DSA
Moderator: Moderator Team
DSA
so basically i completed my first year of uni. around april i went for a assessment. i was diagnosed with dspraxia and then i was told that i could apply for the dsa and i will get lots of help from uni. at first i was really happy and thought yaaay i wont have to struggle anymore. but you see all my life i have struggled and i have pushed my self to my extremes to get the grades that i did. and i feel like if i take this help then this degree isnt gonna be because of all my hard work. am gonna have an advantage over others and it just doesnt feel right. when i got diagnosed the university gave me stickers to put on my assigments so that the marker will know that i have a learning difficulty and so they have different guidlines and they ignore things like spelling mistakes and grammar and other things. i only managed to use it once but when i did , i got 60% and i honestly felt awful because it was my first 60% and i didnt get it because of my hard work i got it because of the sticker. i feel like i no longer want the help but because i have everything in place i cant exactly go up to them and say am sorry i dont want it anymore. does anyone else feel like that way ? am i just being irrational?
Re: DSA
Hi again Syeda
Put it this way will you work any less hard to get the best result you can? I firmly doubt it. The way things work/marking is structured puts others at an advantage over you, rather than the other way round.
I think we have a natural instinct for being over critical of ourselves as we'd far rather ourselves pick holes, than give others the opportunity to. I think the difficulty is that we all feel bad/embarassed about any levelling of the playing field* and I feel they clearly don't properly understand the dyspraxic mind.
I do wonder about the stickers being a good idea. It all feels derogatory to me, even though if the intention is behind it is good. I'm not surprised you feel this way. I also feel that Learning Difference is more accurate than Learning Difficulty. I'd almost be inclined to gently point out that they forgot to offer you a conical hat with a D on it. (Actually probably better not to be that blunt!). I guess it is a case of grinning and bearing it. It's all relative and your achievements are unique and relative only to you.
* Oh how I dislike that expression.
Put it this way will you work any less hard to get the best result you can? I firmly doubt it. The way things work/marking is structured puts others at an advantage over you, rather than the other way round.
I think we have a natural instinct for being over critical of ourselves as we'd far rather ourselves pick holes, than give others the opportunity to. I think the difficulty is that we all feel bad/embarassed about any levelling of the playing field* and I feel they clearly don't properly understand the dyspraxic mind.
I do wonder about the stickers being a good idea. It all feels derogatory to me, even though if the intention is behind it is good. I'm not surprised you feel this way. I also feel that Learning Difference is more accurate than Learning Difficulty. I'd almost be inclined to gently point out that they forgot to offer you a conical hat with a D on it. (Actually probably better not to be that blunt!). I guess it is a case of grinning and bearing it. It's all relative and your achievements are unique and relative only to you.
* Oh how I dislike that expression.
Tom
Moderator/Administrator
With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
Moderator/Administrator
With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
Re: DSA
when i was college they gave me extra time in exams and a computer to use. they said that i was highley likley dyslexic but couldnt give me a full diagnosis(when i got to uni i was told no my abilities do lie in the normal range so am not dyslexic which am still confused about). so when i got that i just stopped working as hard and i didnt even get to my first choice of university because i became an idiot ](./images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
. so yes i do fear i might do that again. Its just my entire life people have been doing this to me 
and so I have done whatever i could to prove them wrong and I always did without help from others. so now I feel as though it would be wrong for me to do it with help ( i dont know if that makes sense). when i was at school my careers advisor told me i wont get enough gcsc to do a levels so i should think about doing child care 
which made me so upset. so i tried as hard as i could and i came out with 11 gcsc 
and the level of satisfaction i got was phenomenal. and when i finish uni with hopeful an amazing grade i want that same satisfaction and i fear i wont get it if i take the extra help
. so yes i do fear i might do that again. Its just my entire life people have been doing this to me and so I have done whatever i could to prove them wrong and I always did without help from others. so now I feel as though it would be wrong for me to do it with help ( i dont know if that makes sense). when i was at school my careers advisor told me i wont get enough gcsc to do a levels so i should think about doing child care which made me so upset. so i tried as hard as i could and i came out with 11 gcsc and the level of satisfaction i got was phenomenal. and when i finish uni with hopeful an amazing grade i want that same satisfaction and i fear i wont get it if i take the extra helpRe: DSA
I do appreciate where you're coming from. I have a fierce independence too and some of the help/suggestions I've been offered at work have just not worked for me. I did give them a chance but because the delivery was botched and not really thought out fully I soon went back to my own tried/trusted and laborious ways as I need to be thorough.
I can understand your reluctance but also I guess I'm less bothered now that I got extra time at school/college in exams and other support. I still got where I am through my own hard work/luck. I must admit I'm cynical about guaranteed interviews. I want to be hired because of the loyalty and hard work and the skills/experience different approaches I can bring. Why keep running into the brick wall when you can get a foot up. You may get a bit scratched by the barbed wire on top but at least you can scrabble over with a bit less pain. Taking a shortcut is not always bad many others use them shamelessly or go out of their way to get them. I do appreciate it often goes against our nature.
I can understand your reluctance but also I guess I'm less bothered now that I got extra time at school/college in exams and other support. I still got where I am through my own hard work/luck. I must admit I'm cynical about guaranteed interviews. I want to be hired because of the loyalty and hard work and the skills/experience different approaches I can bring. Why keep running into the brick wall when you can get a foot up. You may get a bit scratched by the barbed wire on top but at least you can scrabble over with a bit less pain. Taking a shortcut is not always bad many others use them shamelessly or go out of their way to get them. I do appreciate it often goes against our nature.
Tom
Moderator/Administrator
With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
Moderator/Administrator
With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
-
screengreen
- Power poster
- Posts: 212
- Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2013 8:39 pm
Re: DSA
During my second degree I did the first year without telling anyone about my "dyslexia" trying to prove that I did not have it but due to various struggles got assessed between my second and third years that's when diagnosed as dyspraxic, its all highly personal but in my experience no matter how hard you try you will always be who you are... that said I am very proud of my A level psychology got without any concessions!
Re: DSA
Dear Syeda,
Don't agree my friend, sorry. We already have an advantage due to our dyspraxic thinking and get certain insights as 'obvious' when others can't see them. Also I found a DSA really helpful. Don't think about the marking stickers (I can see how you find that as lame), think about non-medical helper (someone to speak to weekly, not fall behind, organisation advice, etc).
It will save you so much time and heartache (trust me, you will still need to work hard and get stuck in), but it elevates you above the dross of being late, messy notes, blah blah blah.
Loads of us fight an independent nature and it's much easier to give advice than to take it. My personal opinion: get it now (ps it goes next year, so make your decision).
Yours,
Rohan
Don't agree my friend, sorry. We already have an advantage due to our dyspraxic thinking and get certain insights as 'obvious' when others can't see them. Also I found a DSA really helpful. Don't think about the marking stickers (I can see how you find that as lame), think about non-medical helper (someone to speak to weekly, not fall behind, organisation advice, etc).
It will save you so much time and heartache (trust me, you will still need to work hard and get stuck in), but it elevates you above the dross of being late, messy notes, blah blah blah.
Loads of us fight an independent nature and it's much easier to give advice than to take it. My personal opinion: get it now (ps it goes next year, so make your decision).
Yours,
Rohan
-
MaroonedinMonkeyland
- New member - welcome them!
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2014 8:59 pm
Re: DSA
Great words Rohan.
I can vouch that the weight off your shoulders will not immediately be lifted Syeda , you must continue to work hard to pin point your personal strengths and weaknesses, you may find this is best done by conversing with Dyspraxic peers and attending study skills workshops. The assessment of needs is just the beginning. You have to wait weeeeeks for all of the software and equipment to come through and then spend sufficient time i.e.. 6 months doing software training. The new cutting edge ways of learning, retaining information and proof reading are mind boggling at first . You will decide after a while that some of the equipment is more effort that it is worth and you have pushed yourself so hard that you have already adjusted to particular hurdles already
.
After not making my firm offer at a Russell Group uni last year (after 3 years of A levels) and joining a foundation year in Environmental Sciences at a good university, instead I can look back in hindsight and agree that it was a very progressive year in education ,getting to know myself better. I was enlightened with Study Skills and also was able to discuss my differences with a fantastic SPLD tutor. I recently found out she is kind of a big deal in the SPLD field on a national level!!! I had my Dyspraxia diagnosed at 17 and had been sat in the corner of the classroom with the laptop for two years and attending allegedly "study support " where they would do me a timetable for the week and help me with filing. It is one thing embracing a label , it is another finding more about yourself!!!
Regarding the sticker and formatting allowances that are made for you.
I would presume that before you would perhaps drop marks due to poor formatting and poorly formed sentences etc, I presume this based on myself.I had always slipped the net, I was one of the top 3 spellers at primary school so I certainly was never in the limelight for dyslexia(Which most people can sniff out a mile of in comparison)
Cease the stickers and don't even be conscious of all of this guilt stuff! Deal with it!! Maybe in time you will realise what exactly would have brought your marks down in terms of lack of proof reading OR in-cohesive sentences. I learnt that text upon a white background is not much use to me really as I use up too much brain power trying to focus on the line Im reading. It turns out I have Myers Irlens and as I type this I am wearing a pair of tinted green glasses , whereas at uni I tend to use a transparent overlay.
Don't be too hard on yourself, surely you have alway known that you think different from others.Instead you should cease it and embrace , It is always good to have abstract thinkers in a group!
Best of Luck
Chris
I can vouch that the weight off your shoulders will not immediately be lifted Syeda , you must continue to work hard to pin point your personal strengths and weaknesses, you may find this is best done by conversing with Dyspraxic peers and attending study skills workshops. The assessment of needs is just the beginning. You have to wait weeeeeks for all of the software and equipment to come through and then spend sufficient time i.e.. 6 months doing software training. The new cutting edge ways of learning, retaining information and proof reading are mind boggling at first . You will decide after a while that some of the equipment is more effort that it is worth and you have pushed yourself so hard that you have already adjusted to particular hurdles already
.After not making my firm offer at a Russell Group uni last year (after 3 years of A levels) and joining a foundation year in Environmental Sciences at a good university, instead I can look back in hindsight and agree that it was a very progressive year in education ,getting to know myself better. I was enlightened with Study Skills and also was able to discuss my differences with a fantastic SPLD tutor. I recently found out she is kind of a big deal in the SPLD field on a national level!!! I had my Dyspraxia diagnosed at 17 and had been sat in the corner of the classroom with the laptop for two years and attending allegedly "study support " where they would do me a timetable for the week and help me with filing. It is one thing embracing a label , it is another finding more about yourself!!!
Regarding the sticker and formatting allowances that are made for you.
I would presume that before you would perhaps drop marks due to poor formatting and poorly formed sentences etc, I presume this based on myself.I had always slipped the net, I was one of the top 3 spellers at primary school so I certainly was never in the limelight for dyslexia(Which most people can sniff out a mile of in comparison)
Cease the stickers and don't even be conscious of all of this guilt stuff! Deal with it!! Maybe in time you will realise what exactly would have brought your marks down in terms of lack of proof reading OR in-cohesive sentences. I learnt that text upon a white background is not much use to me really as I use up too much brain power trying to focus on the line Im reading. It turns out I have Myers Irlens and as I type this I am wearing a pair of tinted green glasses , whereas at uni I tend to use a transparent overlay.
Don't be too hard on yourself, surely you have alway known that you think different from others.Instead you should cease it and embrace , It is always good to have abstract thinkers in a group!
Best of Luck
Chris