Skidmore often forgets about students with disabilities. We have no official clubs, organizations, or events that allow the community to make noise. Over the past eleven months, a pandemic has ruled the world. In turn, it has impacted everyone’s way of life. These are things we all know by now, as we sit in front of our computers for classes, meetings, jobs, and first dates that were already awkward enough without Zoom. The average student has felt the pandemic’s weight and, in turn, online learning as schools around the world remain partially or fully online. As we turn on Zoom to attend many of our classes at Skidmore, the campus vibe has not returned to pre-pandemic standards. The consensus is that Zoom learning is much more difficult, and many students are receiving more work than they were pre-COVID. A group that Skidmore seldom hears from that has been affected by the transition to online learning is students with learning disabilities.
When we think about Zoom learning and its difficulties, we typically aren’t thinking about the students who struggled to learn before the pandemic started. Acronyms like ADHD are heard very often around campus, as a growing number of students are finding that they suffer from attention disorders. I have a friend that has ADHD and dyslexia. They shared that the biggest struggles of online learning were reading on the screen; however, they added that ADHD provided a more significant barrier in their education than dyslexia.
For me, as a Skidmore student on the Autism spectrum, online learning has not been an easy feat. Fidgeting, stimming (stimulating movements that are soothing to many people), sitting in place, and the distractions surrounding the desk in my bedroom all make online learning more difficult. The more I stare at a computer screen, the less I want to continue staring at the screen, so opening my computer up in the evenings to complete my assignments feels even more tiring and stressful. Skidmore’s academic accommodations, for the most part, don’t translate to online learning, so students who may want quieter testing spaces are left to try to create that space for themselves. While Skidmore and its professors try their best to accommodate struggling students, with an occasional mental health day, flexibility on deadlines (depending on the professor), open-note tests, and extended S/U options, none of these help students focusing in class. Maintaining a healthy routine and staying on top of schoolwork becomes more complicated when students can’t stay focused on the topics they learn in their Zoom sessions.
During this pandemic, I have slowly collected methods that have helped me focus in class and help me stay on top of my work. Some seem pretty standard, but students with disabilities can have trouble forming healthy habits and remembering to do essential tasks. I also know that students like me generally thrive when they have a routine to stick to every day. With online classes, especially hybrids, and a lack of suitable study spaces to use on campus, students like me often feel lost in how they can come out of this semester and call it a success. These are some of the things that have worked for me.
Making a List of Tasks
Why? Because if you write something down, you have in some way committed to doing it. Even if you don’t end up having time to get it done, you have started your day by setting a goal for yourself. At the end of the day, everything you couldn’t check off will be staring you in the face. You’ll think, “well, now I have to do it tomorrow.” It’s an excellent start to holding yourself to a higher standard, especially if you struggle with depression or anxiety. The tasks can be super small, like brushing your teeth, and you work your way up until you feel like you’re completing your days productively. A good website for this is Habitica, which rewards you with cute little prizes for completing the tasks you set for yourself.
Keeping an Agenda
This tip is similar to the last one but more school-oriented. Writing down everything you need to complete for your classes helps you have a way of keeping track of them. We all know that syllabi don’t always match up with the assignment due, and we’ve all accidentally done the wrong assignment at least once. This way, we socially awkward students do not have to send a polite email to our professors or that one kid in our class we kind of know, at one in the morning (a helpful tip to avoid this is the ‘send later’ function on outlook). It’s not always easy to keep up with, especially when we’re tired and we just want to leave the class without listening to the homework explanations, but over time it is very useful.
Fidget Toys
Fidget toys are not exclusive to students with disabilities, and they are not useless despite all of the kids in our high schools who proudly carried fidget spinners with them. Having something in-hand that does not draw your attention from your class can help keep people calm and focused, especially if they struggle with a learning disability. It serves as a good replacement for a phone or video game console, or even just zoning out and doodling. Many professors will be understanding if a student makes it known that the fidget toy helps them stay focused. Fidget spinners are not the only option, either. There are tons of different fidget objects! I, for one, have a spinning ring and a Rubix cube, both of which I have found to be very useful. They are available for a pretty low price, and there are so many options to choose from.
Take Notes
While nobody likes taking notes, especially people who cannot remember what our professors tell us and write it down, it is a very good way to stay focused during lectures. I have noticed a decrease in PowerPoints this semester as if professors think students will not pay as much attention during screen-sharing. I always liked having a way to write down exactly what my professors wanted me to know, and it is a good way to keep your mind from wandering off during long lectures (especially in the 2+ hour classes). If a professor moves through a PowerPoint too quickly, taking a quick photo always helps! If there aren’t any notes to take, maybe it would be a good time to remember to make that task-list! Even if it’s counterproductive to learning at that moment, at least you’re doing something productive in other ways.
Other options that may not be available to everyone, but can be very beneficial to those that are able, include: taking your online classes in the same place as a classmate (socially distanced, of course), adding an in-person class to your schedule, finding a covid-safe place to do your work to give yourself a reason to leave your room/house, and leaving any distracting objects such as your phone somewhere else during your lectures.
If there are any ways to help you focus, use them! The most important thing here is that students can comfortably and healthily complete their classes and coursework while learning something in the process. Nobody should have to struggle immensely to get through the semester, and these past few semesters have been very challenging for disabled students. The main goal should be to gain productivity without losing anything (else) in the process.