- Keyboarding and School was Re: Medic Alert Bands - TJ and Others and School statistics - Jill

[Guest guest]

> She is now taking a keyboarding class. She is getting

> yelled at every day because she can't sit the way the

> teacher wants her to. She says it hurts too much.

Been there, done THAT! I was always in trouble for not sitting in the

appropriate positions! Even at work now, I don't sit " right. " With EDS,

you have to sit so you are comfortable and your weakest joints are

supported. It's a fact of who we are.

> Especially, she say, with writing. She can only write

> for a few minutes before her hands cramp up.

I have always had the same problem. In fact, this was just being discussed

on another list as well.

> I remember this happening to me when I was in school,

> from a very young age. I remember in 5th grade, I had

> to write a hand-written report which was suppose to be

> 100 pages long (I had a very difficult teacher that year!),

> and I couldn't do it. I could only get out about 8 pages.

ME TOO! My teacher said, " someday when you have pretty penmanship, you will

thank me. " My report wasn't as long as yours, only about 5 pages or so and

it was 4th grade instead of 5th. I managed to get the pages written, but it

hurt.

Last week, I had to do hand-written notes on letters to donors for ReWA.

The plan is that the board members write personal notes along with the

invitations we mail out for special events. I only had two write 6 notes,

each slightly different, but only about 3 lines of writing. The first was

fine. The second one started to hurt. The third one was very painful and I

stopped writing after that. I did finish all 6, but the other 3 were done

much later that day.

After the third note, I wrote to our staff person in charge of this program

that next time they are to include extra copies of letterhead so I can type

personal notes for people. Now, the question is, will people perceive me as

being less personal because I don't write the notes by hand? Fortunately,

most of the people on my list already know me, but not all of them know

about EDS, so they might think it impersonal of me. The alternative,

however, is more pain for me and really sloppy notes, and that isn't nice

either.

I also took a math midterm exam two weeks ago. The exam was only 6

questions. The professor would have allowed me to use the laptop, but

conceptually, I need to do math with pencil and paper in order for the

process to work through my mind. Because it was a short test and I am

REALLY good at math, I didn't require any extra time for the exam. However,

it was very painful for me. I took a rest break after every problem. After

the exam, I ran my hand under hot water in the bathroom for about 5 minutes

just to release the muscle cramps. My HEDS husband also took the same

exam. He was also in pain at the end, but not near as much as me.

We also have an essay exam coming up on March 11. I am worried about Kerry

being able to write 3 essay questions. He doesn't have an official

diagnosis and he hasn't applied for accommodations. Fortunately, the

professor is having cataract surgery this week. He hasn't even finished

grading our papers from 2 weeks ago because his ability to read has greatly

diminished over the quarter. Another classmate suggested to him that he get

permission for all of us to use the computer lab to take the essay exam.

This would essentially let everyone use the computer the same as me, and we

can all print our papers in large-type font so that he can more easily read

the essay answers. I think it's a great idea, so I am hoping that the

professor does get the computer labs for us.

> I heard somwhere that she may be able to get the

> school to issue her a lap top, so she won't have to

> write anything. That would be very helpful.

Yes, that can and should be part of her IEP plan. My sister-in-law had a

laptop in school. Again, this is exactly what we were discussing on the

other list. A laptop is a very appropriate accommodation for kids with EDS.

As an adult, I don't go anywhere without my laptop. I take it to classes.

I do my homework on it. I take it to ReWA board and committee meetings. I

take it to seminars. Any time or place where I may have to take notes, I

have my laptop with me. I bought the Averatec 3120v from Office Depot.

http://www.averatec.com/notebooks/3120.html The best part about this one is

it only weighs 4.3 lb and fits in a small shoulder bag. Believe me, the

weight of the laptop is just as important as its capabilities. I had a

previous, heavier, laptop and I didn't take it with me as often because it

was too heavy to tote around.

-Barb