I apologize for the length of this, but our back-story is needed to get the full picture....
My daughter recently transferred from UCSC to another UC. While at UCSC she was assisted through the campus disability office, and with documentation, received a single room because she has ADD and anxiety. They were very cooperative in not only accommodating her, but being concerned about her as well. I miss them right now!
Once my daughter was accepted into the other UC, we immediately began corresponding with their disability office and had all of her documentation forwarded to them. The director told us, based on the docs she had, that she would only approve her for a double. The only way they would reconsider her needs for a single was if we got "updated" documentation. Stupid, if you think about it, cause ADHD and anxiety aren't like a cold; they don't come and go with changing wind storms. You have it forever! And we had to get this documentation in the next 6 weeks.
At the time my daughter was in the throws of getting ready for finals and 400 miles away from me. I had no way to get her to a new doctor to get more documentation. I personally was going through losing my house and was trying to get packed up for a move while suffering from autoimmune disease. I tried to explain this to the director, but because she has the sensitivity of an ice cube, she merely suggested I hurry up and meet the deadline.
Well, needless to say, once we got moved, and got my daughted picked up from UCSC, we missed the deadline. My daughter was pretty okay with being in a double, but we still hoped to somehow arrange a single for her -if not this year then next year. It took me 4 weeks to find a psych. who was accepting her insurance AND new patients. We saw him several times over the next couple of weeks and he ran multiple tests. He ended diagnosing her with ADHD, social anxiety and non-verbal learning disorder (which has many similiar traits to Asperger's), and strongly recommended my daughter be placed in a single as commotion greatly upsets her to the point where she can't function. He couldn't have made it more clear....this kid needs her own space!
He sent over all his test findings and the campus's paperwork for disabilities. A week later, my kid gets an email saying that, unless more info is provided demonstrating that her diagnosis affects her day-to-day life, then they won't help her get a single room. Now, I realize that they don't have enough rooms for everyone with ADHD, and they make that very clear on their disability page, however, this isn't just ADHD, this is social anxiety and an Asperger's-type diagnosis. She does well in school, but she really needs a quiet place to recover from her day. She needs to have control of her surroundings to feel in control of everything else. There are some days she does well, and then others, when the roommate is entertaining everyone on campus in their room, my daughter breaks down.
The UC system guidelines for mental disabilities states they will only accommodate those whose disability impairs their functioning on a daily basis. My daughter doesn't fit into their mold: she can dress herself, and get to class by herself, and maintains a 3.88 GPA. On the surface she seems stellar, but one stressful day and she's in a complete meltdown.
Any suggestions on how to handle this? I don't know if I should hire an attorney, or if that would be fruitless because the UC system has a right to determine which kids fit into their required mold. Its all just so frustrating because my daughter has met kids on campus who live in singles just because "they like to be alone". What about kids like mine that NEED to be alone? Why does the campus accommodate kids who like to be alone and not those who need to? I just don't know what else to do. I can take her to more doctors to try and get more documentation, but because my daughter can dress herself, she may never fit into their mold. Do I push back, and if so, how?
Please don't suggest off-campus living. Apartments in her town are very pricey and doing this option would still mean she would have to share a bedroom. She would also have to ride the bus back and forth to get to class...another stressor.
Thanks for listening! :)
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