The kid sits really close to me and talks to himself all class, I’m not sure I can handle it for 10 weeks. Normally, is it better to go to the teacher? Never dealt with this before but it seems like a bad idea to try to bug the kid about it directly.
Can you move? If not, then speak to the prof and explain that the kid is very distracting. Then maybe you will be moved, or the prof will move the student.
Can’t move, he will come in late and sit in the center of the classroom lol, but yes I’ll try talking to the professor
Please speak with the professor about it. As the mom of a son with special needs I can tell you that many people with a neurological issue truly can’t help whatever they are doing that might be annoying someone else. This student talking to himself might be self-soothing for anxiety, a form of tic, etc. No way to know. But all people like this can use a little kindness, and if you speak with the prof, hopefully they will know how to handle it appropriately. Or can seek out the advice of a professional who can advise them.
I had a coworker like this…I mentioned it to my boss and moved seats. Also sometimes I would gently ask if he could be quiet…“Would it be okay if you stopped talking when the professor is lecturing? I cannot hear him/her. THanks!”
@waitingmomla I appreciate the response, it’s the sort I was looking for. If they were a “normal” person for lack of a better word, I would have just asked them to shutup but I figured that perhaps a situation like this required a different approach.
That better word does exist – it’s “neurotypical” 
Haha gotcha, had no idea.
How do you know the student is special education? Even if that student has a disability, that student met the identical requirements that you did to matriculate to your school. There is no special education in college.
Instead you are seated by another student whose behavior makes listening in class extremely difficult. There are potentially distracting students in every c!ass. Some students crack, slobber, pop, etc. gum. The on!y thing you can routinely fix is where you are seated in the classroom and then situated there every course. Find your seat and use it. Do you know how disgusting and sweet gum smells so some feel nauseous and gum chewers also ride on airplanes. Find you place!
Now about that other student. He comes in late and is disrupting your concentration and continual!y talks to himself!f during class. Talk to the faculty and explain that you need to move. Do not say the other student is special education or neurologically impaired! You have not made a clinical diagnosis to say the other student has a disability. That student has every academic and lega! right to be there and you are allowed to be very frustrated. You don’t want the disability discussion to open!
Instead, you are unable to listen and learn. The other student may have a bad habit that makes it hard for you, but others are continuing to sit by the student. Own your problem to faculty and get their permission for you to move. Figure out first where you want to sit without reorganizing the seating arrangement. Be direct, polite, concerned and seek faculty help. If you become nasty or argumentative you will be toast. How do you handle cracking gum and desperately need to move? God luck! If you are not successful, get an earplug or even listen to music on the other student’s side and count down to the end. Never skip class!!!.
Yeah talk to the professor about possibly moving. Some professors don’t handle special needs kids very well. In one class I had, this one kid woild literally comment on every single thing the professor said, taking up several minutes each time he spoke. And our professor would just let him ramble. Some students even dropped the class because we weren’t able to go over all the material in class and people did poorly on the tests.
He ended up dropping the course, apparently he had a lot of issues going on, more-so than just whatever he was doing in class. My professor said he got a letter from the school about it.
Thanks for updating. I’m glad to hear it worked out.