The Other Side of Disabilities
The Office for Students with Disabilities
Newsletter
Division of Student Affairs
Volume VI, Issue 2 May 2005 Editor: James Walborn
JUPITER DISABILITIES PRESENTATION
On March 22, 2005 the Office of Diversity Services and
the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Office of Student Affairs, on
the Jupiter Campus hosted Alfred Souma, who presented
“Accommodating Students with Psychiatric Disabilities in the
Classroom.” A Disability Support Services Counselor with the
Seattle Central Community College, Souma was the 2002 recipient of
the AHEAD Professional Recognition Award and has given
presentations across the nation. I had the pleasure of attending
his presentation and talking with Mr. Souma afterwards. The
following information was taken from the personal interview,
presentation discussion, and the literature which he
distributed.
INTERVIEWING ALBERT SOUMA
"Mental illness" refers to the collection of all
diagnosable mental disorders causing severe disturbances in
thinking, feeling, relating, and/or functional behaviors. Mental
illness is rarely apparent to others, yet can result in a
substantially diminished capacity to cope with daily life demands
and affects almost one out of every five Americans (19%).
Students with mental illness may experience symptoms that
interfere with their educational goals and that create a
"psychiatric disability" including:
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Heightened anxieties, fears, or suspicions
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Marked personality change
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Confused or disorganized thinking
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Difficulty concentrating
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Extreme highs and/or lows in mood
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Denial of obvious problems
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Feelings of worthlessness and guilt
Individuals may also have problems with
maintaining stamina, screening out environmental stimuli,
difficulty understanding or remembering verbal directions, and
prioritizing tasks.
The side effects of medications may also create problems
with concentration, drowsiness, fatigue, dry mouth and thirst,
blurred vision, hand tremors, slowed response time, and difficulty
initiating interpersonal contact.
“Often students tell me that their first choice is to
not take the medication, but I never suggest that. However, the
side effects can be so insidious and so powerful that they may seem
worse than the original psychiatric disorder,” notes Souma.
“I encourage my students to talk to the
professor privately during office hours and to reveal as much
information as necessary to help the professor understand,”
Souma states. “I believe that if the professor understands
what the unique needs are of a particular student, from that
relationship will emerge the direction to take in the class.”
As accommodations, a student may require preferential
seating near the door, tape recorded lectures, notetaker, and/or
extended time on exams (due to an inability to concentrate). A
professor might:
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* Address a variety of learning styles.
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Incorporate experiential learning activities.
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Substitute assignments in specific circumstances.
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Set behavioral expectations for all students.
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Provide private feedback on academic performance.
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Respect student’s right to confidentiality.
NEW ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Lynn Gil is the new OSD Assistant Director. In her first week, she has already participated at Late Night Breakfast.
DID YOU KNOW . . .
Students can have their volunteer hours
permanently recorded on their official transcripts by registering
these hours with the
Volunteer Center. During the 2004-2005 academic
year the 352 OSD volunteers saved FAU $211,584
Thank you, everyone.
“FIESTA MEXICANA”
On April 27th the OSD held a banquet
to thank all of those who have volunteered for our office in the
past year. Many of these are notetakers, the classmates of students
who, because of their disabilities, cannot take their own notes.
Others volunteered as tutors and scribes, or performed other
valuable services for the OSD. The Mexicana theme came complete
with a band, Mariachi Voces de America, pinatas and cacti
(hand-made by the staff), great cuisine (from Chartwells), free
gifts for the notetakers, and door prizes. The event was organized
by OSD Coordinator of Notetaker Services, Michelle Shaw, and
Graduate Assistants, Ivelyn Bower and Herrick Henriquez. The
invited guests included both volunteers and those students who
might consider volunteering in the future. The funding for this
event was provided by the SGA.
INTERVIEWING CLEVELAND
Cleveland Peoples graduated from FAU this May with his
Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a 3.7 GPA. He
plans on pursuing his Doctorate in this field from FIU.
“I have severe depression, which is a disability that
people don’t see,” Cleveland explains. His philosophy:
“I believe that it’s important to achieve your goal and
then set another one. When you do that you feel alive.”
“If it were not for the OSD Assistive Technology Lab I
wouldn’t be comfortable with the computer,” reflects
Cleveland. “At first I was intimidated by this wonderful
machine that has so much power. But, I knew that this tool was
necessary as part of my education and future career.”
Any advice for the faculty and staff? “Many people
have disabilities but they excel in other areas of their lives.
Some might not be able to run a mile or climb mountains, but I want
people to understand – Don’t be fooled by the
wheelchair, by the cane, by a passive nature. We’re not
waiting for a handout. We want to achieve through merit, not
sympathy.”
Anything unusual in the fridge? “Leftover roast beef
and maybe a salad that’s turned brown. Other than that
it’s empty. The refrigerator is starving more than I
am.”
INTERVIEWING WADE
Wade Berstler is an older,
non-traditional student who graduated this May with his BA in
History. Twenty years ago he was involved in a motorcycle accident
which resulted in the amputation of his left leg and the insertion
of rods and plates in his remaining limbs. In spite of this he had
to pull his life together and return to work while raising his son
as a single parent.
Upon entering the University of Florida, his son convinced
Wade that he, too, should return to college. While it took Wade a
few semesters of community college to get into the academic groove,
along the way Wade discovered a love of history and he now holds a
3.85 GPA.
Last year Wade won the FAU Saul Edelman Memorial Award for
“Excellence in History” for in-coming seniors and he is
a member of Phi Alpha Theta and hopes to eventually earn a PhD.
Wade wishes to share his knowledge. “I feel that I can
articulate myself in a way to make it interesting for students half
my age. I have invested so much time and effort into an education I
feel remiss by not sharing what I know.”
About his disability: “Since I don’t have any
range of motion in my knee, I sit in the front row. I’m a big
guy, over 6'4", well, on one side,” ‘amputee
humor,’ Wade explains. His disability “can be
physically painful, mentally exhausting, and debilitating as far as
what you are able to accomplish.”
Besides being an active coach for youth sports in his
community, he was a notetaker for an FAU student with a learning
disability, and a tutor for the Athletic Department. “I held
free tutoring for my fellow students for exams, helping other
people out. Isn’t that the way it is, to make other people
smarter, too?”
Anything unusual in the fridge? “A lot of soda. No one
else in the house drinks it.”
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_______________________________________________________
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and colleagues. Current and past issues are available at
http://www.fau.edu/osd.
This newsletter is available in alternate format upon request from the Office for Students with Disabilities. Boca: SU 133; phone 561.297.3880, TTY 561.297.0358. Davie: MD I, Room 104; phone 954.236.1222, TTY 954.236.1146. Jupiter: SR 117; phone 561.799.8585, TTY 561.799.8565. Treasure Coast: JU 312; phone 772.873.3441.
