Another category of invisible disability that can greatly impact a student's ability to meet the writing demands of college is psychiatric disabilities. These disorders include depressive disorders, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and schizophrenia. Unlike other disabilities, these can be either temporary or chronic. Moreover, some people require no accommodations while others require numerous. With psychiatric disorders, medication and/or therapy can assist people in controlling the symptoms and succeeding in college writing. For more information:
How Psychiatric Disabilities May Impact Writing
- Difficulty with auditory processing;
- Difficulty concentrating;
- Inconsistency of performance in class and in written assignments due to fluctuations in mental condition;
- Work performance impacted due to mental fatigue;
- Work performance impacted due to over stimulation;
- Work performance impacted due to physical fatigue;
- Inconsistency in information retention and other memory functions;
- Difficulty interacting with others such as in group work and peer editing.
Assignment Design and Delivery
- Employ UDL principles in assignment design and delivery;
- Provide enhanced syllabus with clearly stated course expectations and due dates;
- In developing an assignment, recognize that the assignment's goal can be accomplished through a variety of means. Offer flexibility in assignment tasks to make the overall learning goal accessible to all students;
- Clearly present goal(s) of assignment to students on instruction sheet and during in-class assignment review;
- Provide assignments in alternate formats (print, online, audiotape) for greater accessibility;
- Review assignment instructions in class;
- Emphasize drafting and revision;
- Provide frequent opportunities for feedback on writing;
- Provide assistance with assignment structure;
- Provide alternatives to collaborative work;
- Maintain constant communication with student about make-up tests and ssignment due dates. Students may miss class during serious psychiatric episodes.
Classroom Accommodations
- Establish a supportive writing environment;
- Have student sit in the most distraction free area of the classroom (away from doors, air conditioners, windows, or other possible distractions). For example, invite student to sit in the front of the room for greater focusing;
- Have student take exams in a distraction reduced environment;
- Encourage student to write papers in a distraction reduced environment;
- Provide extended time on exams, in-class writing, and/or lengthy writing assignments;
- Suggest using a note taker to compensate for difficulty focusing and concentrating during class;
- Provide multi-modal options for test taking, such as administering test orally rather than in written format;
- Provide study questions, study guides and other study aids in multiple formats.
Assistive technology
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Assistive technology for students with psychological disabilities helps these students in removing distractions and staying focused. Some of the common and highly effective devices college writers with psychological disorders may use include:
- Earphones/plugs during exams or in-class writing;
- Audio recorders to record lectures so student can concentrate on lecture.
Resources
The Ohio State University Partnership Grant Fast Facts for Faculty Series
http://ada.osu.edu/resources/fastfacts
