Meeting with your Disability Officer
The first meeting you have with a member of the Disability Service can be a little daunting, so here's a run down of what happened at my own first meeting. I'll follow an anxiety scale all the way through just as a guide of how I found this.
I was sent a text the day before my meeting that had the location and time on it, I didn't know how to get to the room where we were supposed to meet because it was the first few days of college. So I went into the disability service office and asked one of the lovely people behind the desks where I was to go. It turns out that's pretty standard and a lot of people will go to the office before their meeting and wait for their disability officer to come to them. Anxiety level at this point is a solid 5/10
So now I am walking with my officer through the Arts block on our way to the meeting room. We are making pretty casual conversation and I don't feel too anxious about it. Once we get to the room I'm offered a seat and we start our meeting. Anxiety is at 6/10 because I'm not too sure what happens next
Firstly I give her my details [student number, address, etc.] to make sure it all matches with my student record and nothing has changed. I'm then asked what I would like to gain from the service, this question throws me off a little as I had never really become used to asking for help with the expectation of receiving it. While my secondary school tried very hard, there just weren't enough resources available to support every student who needed it. So I told her I would like to get better at organisation with regard to commuting, keeping on top of my reading, and improving my note taking. Also I wanted to start managing my anxiety surrounding college and the transition into this new world for me. My anxiety has dropped to a 3/10 because I'm comfortable and feel secure/
The service already had my supporting documentation because of my DARE application [regardless of the fact that I did not take a reduced entry place from DARE] so I didn't have to do anything on that end. I was then told how occupational therapy works and we set out a plan for the next seven days and we scheduled another meeting for the same time the week following.
I left the room with more information and a sense of support in what seemed like a very big college at the time. I knew there was one person who was there to support me and I felt comfortable seeking that support. I didn't leave the room with any anxiety about the DS and I was ready to go back into college and have a very functional day!
I attended the service weekly for several months, then every second week, then every month or so, at this point I don't feel like I need to consistently use the service. If that changes I feel confident in making contact again and picking up where we left off, as I progress in my degree I feel confident that I can support myself but I am also confident in seeking the support I deserve.
