2. What is Mental Illness?
Mental illness is a term that refers
collectively to all diagnosable mental
disorders causing severe disturbances in
thinking, feeling, relating and functional
behaviors. These disorders result in
substantially diminished capacity for
coping with the ordinary demands of life.
3. Postsecondary Students with
Disabilities
More than 400,000 students enrolled in
U.S. postsecondary institutions report
having a mental illness or emotional
disturbance.
(National Center for Education Statistics, 1999)
7. Symptoms of a Mental Health
Problem
Chronically missing class
Assignments consistently late
Extreme highs or lows in mood, anxieties
Problem concentrating, remembering
Marked personality change
Confused or disorganized thinking
Thinking or talking about suicide
Denial of obvious problems
8. Major Depression
Mood disorder
Depressed mood over long period
Lack of pleasure in activities
Thoughts of suicide
Sleep and appetite changes
Low self esteem
Feeling guilty and/or worthless
9. Bipolar Affective Disorder
Previously Manic Depressive Disorder
Mood disorder
Revolving periods of mania and
depression
Either grandiose, euphoric, highly
productive/creative, or depressed,
withdrawn, hopeless
10. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Anxiety Disorder
Exposure to traumatic event
Flashbacks
Dissociations
11. Schizophrenia
Thought Disorder
Delusions, hallucinations, paranoia
Difficulty with daily functional tasks
Poor interpersonal relationships
Concrete thought processing
Need for structured routine
12. Anxiety Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Excessive worry in general
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Consuming fixation and ritualistic behaviors
Panic Disorder
Overwhelming physiological event
Social Phobias
Incapacitating fear of social interactions
Specific Phobias
Intense fear of specific object, event
14. Functional Limitations
Screening out environmental Stimuli
Sustaining concentration
Maintaining stamina
Handling time pressures and multi-tasks
Interacting with others
Fear of authority figures
Responding to negative feedback
Responding to change
Severe test anxiety
15. Strategies for Inclusion in
College
Teach to various learning styles--visual,
auditory, kinesthetic
Increase experiential learning activities
Increase knowledge and acceptance of
mental illness
Be prepared to set behavioral limits
Know campus mental health resources
Work cooperatively with students
Assist students with time management
16. Principles of Accommodation
Address individual needs
Respect student’s desire for
confidentiality
Engage in joint problem solving
Make all accommodations voluntary
Review accommodations periodically
Be flexible in enforcing policies
Identify accommodations clearly
17. Accommodations are NOT
Reasonable if they...
Pose a direct threat to the health or
safety of others
Make substantial changes in essential
elements of the curriculum
Require substantial alteration to
educational opportunities/course
objectives
Pose undue financial or administrative
burden
18. Possible Classroom
Accommodations
Preferential seating, near door
Assigned classmate as assistant
Beverages permitted
Prearranged or frequent breaks
Tape recorder, note taker
Early availability of syllabus, text
Text, assignments in alternate formats
Personal and private feedback
19. Possible Examination
Accommodations
Change in test format
(Written to oral and vise versa, dictation,
scripted, typed)
Permit use of computer software
Exams in alternate format (portfolio, demo)
Extended test taking time
Individual proctoring
Separate, quiet room for testing
Increased test frequency.
20. Possible Assignment
Accommodations
Substitute assignments in specific
circumstances
Advance notice of assignments
Allow assignments hand written
Written rather than oral, or vise versa
Change format: drama, role-play,
sculpture
Assignment assistance--ask
Extensions on assignments
21. Resources
ADA: American Disability Association (1-800-514-0303
(voice) TTY 1-800-514-0383)
Anxiety Disorder Association of America
(http://www.adaa.org/)
AHEAD (http://www.ahead.org)
Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Sargent College
of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
(http://WEB.bu.edu/sarpsych)
DO-IT The Faculty Room
(http://www.washington.edu/doit/faculty/)
Judge Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
(http://www.bazelon.org/)
Office of Civil Rights: Region 10 (206-220-7900)
National Alliance for the Mentally ill (NAMI)
(http://www.nami.org)
National Institute of Mental Health
(http://www.nimh.nih.gov/)
