program, you will have fewer courses to stress about in one semester.


6. Apply for college bursaries and grants that offer money to students with disabilities. There are many programs designed specifically to help students pay for their college education.Talk to your financial aid services center to find out what grants you are eligible for.

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