#Survival Guide - Get To Know Your Support

Going into any new environment can be tough! I know from experience but there are some amazing Special Needs Support Teams just waiting to help you in your studies. 

In this Survival Guide post it's all about understanding that the people who will make sure you get all the right support put in place for you are not your Enemies but in fact your Friends. 

Whether you are studying A-Levels or even doing a BTEC Course you will have a lovely person to help you get through the mountain of course work and make sure you are happy in your studies.

I was lucky when I went to college as I had the best Special Needs Support team in the world right behind me. From the TA's in class to the best ever Head of Learning Support who would make sure I had the best experience of College I deserved.

When you first apply for any course, you will be asked do you have any additional needs which is then sent onto the Special Needs Team. And as I have said before when you go and visit said college's on open days go and meet your special needs team then!!!! It's really important as you need to build a relationship early on.

Now I know some people don't really want support and feel like they can manage on their own and some people really need that network around them. As well are all different. 

But take it from me if you need certain requirements for example a TA or even just some counselling, the special needs team can put that in place for you.  

Counselling and You: 

Example of a Counselling session! 

Your counsellor is there to get you through the stresses of College and other issues outside of College. 

Whether it be Depression, Anxiety or even just a little bit of an off Aspergers Day because lets face it sometimes we don't have the best days when it comes to moods. A Counsellor is there to listen and advise as well as to give you coping strategies to get you through these tough times. Also your sessions are always confidential unless you disclose that you are a danger to yourself. By this I mean if you say you want to commit suicide or vocalise that you want to harm yourself.

Unlike School and under the mental health team as a child, I found at college I was listened to and I was Lucky as I had an Autistic trained Counsellor who in the sessions would be able to understand our way of thinking.  If I felt like I couldn't cope I always knew that I had some one who could understand how stressed or anxious I was and put some perspective to why I felt so anxious or upset. Usually it was around the time I used to have a big project that I needed to finish and this could be anything from an essay to creating a radio show from nothing and handing in all my course work on time. 

This used to be me when the countdown
 used to begin!!

Putting things into perspective and knowing when you need to stop and take a step back can be difficult as the pressure to get everything done to a deadline can be an anxious time and sometimes when Lecturer's are giving everyone else a countdown of how many days you've got left on your deadline over and over again drive you insane and course your anxiety to rise!!! 

Even if you get an extra week it can still be irritating to the point of wanting to scream. I used to just put my music on through my headphones and get on with my work. If it is all getting to much I did have a good relationship with my Lecturers so I could just say politely PLEASE STOP TELLING ME HOW LONG I HAVE LEFT! 

Funnily enough is that when I did finish my final project, my lecturer got a file full of everything that contained research for my actual project, a 16 page essay on Radio and the different types of Radio Programming, Listening Logs , planning paperwork, Work Experience and the project on a CD. This Folder was HUGE!!! And I just dropped it on the desk and went all done! I was about three days early handing it in! 

Counselling is something I really do recommend as well as always making sure you keep in regular contact with the special needs team. 

You will need to make adjustments at college, whether it be with any type of support you can change the way you want to be supported like Dyslexia lessons and essay coaching amongst other things. Organising how you get to take exams and whether you need additional support and extra time or just classroom adjustments. 

There are some lessons that even in college you can not avoid which is usually taught by your tutor who does a basic overview and then lets you get on with more important stuff. 

These lessons where called at my college - Learning and Development which consisted of Citizenship, Budgeting, Further Education choices, Career Advise, Drugs Education and Sexual Health classes. 

I HATED IT!!! 

I did have an issue where said teacher of this lesson did spring a exam on us and I just went in full on panic mood. 

I just ran out of the room, slamming the door on the way out and ran to the special needs office where I just melted as you do when everything gets to much and what happened next was amazing. 

Lets just say the teacher got a mouth full off the head of special learning needs team and I got to sit out and calm down. The Exam was an NVQ anyway and I thought to myself I'm applying for a degree I don't need an NVQ!!!! 

Anyway enough ranting, If I didn't have that support I wouldn't have been able to cope. 

And we all need a little help to get us through those tough days.