Re: Feeling a little down after meeting with disability resource person

[Guest guest]

I'm glad that the 1st person you spoke with was not your only interacton! You

would think she'd have the training and expertise to look beyond numbers on a

sheet. There is ALOT more involved! It makes me angry actually! (Did he get

accomodations for his testing) Those standardized test are grueling for our

kids....!

I've heard that there are small liberal arts schools where they have assigned

student mentors that help students with their day to day school work etc...

I don't know the name of any in your area...

Just a thought

Best of luck,

>

> We went to look at a local college, a big step for Roy. We went to the

disability resource person first b/c I thought she would be encouraging and give

us some helpful info on how to proceed with a " non-traditional " student with

challenges. I had all the paperwork (504,ACT scores, health plan) and she looked

at his scores (21 composite, 24 math, 17 science). She had a sour look on her

face and told him he should retake it and then tells him he really needs to get

that science score up. He felt completely deflated b/c he knows he is better

than a number and knows that he was exhausted when he got to the science part of

the test. I told her we were working on getting time and half on his retake. It

was huge for him to even get to that meeting and all of us walked out thinking

why was she in that position. Didn't seem to " get it " at all.

> We then decided to skip the tour and try to get in to an admissions person

1:1, instead of the large group. She was very positive and kept telling him that

a 21 was a very good score and that she was sure he could bring it up if he

retook it. She also gave up options for getting though another glitch with the

foreign language requirement. She also explained that there is a human component

to the application and that it is not all about scores and numbers. Anyway, what

a difference and I am happy we talked with her. I just now have alot more work

ahead in trying to get the foreign lang. requirement figured out. Don't see him

being able to go unless they waver it. Can't see him handling a college course

on top of his HS classes, in order to satisfy 2 yr. foreign lang. Would be so

much easier if he wanted to go to the tech or junior college but he really wants

to go to a 4 yr. school and then eventually engineering.

> So, frustrating for sure. If they only knew how much he has gone through to

get this far.

> in WI

> Roy-17. OCD/Depression/Anxiety ADD

>

[Guest guest]

,

This is SO true. After I sent a long e-mail to that dis. resource person b/c she

needed some additional info., I realized that he has had way too much going on

in HS and is really still dealing with the OCD and anxiety. It colors his day

still, about 75% of the time, he reports. I talked to him this aft. about his

need to have such an intense major like physics/eng. when it really is not who

he is. He said he still feels the need to show people he is smart and we had a

long talk about making decisions based on who he really is and not who he is

trying to present to other people. I got him to think about a dif. school in

town that is more hands on, less academic.

I also could refer to my daughter who went to a big competitive university,

struggled through, ended up with a stat/math major and is not making $10/hr.,

living at home, and working in pharm. She had ADD and anxiety and had constant

teary conversations with us. She would have been better going to the more tech

orientated smaller univ. in town.

Also, I could refer to our son who got a full school to go to Stanford. Very

bright but I think was struggling the whole time with anxiety and hypomania from

the then undiag. BP. He told me the other day he got stupid after HS. Stanford

was very competitive and though his grades were high, he still felt stupid. Not

something a parent wants to hear. In Jan. this year, he came home way over the

edge and ended up hosp. and has been home since then. He is better now but

despite the scholarship, don't know if that was the place for him either. It is

easy to get caught up in all the hype and forget what is really best for the

child.

in WI

Roy-17, OCD/Anxiety/Depression, ADD

dd-24

ds-22

ds-20

> >

> > We went to look at a local college, a big step for Roy. We went to the

disability resource person first b/c I thought she would be encouraging and give

us some helpful info on how to proceed with a " non-traditional " student with

challenges. I had all the paperwork (504,ACT scores, health plan) and she looked

at his scores (21 composite, 24 math, 17 science). She had a sour look on her

face and told him he should retake it and then tells him he really needs to get

that science score up. He felt completely deflated b/c he knows he is better

than a number and knows that he was exhausted when he got to the science part of

the test. I told her we were working on getting time and half on his retake. It

was huge for him to even get to that meeting and all of us walked out thinking

why was she in that position. Didn't seem to " get it " at all.

> > We then decided to skip the tour and try to get in to an admissions person

1:1, instead of the large group. She was very positive and kept telling him that

a 21 was a very good score and that she was sure he could bring it up if he

retook it. She also gave up options for getting though another glitch with the

foreign language requirement. She also explained that there is a human component

to the application and that it is not all about scores and numbers. Anyway, what

a difference and I am happy we talked with her. I just now have alot more work

ahead in trying to get the foreign lang. requirement figured out. Don't see him

being able to go unless they waver it. Can't see him handling a college course

on top of his HS classes, in order to satisfy 2 yr. foreign lang. Would be so

much easier if he wanted to go to the tech or junior college but he really wants

to go to a 4 yr. school and then eventually engineering.

> > So, frustrating for sure. If they only knew how much he has gone through to

get this far.

> > in WI

> > Roy-17. OCD/Depression/Anxiety ADD

> >

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[Guest guest]

Curious, when he took 6 credits, did he have to pay the same amount as a person

taking the normal load? He would not have trouble getting the time and half for

tests, since it is on his 504. The problem with taking long tests is his brain

tires and he can't continue, so even when given the option of more time, he is

too burned out to take advantage. I think it is the ADD, anxiety, and OCD. Just

too much effort I guess.

Yes, when I e-mailed the dis. person with more info about roy, she basically

said " these kids " do not have good success here with finishing their freshman

semester. I think that part. school is prob. not the best for Roy. in WI

Roy-17 OCD, ADD, Anxiety, Depression.

> > >

> > > We went to look at a local college, a big step for Roy. We went to the

disability resource person first b/c I thought she would be encouraging and give

us some helpful info on how to proceed with a " non-traditional " student with

challenges. I had all the paperwork (504,ACT scores, health plan) and she looked

at his scores (21 composite, 24 math, 17 science). She had a sour look on her

face and told him he should retake it and then tells him he really needs to get

that science score up. He felt completely deflated b/c he knows he is better

than a number and knows that he was exhausted when he got to the science part of

the test. I told her we were working on getting time and half on his retake. It

was huge for him to even get to that meeting and all of us walked out thinking

why was she in that position. Didn't seem to " get it " at all.

> > > We then decided to skip the tour and try to get in to an admissions person

1:1, instead of the large group. She was very positive and kept telling him that

a 21 was a very good score and that she was sure he could bring it up if he

retook it. She also gave up options for getting though another glitch with the

foreign language requirement. She also explained that there is a human component

to the application and that it is not all about scores and numbers. Anyway, what

a difference and I am happy we talked with her. I just now have alot more work

ahead in trying to get the foreign lang. requirement figured out. Don't see him

being able to go unless they waver it. Can't see him handling a college course

on top of his HS classes, in order to satisfy 2 yr. foreign lang. Would be so

much easier if he wanted to go to the tech or junior college but he really wants

to go to a 4 yr. school and then eventually engineering.

> > > So, frustrating for sure. If they only knew how much he has gone through

to get this far.

> > > in WI

> > > Roy-17. OCD/Depression/Anxiety ADD

> > >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Your daughter sounds creative and a good entrepreneur. I was a diplomat and told

the disability resource person that her college was not a good fit for Roy at

this time. lots of thanks, etc. Sometimes, I feel like such a b s er because I

work in special ed and in this case, have and may again run across her in a

meeting. So I have to work both sides of the fence.

I thought we should get back on the horse and went to another college today, a

polytechnical one right in town. Much better fit and both admissions staff and

the dis. resource person were more down to earth and Roy thought that the

resource person got his situation. She kept saying that her office was there to

make sure he got the most out of his education.She also mentioned the ASPIRE

program which Roy liked because of the emphasis on kids connecting with other

kids. We felt much better after those meetings and more positive. And the good

thing he pays per credit so no worries about how many credits he takes per term.

Yes, that smart thing comes from years of kids saying things like " oh I guess

you didn't inherit the smart gene like your sister and brothers " . Yes, actually

happened. His sibs all were excellent students, without trying as much as he

does. Also, alot of preassure from dad. And just the way the whole educational

system is set up. More difficult to measure creativity, empathy, intuition, self

insight, and general street smarts. If I was stranded on an island, I would want

him there and not my smartest child who has not an ounce of common sense.

in WI

Roy-17. OCD/Anxiety/Depression, ADD.

> > >

> > > We went to look at a local college, a big step for Roy. We went to the

disability resource person first b/c I thought she would be encouraging and give

us some helpful info on how to proceed with a " non-traditional " student with

challenges. I had all the paperwork (504,ACT scores, health plan) and she looked

at his scores (21 composite, 24 math, 17 science). She had a sour look on her

face and told him he should retake it and then tells him he really needs to get

that science score up. He felt completely deflated b/c he knows he is better

than a number and knows that he was exhausted when he got to the science part of

the test. I told her we were working on getting time and half on his retake. It

was huge for him to even get to that meeting and all of us walked out thinking

why was she in that position. Didn't seem to " get it " at all.

> > > We then decided to skip the tour and try to get in to an admissions

person 1:1, instead of the large group. She was very positive and kept telling

him that a 21 was a very good score and that she was sure he could bring it up

if he retook it. She also gave up options for getting though another glitch with

the foreign language requirement. She also explained that there is a human

component to the application and that it is not all about scores and numbers.

Anyway, what a difference and I am happy we talked with her. I just now have

alot more work ahead in trying to get the foreign lang. requirement figured out.

Don't see him being able to go unless they waver it. Can't see him handling a

college course on top of his HS classes, in order to satisfy 2 yr. foreign lang.

Would be so much easier if he wanted to go to the tech or junior college but he

really wants to go to a 4 yr. school and then eventually engineering.

> > > So, frustrating for sure. If they only knew how much he has gone through

to get this far.

> > > in WI

> > > Roy-17. OCD/Depression/Anxiety ADD

> > >

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