PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPAIRMENTS

A person may experience symptoms of illness, but it may not be observable to others. One may also mistake a person as being abrupt, absent minded, and/or deviant, when in fact the person is dealing with symptoms of a psychological disability. These disorders may be chronic, episodic, or only occur once. Many of these disorders are treated with medication and/or counseling, which can help to maintain a “normal” range of functioning.

Overall, it is always important to consider an individual’s unique experience of symptoms and what it means to have a psychological impairment.

WAYS A PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPAIRMENT MIGHT AFFECT A STUDENT’S EDUCATION

There is a great deal of variance when describing the capacity of a person with a psychological impairment to function in an educational setting. Some limitations that may affect a student’s ability to function in an educational setting include:

• Time management; i.e. difficulty performing multiple tasks, meeting deadlines, and prioritizing tasks
• Complication in filtering external stimuli which can affect one’s concentration and performance
• Limited communication skills
• Difficulty reading social cues, which can lead to an intensified sense of anxiety when participating in class
• Difficulty establishing and/or maintaining appropriate relationships with faculty, staff, and peers
• Difficulty coping with symptoms of psychological disorder

These functional limitations may appear more pronounced at a given time due to the episodic and cyclical nature of some psychological disabilities. With consideration to the individual’s diagnosis, documentation, and unique needs, academic adjustments are made by both the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and the student to accommodate areas of difficulty.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FACULTY

• Be as clear and concrete as possible when presenting class material, assigning class work, and stating expectations for class requirements.
• Demonstrate clear and effective communication skills by establishing a good rapport with the student.
• Demonstrate listening and understanding when a student is expressing concerns related to his/her disability and its impact on academics.
• Have a flexible approach to students’ needs while maintaining consistent and reliable standards and/or expectations.
• Consider individual needs.
• Consult with and refer to other support services on campus when unsure in a given situation (i.e. OSD, Counseling Center).
• Recognize periods of academic instability. For example, a student may be frequently absent, miss deadlines, and/or show a low level of class effort. This may occur while attempting to cope with symptoms of a psychological disability.
• Do not assume you know a student’s thoughts, feelings, and reasons for a behavior. For example, do not assume that a student who is not participating does not know the class material.

COUNSELING SERVICES AT FAU

Counseling services are available free of charge through the Counseling Center to all students who are registered FAU students.

Services include: individual counseling, couples counseling (your significant other need not be a student), stress management, time management, and referral to a psychiatrist for evaluation and medication if needed.

For information about the Counseling Center on Boca campus contact office personnel at:

SS 229
(561) 297-3540

For information about the Counseling Center on Davie campus contact office personnel at:

MD I
(954) 236-1210

For information about the Counseling Center on MacArthur campus contact office personnel at:

SR 106
(561) 799-8621

DOCUMENTATION

To be eligible for services at Florida Atlantic University, a student must provide appropriate documentation of a psychological impairment to the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD). The documentation must be in the form of a psychological, psychiatric or neuropsychological report based on evaluation performed within the last year. The diagnosis must be consistent with the diagnostic criteria found in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and must be made by a psychologist, psychiatrist, clinical social worker or other appropriate practitioner qualified to make this diagnosis. The documentation should include anticipated effects of the student’s functional limitations within the academic setting as well as suggestions for accommodating the student. For more complete information regarding documentation, please refer to the OSD Documentation Guidelines brochure.

GENERAL ACCOMMODATIONS

After the student has submitted documentation of a disability and an Application for Support Services to the Office for Students with Disabilities, an OSD counselor will review this information and then contact the student for a meeting. At the meeting, accommodations are determined. The student, depending on documentation of the disability, may be eligible for one or more of the following accommodations:

• Advocacy
• Professor notification
• Time management and study skills training
• Referrals to other support services
• Exam adaptations (i.e. extended time to take exams, distraction-reduced setting)

Note: Professors will be notified of the accommodations a student is eligible for in a Letter of Notification from the OSD. If the student is not registered with the OSD, please refer him or her to the office.

Rev 07/06

Accommodating
Students with Psychological
Impairments

at Florida Atlantic University

An Informational Brochure
from the
Office for Students with Disabilities

Boca/Port St. Lucie:
777 Glades Road, SU Room 133
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Phone (561) 297-3880 Fax (561) 297-2184
TTY (561) 297-0358

Broward Campuses:
2912 College Avenue, MD I Room 104
Davie, FL 33314
Phone (954) 236-1222 Fax (954) 236-1123
TTY (954) 236-1146

Jupiter Campus (Office of Diversity Services):
5353 Parkside Drive, SR Room 117
Jupiter, FL 33458
Phone (561) 799-8585 Fax (561) 799-8721
TTY (561) 799-8565

Website address: www.osd.fau.edu

Alternate format available upon reque

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