Trials and Tribulations (Part 27)- Fall Semester 2015

After careful thought and deliberation, I thought others would find this interesting about our battle with Asperger Syndrome. If anyone would like to post about their trials and tribulations, please leave a link so we can read your story. :)

This is written in the third person.




Prior to Move-In Day M made sure he continued to fulfill his obligations and responsibilities that were required so he would not be suspended or terminated from Student Support Services (SSS). He completed an accommodations card with his schedule and emailed it in to SSS.

M also updated his health insurance waiver (required each year) for UMBC by providing his health insurance information to prove that he had health insurance. Students who do not complete the waiver to show proof of health insurance by a certain deadline would be automatically enrolled and billed for the Student Health Insurance Plan offered by University Health Services/Aetna Student Health. M even made sure his student property insurance was paid up for the school year so his personal belongings would be protected.

On August 24, 2015 Fall semester Move-In Day arrived at UMBC for returning students which was a few days after new residents (August 22). 400 students moved into M’s dorm that day and it was rather hectic. Since M had the same private room in the dorm last year, he moved into his room effortlessly. He also had the same RA as last year. He did though get a new suite roommate to share the common area and bathroom with. On the other side of the suite bathroom the RA and a new community desk staff employee (last year’s became a RA in the dorm) each have a private room and they also have their own private common area. The new community desk staff employee was also a friend of the RA’s. Just like last year, M did not seem interested in any of his 3 suitemates and kept to himself.

M and his mother filled out the Suite Condition Report (SCR) on Move-In Day (the RA did it last year). SCRs are forms used to document the condition of the room and its furnishings when the student takes occupancy. The student is required to fill one out for their room, common area, and bathroom. At the end of the school year, the RA will use this form to make sure there are no damages when the student checks out.

During Move-In Day M and his parents met the RA again. M’s parents were surprised to learn that RAs are compensated for assisting residents by receiving a single room, a 10 meal/week meal plan, and a $275 stipend at the end of each semester for first year staff. A RA’s stipend is increased to $350.00 per semester once he/she has completed two semesters of employment. The community desk staff employee works 9-12 hours per week, including late night and early morning shifts and only receive minimum wage (they do not receive free housing or 10 meal/week meal plan). They are part-time employees of Residential Life at UMBC and report directly to the desk manager and ultimately to the director of Residential Life. The desk staff employee is responsible for monitoring security, safety, and service for the dorm. Returning desk staff (who performed their duties satisfactorily during at least two semesters of service) receives a .25 increase in wage. Back when M’s parents were in college, RAs only received a free single room for compensation and student desk staff employees were nonexistent.

M signed up through LRC (Learning Resource Center) to receive a tutor for Spanish. This was his last semester of Spanish and M had been studying it throughout summer break hoping to not forget all that he learned so far. SSS used to provide this free service, but this year UMBC let LRC handle this since they were already providing tutors for the college and SSS used the same tutors from LRC. LRC offers one-on-one and small-group tutoring depending upon the course and hour the tutoring is given. A student might find themselves in a one-on-one situation but that can change anytime over the semester. M’s parents were hoping that M would meet other students during the tutoring sessions and maybe make some friends. M was in small-group tutoring, but declined to make friends with any of the other students. When asked, M stated he didn’t have the time to make friends, nor was interested in it.

During the second week of classes M and his roommate were given a Roommate Agreement/Contract. This tool helped M and his roommate know exactly what their living expectations during the year were. The Roommate Agreement/Contract was discussed, filled it out, and returned to the RA. Since M and his roommate share a bathroom with the RA and desk staff person, they all had to discuss bathroom use, the schedule to clean it and by whom, and cleaning supplies. That was filled out as well and had already been filled out by their RA (like last year) and M and his roommate read it thoroughly. M and his roommate signed and returned it to the RA, and all required persons were given a copy.

M continued to use a student planner/agenda book and a visual schedule which enabled him to visually see what needed to be done and when. These were vital in keeping him organized and on track.

M’s parents continued to visit him at school and made sure they contacted him by texting, emails, and Skype. M requested frequent visits and looked forward to them. To be able to stay free at a nearby hotel whenever they wanted his parents used their Marriott Rewards credit card. Any purchases with the credit card earned them points toward free rooms at Marriott. M also enjoyed Skyping and texting his parents daily. All contacts by his parents were always positive and supportive of M to help him feel more secure and successful at college.

M stated he still had to acclimate to college living again, but it was somewhat easier than last year. Keeping the same dorm room from last year helped considerably as well as having the same RA. M still becomes easily upset by changes in routines and transitions and it can cause inappropriate behavior which can escalate into major meltdowns if he cannot calm himself down. M knows calming techniques, but sometimes he becomes so overwrought he forgets to use them. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) tendencies also seemed to be worse when he is stressed. M’s parents therefore made sure they checked up on him daily to see how he was doing and if he needed any help in any way.

Unfortunately, during fall semester M’s cat, Boogie of more than 17 years developed kidney problems. M’s parents assured M that everything physically and mentally was being done to help Boogie. They also tried to comfort and prepare M for what would eventually happen. On October 7, 2015 M’s parents had to put Boogie down. M was devastated.

M invited his parents to Homecoming at UMBC during the long Columbus Day weekend of October 9 – 12. They did various activities that were offered at UMBC and also did other fun stuff on their own. M’s parents found him in good spirits and everyone had a good time.

M continued to have personal problems (he preferred not to share them with his parents) and sought help from the Counseling Center at UMBC. He made an appointment and met with a counselor on October 14th who assessed his needs and he thought M might benefit from coming to the Counseling Center to cope with stress when needed. M agreed and said he would make an appointment when stress seemed to be a problem. No other problems for M were noted and he did not seek help from the Counseling Center during the Fall semester.

Prior to class registration for Spring semester 2016, M made appointments with his advisors and and met with them to discuss what he should take. On the appointed day and time M went online and registered for classes.

M did well in his classes (all B’s) and is looking forward to Spring semester 2016. He was also quite happy and relieved that all his required language courses (Spanish) for graduation was completed.

During Christmas Break M made sure he went online and reserved his books and materials at the UMBC Book Store to pick up prior to the start of Spring semester 2016. This has worked out well which avoids shipping fees and waiting in long lines to obtain his books.