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Show page 2 , Spring 2005 Listen ... Your Student Is Saying Something Different BY C. JANE MARLO PHOTOGRAPH BY STEPHEN HOLT In 1984,1 went through four years of college thinking I was just like every other student, but I didn't graduate. This spring, I'll graduate after three more years at the University of Utah, but this time, I realize I'm not like everyone else. I didn't return to finish school because I love studying; I came out of necessity to provide for myself after a destructive marriage and divorce. I returned to college this time with hidden disabilities - depression and anxiety. In addition, through an earlier testing, I learned that I've had Attention Deficit Disorder my entire life. At age 39, I'll be leaving the University of Utah with more than an academic education. I've learned what my disabilities are and how to work with them despite the demands of school - how to break down assignments into do-able tasks, how to recognize and control thoughts that cause anxiety, how to listen to textbooks on tape to help me concentrate on the content of what I need to read, and how to keep a pair of earplugs in my backpack, so I can study and take tests without the distraction of noises. I found that some medications are effective, but most are not. I've also learned that some instructors are understanding and helpful, and although others try, they just are not. Last year, 882 students were registered with the Center for Disability Services (CDS) on the University of Utah campus. Of these, 644 students have hidden disabilities, which include: ADHD/ADD, learning disabilities, and psychological disabilities. Only 1 percent of the U's student body is registered with this center, a small amount compared to other universities. Joe Pete Wilson is currently the director for the CDS. He has been with the university for one year. Prior to his director position, he worked at the University of Vermont for 10 years in a very similar program. According to Wilson, Vermont is a college with only 10,000 students in which 3 percent were registered with its disability center. The difference in these numbers points to the probability that there are many more students on this campus who are not registered and are possibly struggling through their classes without even realizing that they are fighting their curriculum at a disadvantage compared to their peers and the expectations of their instructors. "Having an open attitude for discussing disability issues and a willingness to listen to how a student describes his/her weakness is the best start for meeting a student's needs," Wilson said. Professors and other faculty need to anticipate problem areas, gain a knowledge base, and know what to do when a student approaches them with a different need than what they are used to providing for in the classroom. Students with hidden disabilities have often faced a slew of negative labels in school. They see that they are unable to perform at the same levels as their peers and begin to develop feelings and thoughts of inadequacy thus causing inner conflict with the talents and intellect they possess. I remember in kindergarten when I was supposed to add sets of apples printed on a sheet of paper, and another time when I was required to draw the hands on a clock face to correlate with the written time. All the other students were busily working the simple problems, but I couldn't do it ... I just kept looking at the paper, unable to do anything. My teacher scolded me for not working. Feeling humiliated, I started to cry but still couldn't do the work. That was just kindergarten. I continued to struggle all the way through my four years in college. It wasn't until age 33 that I learned of my own hidden disability. My son was diagnosed with ADD, so I started researching it and decided to have myself evaluated. Now, I am back in school, finishing a needed degree, struggling with the same comprehension problems and others, but this time I have the help and moral support I lacked all those years before. These inner struggles are numerous and varied by |