School and SA?

[Kathryn]

Hey, I have been suffering from SA all my life and have been going to school. I always asked my mom if I could be homeschooled because of my problem, but she has insistently refused...so I am left to suffer with bullies and no friends. Because I am so anxious in social situations, I was wondering if there was a way I could qualify as a "special-ed" kid. These kids go to different classes and recieve special attention. I was thinking that social anxiety should qualify. I feel like no one understands and I am left to suffer in silence. When the teacher tells us that we have a oral presentation the next day, i feel like killing myself just to get out of it....its that bad. Please help...sometimes I feel like I am stuck in a cage, and even teachers pick on me

 

[Ashiene]

all topics relating to social anxiety shld go to the main social anxiety forum u will get more response there.

yes i too feel like killing myself to escape a situation like a class presentation or even on graduation day going up to get the certificate that is a nightmare...

 

[Kathryn]

all topics relating to social anxiety shld go to the main social anxiety forum u will get more response there.

yes i too feel like killing myself to escape a situation like a class presentation or even on graduation day going up to get the certificate that is a nightmare...

oh...sorry..i dont know how to change it

 

[Helyna]

I'm not sure you can change it, but try going back to the original post and clicking "edit".

Yes, you absolutely should be able to qualify under special ed. I'm not sure you can get into a special-ed-only classroom, but I don't think you'd want to. Do you really want to be around kids that most other kids look down upon? (I'm not saying this is good - I think it's unfair - but I think it's true.) Also, you might have trouble getting classes at your level if you're very smart, as a lot of people with anxiety are. (You can have a special-ed plan in a regular classroom.)

What would probably have to happen for you to get special ed is this. You need to be diagnosed almost certainly by some doctor. Your parents would have to figure out how to apply for you (the doctor/therapist probably would know how to do this), and you would have to get some kind of plan for accommodations you think you need. I've heard this can be a big pain. You could try to get into special classes, but some regular-classroom accommodations I can think of would be not having to give oral presentations or recording them at home to show the teacher (so you don't have to do it in front of the class and can do it many times to get it right), not being called on in class unless you volunteer, not being forced to work in groups, and absolutely not having the teacher talk about your quietness/anxiety/shyness in class.

But yes, yes, yes, you should NOT have to suffer through this without help!!! I can probably find you more information about this if you need it, but be warned it would probably be for parents of younger kids.

 

[Hoth]

You don't want to be in a special ed class. The kids there are even worse monsters (my sister's fiancee teaches them and tells horrible tales), and you'd be wasting your mind.

I feel like no one understands and I am left to suffer in silence.

Well you could see the school counselor, though I think they're generally useless.

When the teacher tells us that we have a oral presentation the next day, i feel like killing myself just to get out of it....its that bad. Please help...sometimes I feel like I am stuck in a cage, and even teachers pick on me

I remember the feeling.

Maybe if you're 16 you could get your GED and go to community college, where things should be more mature. (I haven't been to a community college, but university was certainly a whole lot easier than high school.) Or you can find ways to cope with things as they are. I'd just keep whispering presentations until they gave up on telling me to talk louder, and pretend to be mute the rest of the time.

 

[Kathryn]

I'm not sure you can change it, but try going back to the original post and clicking "edit".

Yes, you absolutely should be able to qualify under special ed. I'm not sure you can get into a special-ed-only classroom, but I don't think you'd want to. Do you really want to be around kids that most other kids look down upon? (I'm not saying this is good - I think it's unfair - but I think it's true.) Also, you might have trouble getting classes at your level if you're very smart, as a lot of people with anxiety are. (You can have a special-ed plan in a regular classroom.)

What would probably have to happen for you to get special ed is this. You need to be diagnosed almost certainly by some doctor. Your parents would have to figure out how to apply for you (the doctor/therapist probably would know how to do this), and you would have to get some kind of plan for accommodations you think you need. I've heard this can be a big pain. You could try to get into special classes, but some regular-classroom accommodations I can think of would be not having to give oral presentations or recording them at home to show the teacher (so you don't have to do it in front of the class and can do it many times to get it right), not being called on in class unless you volunteer, not being forced to work in groups, and absolutely not having the teacher talk about your quietness/anxiety/shyness in class.

But yes, yes, yes, you should NOT have to suffer through this without help!!! I can probably find you more information about this if you need it, but be warned it would probably be for parents of younger kids.

Thank you so much...you have no idea how much I appreciate it. I'm in highschool so I imagine that it would be very tough to get me help in a classroom setting.

 

[lmaoatyou]

hey

im 16 and i go to school, but i was seeing a councellor/therapist, and what she did was call the school and talked to the principal to let the teachers know that i have social anxiety, and my councellor and the principal made a plan that would work out so that i wouldn't get called on in class. i dont have to do presentations in front of the class either, just infront of the teacher. It makes it easier for me to go to class without worrying too much.
The main point is that the best thing that you should so is go to the principals office, and tell her/him about it, she'll understand.

 

[Helyna]

Re: hey

im 16 and i go to school, but i was seeing a councellor/therapist, and what she did was call the school and talked to the principal to let the teachers know that i have social anxiety, and my councellor and the principal made a plan that would work out so that i wouldn't get called on in class. i dont have to do presentations in front of the class either, just infront of the teacher. It makes it easier for me to go to class without worrying too much.
The main point is that the best thing that you should so is go to the principals office, and tell her/him about it, she'll understand.

Ditto to that. Well, your parents should go. :wink: I know I can't tell you what to do, but I strongly think you should try to be as "normal" as possible and keep to "normal" classes. This is partly for social reasons, since making friends and feeling as normal as possible, hard as they are, are the best things you can do to bring up your confidence. Where are you from? I can't speak for England or Australia or anywhere else, but in the US there is a law that someone with a disability that would prevent learning in the normal way must be allowed accommodations in a mainstream classroom (or in a special classroom if needed). I expect this is easier to pull off in elementary school, but your problems will only get worse as you move out of high school, so you need to do what you can now!

P.S. The law is Section 504, hence "504 plans" that you might have heard about. Another type of plan, which I've heard is more difficult to write but more thorough, allows education in a mainstream or alternate classroom. This is an IEP, Individualized Education Plan.

 

[Kathryn]

Re: hey

im 16 and i go to school, but i was seeing a councellor/therapist, and what she did was call the school and talked to the principal to let the teachers know that i have social anxiety, and my councellor and the principal made a plan that would work out so that i wouldn't get called on in class. i dont have to do presentations in front of the class either, just infront of the teacher. It makes it easier for me to go to class without worrying too much.
The main point is that the best thing that you should so is go to the principals office, and tell her/him about it, she'll understand.

Ditto to that. Well, your parents should go. :wink: I know I can't tell you what to do, but I strongly think you should try to be as "normal" as possible and keep to "normal" classes. This is partly for social reasons, since making friends and feeling as normal as possible, hard as they are, are the best things you can do to bring up your confidence. Where are you from? I can't speak for England or Australia or anywhere else, but in the US there is a law that someone with a disability that would prevent learning in the normal way must be allowed accommodations in a mainstream classroom (or in a special classroom if needed). I expect this is easier to pull off in elementary school, but your problems will only get worse as you move out of high school, so you need to do what you can now!

P.S. The law is Section 504, hence "504 plans" that you might have heard about. Another type of plan, which I've heard is more difficult to write but more thorough, allows education in a mainstream or alternate classroom. This is an IEP, Individualized Education Plan.

I'm from the U.S. Our school is a little unorganized, so I'm a little worried about telling the principal...but it's worth a shot