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Being proactive helps!

So today I decided that I was going to e-mail my professors for next semester about meeting with them before classes start about my Tourette’s and accommodations. I was really nervous just to send out the e-mails, but I did it! And one of my professors already sent a very warm response back!

This is basically the e-mail I sent to my professors:

Hi! My name is Jackie and I am a sophomore at Wash U. I’m excited to be in your class this Fall and I was wondering if there might be a time that I could stop by your office before our first class. I usually like to meet my professors before classes start so that I can introduce myself and tell you a little bit about a condition I have called Tourette’s Syndrome. This helps to avoid any possible confusion on our first day of class and going forward.

I also receive accommodations through disability resources and I can hand you a copy of my accommodations when I come in to meet you. Is there a time I could stop by your office before our first class that would work for you? Please let me know! I’m looking forward to meeting you. Thank you!

And this is the e-mail that one of my professors already sent back:

Dear Jackie,

Thanks for your e-mail and thanks for being pro-active about this! I’ll be meeting with the two TAs from the course (who will be very active with the students, since right now there is 105 in the course!) next Monday at 2 p.m. Can you perhaps come then and meet us? I hope you don’t mind that they’re there; but I think it’s important for them to learn about you as well.

I think the e-mail she sent back was great! I will be meeting with her and the TA’s for the class on Monday. The e-mail was warm in nature and lets me know that she is actually glad I am being proactive about e-mailing her about my Tourette’s, and also lets me know that is actually wants to learn about Tourette’s and how it affects me in class.

Thought this might be helpful for all of you to read since you guys may be dealing with similar back to school things! I will let you know when my other professors respond to the e-mails and I will also let you guys know how my meeting goes with them. I’m super nervous but I think I can do it!

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RuthieP

6 Comments

  1. being proactive is nothing but the Taking initiative, Taking responsibility, Thinking positive. if you have these qualities you can achieve anything in your life……

  2. For accommodations here in the UK there’s a government funded thing that gives you an assessment and then based on that works out what you need, and also give you a form to pass on to the university, so they can pass information on to lecturers and tutors. This was helpful for me because it meant that I didn’t have to go to every lecturer or tutor and explain about TS. My uni was also great about it and kept me informed about everything as it was developing. My uni seems to have quite a high percentage of people that require some sort of extra help or things like extra time in exams, so they’re used to helping people, so I’m really lucky!

  3. I’m a college student, too, and I found it pretty easy to get accommodations for class. All of my professors were fairly understanding and offered me preferential seating, especially for tests, as well as delayed entry time for papers, if necessary.

  4. I have not been to this site in a long long time. Been so busy! But this is a rippa of a reminder for all of us with TS kiddos that we need to be on top of their education process. Teachers and administers will not do it for them, nor do they even really care until you bring it to their attention.

  5. not all schools — of any type — are as nice or accommodating as this professor. most are very rude and cold, which is why more TS awareness and education is necessary.

  6. Thank you for this. It’s reminding me that I need to get on checking with the school for my daughter’s IEP and 504.

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