<p>I have documented problems with visual memory (like memorizing slides of paintings, for intsance) due to the 11 medications I'm on and several medical conditions. (please don't tell me to reduce my meds, they treat 5 different conditions) </p>
<p>i have to memorize 100 different slides within about a week for my art history final. i tried for the midterm and failed that portion. i just can't record the information in my brain in that short of a period of time. essentially, I need less slides to memorize or more time to do it. </p>
<p>disability services isn't offering me any help. </p>
<p>i've tried association, pneumonic devices, etc -- but it all comes down to the same. i can make it happen, but not that much in that short of a period of time. </p>
<p>i need some kind of accomodation or i'm going to fail again. i'm not being pessimistic, i'm being realistic. what do i do?</p>
<p>" disability services isn’t offering me any help" 
That’s gotta change, but since that (a new 504 or IEP, updated testing if > than three years etc) is sloow, why don’t you speak with your teacher, then go upstream as necessary. Provide the past visual memory documentation and try to appeal to their best reasonable and fair instincts. 100 different slides is a lot of visualizing. Eleven meds, which I’m not judging, certainly affect brain function-pragmatic teachers and administrators know that- so perhaps a note from your physician might help in the short run.</p>
<p>For the future, why not try to avoid classes requiring such visual focus, or at least make sure you have discussed this ahead of time to have an action plan?</p>
<p>As always, you have to hold your own water here, so get a plan together and take action. Try focusing on 50 of the slides this weekend at least, to show you’re not just gaming the system.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>The first question is whether you are already registered with the office of disability services and receive accommodations. I am going to assume that you are, and that the documentation of visual processing problems is on file there. </p>
<p>If I were you, I think I’d go back to the psychologist who most recently documented your visual processing issues (by phone if they’re not near your college) and explain the situation. See if the psychologist will quickly send a letter that explains in clear terms that your LD impacts your ability to memorize slides and that your perception that memorizing 100 slides in the period mentioned is reasonable. This will give you something concrete to give the disabilities office (Try to get an appointment with the head of the office.) and with your professor as giveherwings suggests.</p>
<p>Think about what a good outcome would be for you. Would having more time to memorize the slides be a workable alternative? If you feel you are capable of memorizing the slides given more time, then check into your professor/college’s policies on taking an incomplete. This way you could work on the slides over the summer and take the exam later. </p>
<p>If you don’t think you can memorize 100 slides period, you might also look into your college’s policies on withdrawing from a course this late in the semester. In the worst case scenario, a single W on a transcript is not a horrible thing. In the best case scenario with withdrawal, you would petition successfully to have the W removed from your transcript, based on the fact that you did well in all other aspects of the course and using the letter from the testing psychologist to support your petition.</p>
<p>All of that has been done. The two things that would help me would be a. less slides, b. more time to memorize them, and DSS has informed me they can request neither</p>
<p>This course is required for my major, that’s the only reason i’m in it. I also need the credit to graduate.</p>
<p>all of it except for flat out asking my teacher what he can do for me but i’m pretty nervous to do that</p>
<p>Don’t be nervous to speak up for yourself in a situation such as this. If you have some documentation at home you can show your course instructor, and it may allow them to work with you on this. Teachers/professors always lament “if you had only told me ahead of time”. Their hands are crossed due to reality after the fact.</p>
<p>If this is a big part of your semester or yearly grade, I second considering an incomplete should nothing be able to be immediately worked out for the upcoming test, to allow you to focus on how to resolve this problem. What’s with the Disability Office anyway? Do you have out of date testing? Did they offer any help in any way? </p>
<p>Good luck and speak to the teacher.</p>
<p>The date of the testing is fine, they just don’t offer many accommodations. </p>
<p>the test is in like 3 weeks, but the slides aren’t released until right before the test</p>
<p>i guess i just need to suck it up and talk to my teacher, but my worry is that he won’t do anything if it’s not an “official” recommendation…it’s 35% of my grade</p>
<p>Do you have a letter from the testing psychologist stating what accommodations you need in this situation, and tying the need for the accommodations to your LD? You might want to send this to the head of the office of disability support in a registered letter with a request that he respond in writing as to why the recommended accommodation is being denied and reiterating the times and dates you have requested the accommodation. The letter might also be helpful to show the teacher so he would understand your issues in memorizing the slides. Good luck with this! (With the course needed for your major, is there any way you could take it pass-fail?)</p>
<p>I have handed my disability documentation to professors before and said, “look, the disabilities office doesn’t have any way of helping me, but I have THIS, I am registered at the disabilities office and here is my paperwork, and I am requesting that you be as understanding as possible” – and sometimes the professors will work with me at their discretion instead of going through the disabilities office. That may be your only option on such short notice.</p>
<p>NEXT time something like this comes up, you need to talk to the professor on the first day of class. This late in the game they will not be nearly as willing to work with you.</p>
<p>"Do you have a letter from the testing psychologist stating what accommodations you need in this situation, and tying the need for the accommodations to your LD? You might want to send this to the head of the office of disability support in a registered letter with a request that he respond in writing as to why the recommended accommodation is being denied and reiterating the times and dates you have requested the accommodation. The letter might also be helpful to show the teacher so he would understand your issues in memorizing the slides. Good luck with this! (With the course needed for your major, is there any way you could take it pass-fail?) "</p>
<p>This is good advice.</p>
<p>too late to take it pass fail. obviously too late to talk first day of class (i’m graduating – if i pass). i didn’t realize it would be such a problem until the midterm arose</p>
<p>i have documentation, talked to the teacher, no dice.</p>