By Aleksandra Sidorova
Students suspecting they have a learning disability can apply for free psychological evaluations through the Accessibility Resource Office through Friday, Dec. 13.
In the spring semester, ARO will be collaborating with SUNY Plattsburgh’s school psychology graduate program to allow students to access screening for dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other processing disorders at no cost.
Chris Chamars, coordinator of multicultural initiatives, received an ADHD diagnosis in 2019, at 29 years old. Six months ago, he finally found medication that works well for him.
“It’s a game changer,” Chamars said.
He first suspected the condition in sixth grade, when he suddenly went from devouring 200-page books in one sitting to struggling to focus at all.
“I was living more and more in my head,” Chamars said. “I was kind of dissociated from reality. I wasn’t present — most of my life I don’t even remember.”
Saint Michael’s College, where Chamars studied from 2007 to 2011, did have learning support resources, but he didn’t seek them out.
“The stigmatization I had heard and had picked up made me one, say that wasn’t necessary for me because I didn’t have those issues, and two, it made me feel like if I did go and ask for help for those issues, I was admitting that I was deficient in some way,” Chamars said.
Instead, Chamars powered through at the cost of missing homework, forgetting about commitments and struggling to apply the concepts they had been learning. They experienced social and academic anxiety.
“There’s definitely an amount of grief,” Chamars said. “If I had access to this when I was in school, where would I be now? It feels like I never got to be a student in school. … It was always having to manage things and overcome things, and not just exist and be a student.”
College is supposed to challenge students, but not to a painful extent, Chamars said.
“It’s not supposed to be that hard,” Chamars said. “If you find yourself having a hard time, even if you don’t think you might need help, it’s still worth talking to somebody.”
Around 6% of college students have a learning disability, according to a 2014 survey published by the Council for Exceptional Children. Learning disability evaluations can cost from $500 to $2,500, according to the Learning Disabilities Association of America. Additionally, a diagnosis can become harder to obtain later in life, Chamars said based on his experience.
There are limited spots for spring screenings, and students who were not selected for spring would be shortlisted for later semesters, according to the Student Digest post by Shatawndra Lister, director of access and opportunity programs.
ARO declined to share further information with Cardinal Points because the office is still working on finalizing the program details.
To apply, complete the Google form at shorturl.at/4uTKW, and reach out to aro@plattsburgh.edu for questions.
