<p>My D will be a freshman next year at a large public university. She has a fairly long history of a particular condition which doesn't seem to fit their definition of "disability". More along the lines of a heart conditon, diabetes, etc. but it does require a slight schedule modification (she is often in pain late in the day) and may require emergency procedures if it gets out of control. </p>
<p>She's not getting any response from her advisor on the schedule thing (who has scheduled her for a bunch of late classes already, which we did not expect) and not sure who/how to supply medical info regarding her condition in case of emergency. Any ideas on how this is typically handled?</p>
<p>I have registered both of my kids with the disability office. They also don’t have any learning disability or obvious physical impairment. Their chronic health condition can cause them to have excessive absences and limited stamina. Their current U & the CC have been very good and working with the kids & counsel them on how to work with their instructors so they won’t get behind if their health issues “kick up.”</p>
<p>We also made appointments with internists/family practice docs at the med school near campus so that the kids would have their records transferred in case they had any issues & they met the docs while we were in town dropping each kid off to start school. This reassured us, the school & our kids. Fortunately, so far, they’ve been doing great and haven’t seen any of the docs since the initial appointments. This was actually what the U recommended & it made great sense to us & provided peace of mind for everyone.</p>
<p>I’ll bet the advisor scheduled her for late classes as a default because many college kids don’t like early classes as part of their transformations into night owls. Great idea about already scoping out doctors at the school in case appointments are needed. Also notify the RA of condition, in case of emergency.</p>
<p>I made sure I hand-carried all the kids’ pertinent medical records to the docs at their new U, so it would be there in place. The kids also signed authorizations so the U could keep us informed if the kids needed medical attention. This was a very good solution for our family & the U.</p>
<p>Our Medical Savings Account did allow us to deduct the cost of travel (airfare + car rental for hubby + me) to the doc offices to go to these appointments, as well as our share of the cost of the appointments. Since the docs were participating & preferred with our out-of-state medical plan, we only had to pay $15/visit/doc, just as if they had been seen by our local docs.</p>
<p>You can also contact the Dean of your child’s particular college (if undeclared) or major and ask if they have any suggestions for you. They will certainly guide you to the right person.</p>
<p>My son is also registered with Medic Alert. All of his medical contacts, info on medical devices he wears, etc. can be accessed through Medic Alert as needed. When he lost his necklace while playing ultimate frisbee (!!), someone found it, called Medic Alert, and they called me right away. This gives me peace of mind, and no matter where in the world he is, his medical info is readily available.</p>
<p>Thanks all for the great suggestions. I’ve emailed the disability office and will start there - I was initially a little intimidated by their website and figured it was for kids with mobility and learning difficulties. Her doctor is working on a referral in the new city, but I think the medic alert id is definitely worth looking into and we’ll make sure the Res Life people in her dorm are aware of the situation. Luckily, she’ll only be a few hours away and usually has at least 3-4 hours of warning symptoms. I feel much better knowing it’s worked out well for those of you in similar situations!</p>
<p>I’ve also heard/read good things about Medic Alert. It is said to be significantly more reliable & better-staffed than many of its competitors.</p>
<p>We are very pleased that both of our kids with chronic medical conditions have been fine at self-managing, even one month in Taiwan & their time at the U. S will be in VA & China this summer, so am glad he’s proven to himself & us that he can be responsible for his own healthcare & keep things under sufficient control.</p>