Psychological
Disabilities
About
Psychological Disabilities
Determining when a psychological condition becomes
a disability
Some general considerations regarding psychological
disabilities
Helpful strategies for students with psychological
disabilities
About
Psychological Disabilities
Though invisible, a psychological
condition may constitute a disability. The course of the condition is unique
for each person and may result in the disruption of learning and career
goals.
The National Institute of Mental
Health reported in 2003 that one in five Americans has some form of mental
illness that is diagnosable and treatable. Examples of psychological disabilities
covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) include major depression,
bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress
disorder. Conditions not covered include diagnoses such as gender disorders,
compulsive gambling, kleptomania, and pyromania.
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Determining
when a psychological condition becomes a disability
The Americans With Disabilities
Act provides guidance to determine when a psychological condition becomes
a disability. The disability counselor working with you at Disability Resources
will review the documentation from an appropriately licensed professional
that you provide to identify the following components: a clear statement
describing your condition, including the DSM-IV diagnosis and a summary
of present symptoms and prognosis. In addition, the counselor will seek
to gain an understanding of how the condition may limit you in one or more
life activities, along with an understanding of the impact of any medications
you may take for the condition. Once the disability counselor receives
this information, a determination will be made about the disability status
of your condition.
Disclosure of a psychological
disability may be difficult for you. You can be assured that all information
provided to Disability Resources is considered confidential.
To ensure equal access to the University environment, students with psychological
disabilities should be prepared to request the reasonable accommodations
to which they are entitled.
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Some
general considerations regarding psychological disabilities
- Trauma is not the sole cause
of psychological disabilities; genetics may play a role.
- Psychological disabilities
affect people of any age, gender, income group, and intellectual level.
- Disruptive behavior is not
an attribute of most people with psychological disabilities.
- Eighty to ninety percent of
people with depression experience relief from symptoms through medication,
therapy, or a combination of the two.
- Depression is a variable condition
that may fluctuate during a person's lifetime.
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Helpful
strategies for students with psychological disabilities
- Prepare
for the start of or return to school.
Starting or returning to school can be exciting, challenging, and demanding,
so it's important that you give yourself time to plan. These are some
of the issues to consider.
- Have you applied for financial
aid, or do you have funding secured for school? It's important to
apply as soon as you begin to think about attending school. Also,
are you in default on any loans? Resolving funding questions early
in the process will help your return go smoothly.
- What academic barriers
have you encountered in previous school experiences? Do you have an
idea of what kinds of academic accommodations you may need?
- Will you attend school
full-time or part-time? There are options for attending school less
than full-time, which you may wish to explore, particularly if you've
been away from school for a while or your disability has been recently
diagnosed.
- Build a
support system.
Many students enjoy the large size and anonymity of the UMD campus, but its size can present challenges to finding support for dealing
with school stressors. Here are some suggestions to help with the process.
- Register with Disability Resources (DR) . DR's role is to ensure
equal access to University programs and services for all students
with disabilities who are qualified to attend the University. Your
disability counselor at DR can assist you in identifying and
obtaining the accommodations to which you may be entitled. Your counselor
will provide you with information on policies and procedures that
affect you and give you referrals to both on- and off-campus resources.
- Learn who your key University
contacts are. For example, where will you get academic or financial
aid advising?
- Consider getting involved
in one of the many campus clubs and organizations, sports, and student
union activities. Good sources of information on activities are the
Kirby Student Center; Rec Sports for sports activities and programming
information ; and the Student/Staff Directory.
- Plan how
you will disclose your disability.
Since you have an "invisible" disability, your instructor will
have no idea that adjustments or accommodations are needed unless you
tell her or him. It is important that this discussion take place early
in the semester. It is difficult to make any arrangements or adjustments
after a deadline or exam date has passed. You may find the process of
requesting accommodations stressful, but preparation helps. Contact your
DS counselor for assistance, for practice with how and when to disclose,
and for letters to instructors that provide information about your needed
accommodations without sharing your diagnosis.
- Consider
what you need to manage your disability while in school.
- Do you have a mental health
support network? Typically, students find that an effective network
of support includes a psychiatrist, counselor, or therapist, and possibly
a Disability Resources or other support group. Are
people in your support network aware that you're in school or planning
to be? Have you discussed possible demands that this will place on
you?
- Some other questions to
consider about disability management might be: Are you taking medication
and, if so, are there any side effects? What is the likelihood of
needing to change medications during a semester? What is your stamina
like? Do you have time allocated to get the rest you need? Is concentration
difficult for you? What strategies have you developed for compensating?
- Enhance
your repertoire for coping by developing "life skills."
Any student, disabled or not, benefits from skills in the following
areas:
- Stress, time, and money
management
- Keeping one's diet, exercise,
and sleep patterns in balance
- Academic and career planning
Ask your disability counselor for ideas and resources to help you in
developing these life skills.
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