What he doesn't know is that I -- and all of my family -- have chronic spontaneous hydro-dental explosion. We manage to carry on, with little more accommodation than scent-and-dye-free detergent.
Q: So, do I call him on his flimsy excuse -- using my own condition as the foundation of my argument?
My inclination would be to avoid the personal (after all, the student can always argue that he has a more severe version of the condition, and it's possible that he does -- though admittedly your family experience makes your full understanding of its range more likely), but definitely ask for documentation. I *might* bring up your personal/family knowledge with the professional making the accommodation decision, if his/her official recommendation continues to seem extreme to you. If there's a support group for the condition, you might also refer the professional to that, with the expressed concern that the student may be lacking information about measures he could take to maximize his quality of life (or some such optimistic, supportive wording).
ReplyDeleteI would express sympathy stating I have personal knowledge of said condition as I was living with it myself if I was. I would then ask for the ADA letter from the accommodations office outlining what specific accommodations they get for this condition.
ReplyDeleteDoes the student have documentation from the disability support services office, including a list of accommodations? If so, stick to what's on the list, but don't offer anything further. If not, tell the student that for the sake of fairness to other students, you can't offer accommodations without appropriate documentation. Like Cassandra, I'd be inclined to avoid revealing personal information to the student.
ReplyDeleteYou might also want to remind the student what they say in the disability support office, "Don't let your condition own you!"
ReplyDeleteI was just coming here to say that. I've written here before about my own struggles with a disability (a big one: grand mal seizures). When students pull this crap, they make all of us look bad, even when some of us are pulling miracles in order to avoid putting others out.
DeleteThis case pisses me off. Disability Visa or it didn't happen.
Basically, if a student has a special exemption from the disability office, fine. If not, they can go FUCK THEMSELVES.
ReplyDeleteOP here. To clarify, the student was not asking for an official accommodation (and I sincerely doubt that our DSS would grant an accommodation for something that is a day-to-day inconvenience -- one most dermatologists treat topically and with the aforementioned adjustments to laundry). The student was asking for me to make a huuuuge exception for him.
ReplyDeleteSince writing the post, I met with the student. He showed none of the usual signs of this condition (it tends to show up on hands and arms). He claimed that the condition made it impossible for him to walk (again, having dealt with this condition in varying degrees of severity, from mild discomfort to "let's pump you full of prednisone RIGHT NOW," I've never heard of impaired movement). Further, because he comes from another country, he had to wait for his parents to send him medication (I didn't point out that our small city has a numerous practitioners of his preferred health care.)
I did point out that his lecture and tutorial attendance did not indicate a debilitating condition, and without a doctor's note (he had none), I could not make the accommodation he requested.
I imagine I'll see him again next year.
I don't appreciate your minimizing the effects of hydro-dental explosion. LOL.
ReplyDeleteDocumentation is key, but seriously? The nerve of the student.
My dad suffers from plaque psoriasis (courtesy of exposure to Agent Orange when he was a SEAL in 'Nam). A corollary problem can be rheumatoid arthritis.
ReplyDeleteYour student is a jagoff. My dad has NEVER used his condition as an excuse to get out of doing work. Then again, he volunteered for two tours and has shrapnel lodged in one of his kidneys from the second one. Different generation.
Sorry. This bugs the shit out of me.