Disability Services Office Spring 2005 Newsletter

Disability Services Office
Spring 2005 Newsletter

202 Sanford Hall Box 19
Phone: 218-755-3883/FAX: 218-755-3961
e-mail: Khagen@bemidjistate.edu

The web address for Disability Services is:
www.bemidjistate.edu/disabilities/index.html

Recap of Students with Disabilities Enrollment through Disability Services

Like most post secondary institutions, BSU is concerned with our student enrollment and retention through to graduation. The Disability Services Office with the exception of 1997-2000 has seen a steady progression in the enrollment of students with disabilities entering the university. Our enrollment continues to be tied to the overall number of new students entering the university each fall. To date we have not done any aggressive recruitment of this population to the university. Typically about nine percent of a new freshman class has a documented disability, which is consistent with the national average. With the 2.4% decrease in enrollment at the university this academic year I would expect that our numbers won’t increase a lot more this semester.

A decade ago the most prominent disability category served was students with a specific learning disorder. By the year 2000 that category had increased dramatically with the rise in the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (which is categorized under the Learning Disability category).

Predominant Disability Served	1995-96	1996-97*	2000-01	01-02	02-03	03-04	04-05**
Autistic (Asperger’s Syndrome)	0	0	0	0	0	1	4
Blind/VI	9	10	4	5	7	8	6
Chemical Dependency	2	6	0	4	3	4	2
Deaf	0	0	0	0	1	1	3
Emotional Behavior Disorder	1	3	1	1	0	2	1
Hard of Hearing	7	8	5	7	4	6	3
Head Trauma	5	4	7	5	9	9	12
Learning Disability	45	49	79	103	100	116	103
Physical/Mobility Impaired	33	33	18	31	26	28	25
Psychological Impairment	35	33	46	63	89	105	99
Systemic	22	31	19	17	27	22	24
Language Disorder						2	2

Total # Served Each Year	159	177	179	236	266	304	284

*In 1997-98 enrollment was 147, in 98-99 it was 150, and in 99-2000, student enrollment in the Disability Services Program was 141 students.

** These numbers are only through January 31, 2005 and do not represent the final totals for the year.

In 2000-01 we began to see a dramatic rise in the number of students with psychological impairments or mental health impairments enrolling at the university. This continues to rise each year. Although the final numbers are not in for the number of students served this year, you will note that currently only four more students with learning disabilities are being served compared to the psychological impairment category. The greatest rise in this category is students with bipolar disorder, predominantly, followed by a significant increase in the number of students with generalized anxiety. Faculty may become aware of this through students who are approaching them about test anxiety and their inability to test in the classroom. In the past ten years students coming to the office to report test anxiety have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety; the anxiety was greatest at the time of exams but the student has other anxiety as well and it appears that more students are being placed on medication for anxiety.

The final category I would like to address is the Autistic group; this is a category that was originally not typically on post secondary education disability lists. However, all college campuses are beginning to see students with Asperger’s syndrome (see article on this syndrome later in the newsletter) enrolling in a variety of programs. This is a group of students who we have learned need a lot of support from disability services offices in particular but also by counseling center professionals, residential life staff and others.

Looking at retention from 2002-03 to 2003-04: Of the 304 students served, 27 students graduated during 2002-03; and 189 of the potential 277 students who could, returned fall of 2004 which is 68% retention of all students (freshman through seniors). Fall semester 2004 the office processed 95 new students or students who had stopped out for a period of time and returned this past fall.

Sociology Intern in Disability Services Office

Kevin Close, a sociology intern, has been working with the Disability Services Office (DSO) this year. He has helped out in the reception area answering phones, proctoring exams and general office duties. He has been a good support for other students working with the DSO. Kevin started working with the office a year ago working as a volunteer several hours a week. When the opportunity came up he chose the Disability Services Office as his internship site and has been a nice support for the students. Kevin would like to work with students with disabilities at the college level when he graduates. He isn’t sure if he wants to work in disabilities services or in a counseling setting at this time.

Letter from BSU student

I am an adult student and an Applied Psychology Major. I have maintained a high average GPA even though I have difficult obstacles to overcome. I have attended BSU since fall 2000, but took a year off in fall 2003, after the sudden and tragic death of my twenty-two year old son, Abraham. BSU has been a life line for me. Everyone from Jon Blessing, Kathi Hagen (Disabilities Services), my professors, and the counseling center have expressed genuine concern, empathy, and have bent over backwards to help me. Even before my son*s death, I sometimes questioned my abilities and purpose. I received encouragement from professors from various disciplines who appeared to see potential in my work. Being successful is an important aspect of my life because it increases feelings of efficacy. For an individual who suffers from persistent and serious mood disorders, a word of encouragement, a smile, or acknowledgment for job well done is positive reinforcement, and helps to create a sense of well-being and self-worth.

I am inclined to believe that in order to promote positive attitudes toward mental health one must first have some knowledge of mood disorders. I am not alluding to knowledge for knowledge sake. I am referring to understanding how disruptive, devastating, and mentally and physically exhausting mood disorders can be for an individual. I am aware that one who has never experienced a severe mood disorder can never actually know how debilitating a mood disorder can be; however, in an attempt to create better understanding, I am going to discuss some of the emotional barriers and challenges that exist from the perspective of one who struggles daily to remain emotionally healthy.

It is not uncommon for people to occasionally feel "down in the dumps," "stuck in a rut," unmotivated, or discouraged. Usually, it is not long before they snap out of it, and begin to feel better. For a person with a major mood disorder these feelings become amplified. Being unmotivated translates into persistent sadness and despair, discouragement translates into feelings of helplessness, which may lead to low self-esteem and social withdrawal, one may lose the capacity to feel pleasure. Soon negative emotions begin to feed on each other. A vicious circle forms: depression, insomnia, lack of appetite, fatigue, chronic pain, insomnia, depression and on and on. Life feels pointless, and one begins to barely function. One even wonders, "Wouldn’t it be easier to fall asleep and not wake up just to escape the pain?" It is a dark and frightening place to be. It takes a tremendous toll both physically and mentally. With help these feelings can be managed; however, there is a constant fear of regression.

It also is not uncommon for people to worry, feel anxious, depressed, or restless from time to time. This year at BSU we had a "cabin fever day," to relax and take a break from feeling "cooped-up," in part, caused by the dismal lack of daylight hours of our long winters. If these feelings become serious and persistent one may have a disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. For one who already has significant mood disorders, winter can be an especially difficult. It takes a enormous effort to get out of bed. Sleep patterns are disrupted, and it is not long before lack of appetite, fatigue, and depression cause one to become almost immobile.

For years I have heard my children say, "Mom, you worry too much." Telling me not to worry is like telling me not to breathe. For me, worry or anxiety sometimes comes in the form of panic attacks. For no known reason my heart begins to pound, my hands shake, I feel dizzy, I may have intrusive thoughts, and fear I am losing control. I become disoriented and at the same time hyper-vigilant. It is a feeling some what like a normal startle reflex caused by a sudden scare; however, panic attacks appear to have no discernable reason, are far more intense, and happen anywhere without a moments notice.

There are some triggers of which I am aware. Stress can trigger a multitude of debilitating symptoms. Some triggers are legitimate life events; others are missed doses of medications, chronic pain, lack of sleep, poor diet, and in general, not taking care of myself. The smallest tasks become obstacles. If I do not do well on a project it spells disaster. I have a driving need to do well, or I do not want to do it at all. I am afraid of failure. If someone says something negative to me I have a tendency to take it to heart and own it. I am a perfectionist. I have a tendency to obsess over everything and become overwhelmed. I have been diagnosed as Bi-Polar II with Major Affective Disorder secondary to medical causes which, basically means I have intimate knowledge of many of the feelings and mood disorders I have described, although not everyone has the same symptoms.

Often friends, professors, and students do not know how to react to a person struggling with mood disorders. Some may not recognize symptoms of a mood disorder. Some just do not want to deal with them because it is not their job, or it is uncomfortable. Confidentiality is also an issue. I would suggest if one notices a high average student’s grades slipping, many missed classes, withdrawal by one who has often been out spoken, or one who shows a sudden lack of interest, that perhaps the student should be referred to his/her advisor or counseling services. This student may be struggling with more than just the curriculum, and may not be aware of the excellent resources BSU has to offer. I realize, especially in the large classes, that most students are known mostly by their ID numbers. Individual advisors may have more intimate knowledge of a student’s academic progress. The counseling center; however, can identify if an individual needs professional guidance or just a little encouragement. A small gesture of kindness could become a defining moment in a student’s life.

Paula M. Telken
Junior Applied Psychology
Bemidji State University

Asperger’s Syndrome (AS)

Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) is a fairly new diagnosis that post secondary students are documenting in disability services offices across the nation. Tony Atwood, the world’s leading authority on AS defines it as a neurological disorder that affects one’s ability to understand and respond to other’s thoughts and feelings. Asperger’s Syndrome is the highest functioning level on the autism spectrum; people with this diagnosis are usually average to above average intelligence and can frequently be brilliant in their area of interest.

There is an increase in the incidence of AS in the past decade. A Gallop Poll from 1993-2003 indicated the incidence of autism spectrum disorders increased 870% nationwide. This increase may be for several reasons; better diagnostics, better trained diagnosticians and the inclusion of autism spectrum disorders in the DSM-III in 1994. In addition people with AS frequently marry and have children which may be addition to the number of incidents. It is also important to note that all diagnoses on the autism spectrum are reported as one group; AS is not reported separately.

People who are diagnosed with As typically have problems with social interactions because they don’t seem to understand unwritten rules of conduct—things that other people pick up without specifically being told are nearly impossible for people with AS. For example eye contact may be inappropriate. The student may either not meet your eyes or they might stare into your eyes while they are speaking to you. They also don’t pick up social cues from others. If you are talking to someone and they begin looking at their watch or yawning, most people would understand from the body language that the person needs to be someplace or perhaps they are bored with the conversation. You might check with them about whether they needed to be somewhere or quickly change the subject if the person is yawning. A person with AS doesn’t make those connections. The individual may monopolize the conversation talking only about their area of interest and can’t understand why you might not be equally interested in a particular topic or understand that you are bored.

Some characteristics of people with Asperger’s Syndrome that you might see in the classroom or other student interactions include (but are not limited to):

Academically the student with AS may do great in classes of special interest but there can be problems when taking a course that, although required, may be of no interest to them. It’s very important to explain to students that unlike technical schools, students attending a community college or university are going to be required to take a variety of courses across the curriculum. As an advisor, it helps the student when an instructor or an advisor can explain how all the curriculum together can benefit the student, i.e., tying coursework to their degree so they can graduate and go do what they want to do.
Some students can be disruptive in class. It’s important to provide support and structure for students to keep disruptions at a minimum so they don’t become conduct issues. The Disability Services Office can play a huge role in providing support and a safe area to come to. Some students with AS come to my office for a quiet place to calm down and regroup so they can attend the next class. Students with AS may ask questions in class that seem irrelevant or that expect an inappropriate amount of detail. They may find it difficult to move on and be unaware that they are irritating the class and the teacher. They may become angry over seemingly unimportant disagreements, etc.
Interaction with faculty, staff and other students may be difficult. Working in groups, lab classes, etc. may be acutely stressful. Sometimes faculty don’t see this because the AS student might relate better with faculty than with peers. The problem might not be obvious until students complain about having to work in a group with this student, or the AS student complains about having to work with others. Generally AS students will do much better in a one-on-one situation with a faculty member than in any kind of group. I have one student who is uncomfortable in groups and we have set up individual projects in a lab to accommodate the AS student and this has proven to be successful so far.
Some students may have sensory integration dysfunction. Typical sensory perceptions (touch, feeling, taste, smell) are distorted, so lights in a classroom may bother some while another student may not be able to handle the sound of beakers clanking in a chemistry lab, for example.
Many of these students have problems with executive functioning related to planning, organizing, prioritizing or setting goals. This is a big area of concern for students with AS. I’ve spent many hours sitting with students writing in their calendars, breaking big assignments into smaller tasks, jotting exams down on the appropriate date and writing in weekly meeting times with counselors, my office, etc., only to have the student not look at their calendar that day or even that week. It’s not unusual for these students to consistently miss deadlines. Most AS students will classify material in two categories only, important and unimportant. The important stuff is all equally important. This makes studying and especially note taking especially difficult. They cannot identify the major concepts and the sub-concepts and the details. All details are major ideas.
Related to this, is the difficulty some AS students have with coping with change. A change in routine, class schedules, or adding sporadic appointments such as a doctor’s appointment, meeting with an advisor, or even getting together with a group of friends are likely to be forgotten for most students with AS. If a class is canceled one day for some reason, the student with AS will likely show up anyway and be confused about the change. In fact, they may not show up on a different day, again simply do to confusion on their part.

There are currently several students who have been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome attending BSU. Each of them is unique in their own way and each of them copes with college academic and social stressors differently. I encourage faculty and staff to contact my office if you have questions about working with a student with AS, or any other type of disability.

Disability Services Advisory Board

This past year I have been working on revising the Disability Services Advisory Board (DSAB) to align it more with other advisory boards on campus. The Disability Services Advisory Board will begin meeting each semester again, starting fall semester. The Advisory Board will consist of several departments on campus who have continued interaction with and provide services to students with disabilities on a regular basis. Any interested individuals who wish to come to the meeting or be placed on the agenda for a meeting should contact the Coordinator of Disability Services with the agenda information two weeks prior to each meeting. Meetings will be held the third Thursday in October and March each year. Times of the meetings will be announced prior to the meeting.

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