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Communications : Past Questions for
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A
question for 'U': Academic
blind spots
From the Winter 2005 Parent Newsletter
While she was in high school, my daughter was diagnosed
with depression. At times, it affected her academic work.
Does the University of Minnesota offer any support to students
living with this kind of unseen disability?
When we hear the word “disability,” we
usually think of physical challenges that are visually apparent
to others. Some students, however, face conditions that are
not evident to the casual observer, and that carry their
own set of challenges. These hidden or invisible disabilities
may include:
- Mood issues such as anxiety or depression
- Learning disorders such as dyslexia
- Syndromes such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Left unaddressed, any one of these challenges can undermine
the academic success of the affected student.
Although invisible disabilities can be lifelong in nature, the good news is that
they are better understood than they ever have been before, and the University
offers resources to assist students in managing them—Disability Services,
Boynton Mental Health Clinic, and University Counseling and Consulting Services
(see below) are excellent places to start.
Some students may be tempted to ignore an invisible disability, possibly trying
to avoid social stigma or questions about its validity as a disability.
Disability
Services, 612-626-1333, offers technical and referral
services.
Boynton
Mental Health Clinic, 612-624-1444, offers individual
and group counseling.
University Counseling and Consulting
Services, 612-624-3323,
offers personal and academic counseling.
Though this approach may work in the short run, invisible disabilities find ways
to be expressed—typically through declining academic performance—and
if students do not make efforts to actively address them, problems may become
compounded by stress, reduced confidence, and scrambling to make up for lost
time and poor grades.
Given the often longterm nature of invisible disabilities, college can be an
excellent setting for learning skills to manage them. Students who learn to be
self advocates often come away from the experience with feelings of increased
responsibility and self-confidence.
Invisible disabilities are defined as invisible largely because they are unseen
by the casual observer. However, they may also be invisible because they remain
secrets. Many with an invisible disability do not relish talking about it nor
do they want it to define them in any way. Parents can help by researching campus
resources, reassuring their students that University services are provided with
the utmost discretion, and encouraging their students to seek the resources that
will help them succeed.
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Dr. Scott Slattery, University Counseling & Consulting
Services, addresses questions from parents of University of Minnesota
students. He may be reached at 612-625-4568 or slatt008@umn.edu.
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