[whispers_inthedark]

just wondering if anyone has gotten them for DID/DDNOS and what they were if you have. trying to decide if they would be helpful or just be another awkward conversation with the teachers.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by whispers_inthedark

just wondering if anyone has gotten them for DID/DDNOS and what they were if you have. trying to decide if they would be helpful or just be another awkward conversation with the teachers.

that depends upon what you mean by school accommodations.

in elementary school and high school american disabilities act accommodations ....in general... are things like the handicapped student can have an aid in the classroom to help them with things like dropped items, reading the material to the student, sign language interpreters. recording devices and in mental health problems have sessions with the school psychologist at a schedule the psychologist thinks the person may need, and access to remedial classroom or adjusted classwork after placement testing in subjects are done. these are all things that can be planned for. for the unplanned things like panic attacks anxiety, triggers usually schools are already set up in a way that if the student has a problem like this they get sent to the school nurses office who either has the student meet with the school psychologist, lay down in the nurses office or parent is called and the student it taken home.

because of the was DID works usually a student doesnt need special accommodations for things like alternate personality switching. in general DID is a mental disorder that happens in children below the age of 5 (in my location) due to extreme trauma. as a result the child has been switching personalities since before they even entered school. its basically their normal. my point is usually students don't walk up to their teachers and say I cant do my math because I just changed from being amanda to being rainy or I need to be excused from gym class because Im not amanda, Im rainy now. usually what happens with DID in my location when a school age child has DID the alter that takes care of the triggering subject takes control and does that. for example if I could not calculate my fractions, this would trigger me to where I would dissociate and then my alter who's sense of agency was to do math took control, completed the work and when the paper was graded it was scored 100.

college is a bit different. here in america we have privacy laws that means the college and teachers can not ask about your mental or physical health problems and unless a doctor says differently they must treat you just like any other student in the room. just like any other students in the room you have the choice of whether you attend classes or not and if you miss any of the material or tests just like any other student its up to you to reach out to fellow students and get the notes and material. just like any other students in the class colleges have counselors that are available, you just walk in to their student aid department and schedule your appointment for when you want to see a counselor. college professors at the beginning of the semester hands out the class syllabus that tells when class meets and what each class time is going to be on, when the testing schedule is. its up to you to bring recording devices or check with the student aid office for the equipment needed. in situations like a student cant climb stairs sometimes the college will move the class to a 1st level classroom. in other words you are pretty much treated like anyone else and if you have special needs to make sure your needs are met. sometimes depending on what accommodations you are asking for the college can help you and other times its up to you to make sure you bring what you need to be able to participate in the classroom.

in my college classes there was no need for accommodations. like anyone else sometimes I went to class sometimes I didnt, when I didnt attend class I called a fellow classmate and borrowed their notes. if I missed a test. I went to the professor and said is it possible to take a make up test? in other words I was treated just like any other student and free to come and go just like normal students.

[Luce]

I have had some accommodations (am getting some right now in fact) that are related to my DID, without my DID actually being disclosed. Yesterday I talked with one of my study trainers about the stress I have been under at work this year and how greatly it has affected me. I mentioned depression and panic attacks without going into the DID, PTSD and related stuff that is actually at the base of the situation. I am getting some accommodations as a result of that discussion.
So there are ways around it. Many people with DID have other diagnoses as well (eg: depression and anxiety) so it may be easier to discuss these instead of the DID itself.

[whispers_inthedark]

I have had some accommodations (am getting some right now in fact) that are related to my DID, without my DID actually being disclosed. Yesterday I talked with one of my study trainers about the stress I have been under at work this year and how greatly it has affected me. I mentioned depression and panic attacks without going into the DID, PTSD and related stuff that is actually at the base of the situation. I am getting some accommodations as a result of that discussion.
So there are ways around it. Many people with DID have other diagnoses as well (eg: depression and anxiety) so it may be easier to discuss these instead of the DID itself.

Luce can I ask what accommodations you've had? It's ok if not, wanted to know if they would even be helpful to me or not. I could probably ask my school but I'm a bit worried about making a big deal out of something if I don't have to.
Thanks.

[Luce]

My situation is most likely quite different to yours because I am taking an international distance course. In my case my accomodations will mostly involve extra one to one training via Skype and extensions on assignments. The trainers are looking into the possibility of me delaying graduation also, but this will be problematic and will mostly likely mean that once I am ready to graduate I will have to find somewhere in the world that is holding exams and travel there to do it. but, the alternative is I just fail, because I am so far behind now it isn't possible for me to complete the workload that is due by January. Even if I worked 4 hours every night I wouldn't be able to finish it.
And, well, I work full time and am a single parent, so that isn't really possible anyway.

What accomodations do you think would be supportive for you?

[whispers_inthedark]

Originally Posted by Luce

My situation is most likely quite different to yours because I am taking an international distance course. In my case my accomodations will mostly involve extra one to one training via Skype and extensions on assignments. The trainers are looking into the possibility of me delaying graduation also, but this will be problematic and will mostly likely mean that once I am ready to graduate I will have to find somewhere in the world that is holding exams and travel there to do it. but, the alternative is I just fail, because I am so far behind now it isn't possible for me to complete the workload that is due by January. Even if I worked 4 hours every night I wouldn't be able to finish it.
And, well, I work full time and am a single parent, so that isn't really possible anyway.

What accomodations do you think would be supportive for you?

i honestly don't know, the alter who was doing homework started having some issues with depression and hasn't been doing much so i'm behind in school now. i've been trying to decide if there are accommodations that can even help me. the closest thing i can come up with is possibly testing outside the classroom (in the testing center) to lower stress or possibility of forgetting the information because of the people around me. i would say extra time on papers (that would be the most helpful for sure) but i'm guessing that's not something given easily at all. due dates are hard to follow because i forget what day it is, or am not myself long enough to finish a paper.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by whispers_inthedark

i honestly don't know, the alter who was doing homework started having some issues with depression and hasn't been doing much so i'm behind in school now. i've been trying to decide if there are accommodations that can even help me. the closest thing i can come up with is possibly testing outside the classroom (in the testing center) to lower stress or possibility of forgetting the information because of the people around me. i would say extra time on papers (that would be the most helpful for sure) but i'm guessing that's not something given easily at all. due dates are hard to follow because i forget what day it is, or am not myself long enough to finish a paper.

not sure where you are located so what Im about to post might not be available in your location.. colleges and further study programs here in america have tutor programs. this is where if a student is lagging behind they can go to their registrars office or guidance counselor who will give the information on how to get a tutor. tutors are not considered an accommodation for the mentally ill or the physically challenged. its just a standard program where some students volunteer to be on a list to help other students. the tutor you are matched up with usually is someone from the class you are having a problem in, this is so that the tutoring student knows the material and can teach it to the student that is having a problem with it. I have found that its a short cut just to notice who in the class is doing ok, good, great and then ask them if they could help me on what I had a problem with.

again I dont know about your location. here in mine to get a different testing location and standards there has to be a doctors note complete with contact information so that the professor can if they choose check in with the treatment provider to find out exactly what the student needs are. this came about because in my location many students who did not need or qualify for the special accommodation were claiming special needs so that they could take the test in a less restrictive environment, result now the colleges in my city require actual treatment provider statements and forms to be filled out before any accommodations are done.

my suggestion is talk with your treatment providers, they will be able to tell you whether you need your schools special accommodations and if you meet them. your treatment provider may need your schools form to fill in that states what special accommodations your school has available for the special needs students.

[Luce]

If I were you I would talk to them. I don't know what country you are in but in my country they are very accommodating. When I spoke to the trainer the other day she said I *needed* to pass and she will do everything she can to support me to get over that line. So go talk about the depression, and see if they can give you some extensions, refer you to other supports, or anything like that.
I have exactly the same issues with the dissociation interfering with my ability to work.... I might have the intention of working on something all day and then find myself doing other things at multiple points throughout the day... bring myself back only to find myself gone again.
The other thing to work on (don't know if you see a therapist or not) is developing system communication or trying in some other manner to get alters to not switch out. Unfortunately for me one of my triggers is failure, so when the study gets hard - boom. Out comes a certain one of us to wallow in depression and not do work. Grrr.
All I can say is try and attack the issue from different angles and with the support people available to you to see if you can come up with some solutions. And you only have to give people as much info as you wish to (going with the depression is okay).