Hello

In response to banksie, it would be useful if you could find out whether he has been told this or read it on a website.

Meltdowns are a response to sensory overload of one kind or another, and or the build up of anxiety over unresolved issues, or anything else causing in effect a bottleneck, where his desperation and distress over things affecting him explode. The process is largely involuntary, although he may have indications that one is coming on, and be able to remove himself to a more private place for an outburst.

He might perceive meltdowns as a different side to his persona. Or someone - one of his peers, or a teacher who doesn't understand, may have told him this as explanation. Or he may have tried to look things up on the web to find answers and be worrying about all kinds of things that don't apply to him.

In response to Hotel California I am amused by the school's advice. I guess it is just part of the whole circus of misunderstandings. Universities mostly have complied with the Disability Discrimination Act, even if their interpretation, such as misapplication of the social model of disability, leads to oddities. But they will generally have good provision, and when chosing universities, on visit days, make a point of going to see the disability support team, who should be available.

What may be behind the school's advice is that at university there is no intervention, like in a school. Nobody will be leaning over his shoulder quite like teachers do. You are supposed to self-help at university, although that must adjust a bit for disability. So the kind of intervention you would see in a school over disability support wont happen, and your son might be getting to an age when quite glad if that doesn't happen. He'll just have a needs assessment that takes account of any issues attending lectures or doing coursework or taking exams, it just wont be omnipresent along with teachers, as in school.

In response to banksie, it would be useful if you could find out whether he has been told this or read it on a website.

Meltdowns are a response to sensory overload of one kind or another, and or the build up of anxiety over unresolved issues, or anything else causing in effect a bottleneck, where his desperation and distress over things affecting him explode. The process is largely involuntary, although he may have indications that one is coming on, and be able to remove himself to a more private place for an outburst.

He might perceive meltdowns as a different side to his persona. Or someone - one of his peers, or a teacher who doesn't understand, may have told him this as explanation. Or he may have tried to look things up on the web to find answers and be worrying about all kinds of things that don't apply to him.

In response to Hotel California I am amused by the school's advice. I guess it is just part of the whole circus of misunderstandings. Universities mostly have complied with the Disability Discrimination Act, even if their interpretation, such as misapplication of the social model of disability, leads to oddities. But they will generally have good provision, and when chosing universities, on visit days, make a point of going to see the disability support team, who should be available.

What may be behind the school's advice is that at university there is no intervention, like in a school. Nobody will be leaning over his shoulder quite like teachers do. You are supposed to self-help at university, although that must adjust a bit for disability. So the kind of intervention you would see in a school over disability support wont happen, and your son might be getting to an age when quite glad if that doesn't happen. He'll just have a needs assessment that takes account of any issues attending lectures or doing coursework or taking exams, it just wont be omnipresent along with teachers, as in school.