Presenters:
Anne Marie Portelli, SLG Program Assistant, University of Guelph
Session Description:
Imagine being a first-year university student again, transitioning from small classes of 20 or 30 to hundreds, and from a structured environment to one that requires self-sufficiency. Now, add the layer of having an invisible disability – such as ADHD, learning disabilities, or mental illness. Transitioning from smaller, structured class environments to larger, more independent settings can be particularly difficult, especially for those with these disabilities.
This session will focus on the intersection of invisible disabilities and learning in a university context – to hopefully make the often invisible, visible.
Statistics indicate that mental health and learning disabilities are the most common among youth aged 15 to 24 – in addition to those experiencing similar challenges without formal diagnoses. It’s important to recognize, though, not all experiences are purely negative – most experiences aren’t ‘all or nothing’ after all – and when students’ strengths are identified and leveraged, university learning can become more manageable.
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the connection between university learning, invisible disabilities, and the role of Learning Services in promoting academic success.
- Recognize signs and symptoms of mental health and learning concerns in educational settings
- Develop strategies that build on students’ unique strengths, to better support them.
- Identify effective phrases and prompts for productive conversations within Learning Services
- Discern how to move forward when/if conversations reach a standstill.