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After this presentation faculty and administrators will be able to:
Approximately 45 minutes.
The disabled student services coordinator or other staff member who has experience with individuals with psychiatric disabilities; a student with a psychiatric disability could deliver some of the presentation or participate in discussions.
For further preparation for this presentation, consult The Faculty Room at http://www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/Strategies/Disability/Psych/.
Today we will be discussing how to accommodate students with psychiatric disabilities for full inclusion in your courses.
Objectives for today's session include... (Paraphrase objectives on visual.)
A person with a "psychiatric disability" has a diagnosable mental illness causing severe disturbances in thinking, feeling, relating, and/or functional behaviors that results in a substantially diminished capacity to cope with the demands of daily life demands.
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (1999), more than 400,000 students enrolled in postsecondary institutions report having a mental illness or emotional disturbance. A mental illness may result in a psychiatric disability.
A psychiatric disability is a hidden disability; it is typically not apparent to others. However, students with psychiatric disabilities may experience symptoms that interfere with their educational goals, which may include, yet are not limited to:
These diagnoses are defined by the American Psychiatric Association.
This is a mood disorder that can begin at any age. Major depression may be characterized by a depressed mood most of each day, a lack of pleasure in previously enjoyed activities, thoughts of suicide, insomnia, and consistent feelings of worthlessness or guilt.
BAD is a mood disorder with revolving periods of mania and depression. In the manic phase, a person might experience inflated self-esteem, high work and creative productivity, and decreased need to sleep. In the depressed phase, the person experiences the symptoms of depression (see above).
BPD is a personality disorder which includes both mood disorder and thought disorder symptoms. This diagnosis has both biological and environmental determinants. Individuals diagnosed with BPD may have experienced childhood abuse and family dysfunction. They may experience mood fluctuations, insecurities and mistrust, distortion of perceptions, dissociations, and difficulty with interpersonal relationships and limited coping skills.
This is a thought disorder that can cause a person to experience delusions, hallucinations and paranoia. Schizophrenic individuals typically demonstrate concrete thought processing and appreciate structure and routines.
These are mood disorders in which the individual responds to thoughts, situations, environments and/or people with fear and anxiety. Anxiety symptoms can disrupt a person's ability to concentrate and focus on tasks at hand. Symptoms may be in response to real or imagined fears. Specific anxiety disorders include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social and Specific Phobias, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
These functional limitations related to psychiatric disabilities may affect academic performance and may require accommodations (Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, 1997).
Students with a history of psychiatric disabilities can be intelligent, sensitive, creative, and interesting. You can employ strategies that will promote their success in your class. For example:
Some students with psychiatric disabilities may require accommodations to allow them equal access to classes, programs, and coursework. An accommodation is the removal of a barrier to full participation and learning. The emphasis is on access, not on outcome. This is done by providing the student with a disability equal access to the content and activities of a course, but not assuring success.
Each student with a disability is encouraged to register with the office that supports students with disabilities in order to receive accommodations. Personnel from this office typically send instructors a letter documenting specific accommodations required for the student with the disability. It is the responsibility of the instructor to provide the accommodations. It is the student's responsibility to fulfill the academic requirements of the course. The best solutions result when the instructor, student, and disability support service professional work cooperatively. Meeting as a group may facilitate problem-solving alternatives. Respecting the privacy of the student by not discussing his/her disability or accommodations with others outside of this meeting is essential. Review accommodations periodically with the student to assess effectiveness and adjust to changing needs.
Typical classroom, exam, and assignment accommodations that may be recommended by the disabled student service professional for a student with a psychiatric disability include:
Typical accommodations for students with psychiatric disabilities taking exams include:
Typical assignment accommodations for students with disabilities include:
Not all requested accommodations are "reasonable." An accommodation is not reasonable if providing it would:
On most campuses, a student with a disability must register with the disabled student services office in order to receive accommodations. Personnel from this office typically send instructors a letter documenting specific accommodations required for the student. It is best when the instructor works cooperatively with the student and disabled student services office. It is often helpful to schedule a three-way meeting. Review accommodations periodically with the student to assess effectiveness and adjust to changing needs. Respect the privacy of the student by not discussing his/her disability or accommodations with others. It is important that the instructor provides the accommodations required; it is the student's responsibility to fulfill the academic requirements of the course.
Here are some resources that might be useful to you as you work to maximize effective communication with all students in your classes. (Elaborate.)
For comprehensive information on accommodations, a wide range of case studies, frequently asked questions, and general resources, visit The Faculty Room at http://www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/. This resource was developed at the University of Washington as part of a nationwide project to provide resources to faculty and administrators so that they can make their courses and programs accessible to all students. You can link to this resource from ____ (Arrange to make the link from your campus/departmental disabled student services home page before the presentation.). Consider linking to this Web site from your departmental Web pages for faculty.
Thank you for your time today and for your interest in finding ways to ensure that all of the students in our programs have equal opportunities to learn, explore interests, and express ideas.
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