SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL ADAPTATIONS
Student Support Services (277-3506) provides some very useful services for instructors (w/ at least three working days' advance notice). Suggestions for helpful adaptations include:

1.  Provide course information as far in advance as possible, so that students can arrange to have materials recorded or transcribed into braille or obtain textbooks on tape.
2.  Arrange to have exams and other materials of not more than five pages printed into larger type to accommodate students who are partially-sighted who may not be able to read handouts, blackboards, or exams.
3.  Present a list of required textbooks to Student Support Services as early in the semester as possible (or even before classes begin), so that textbooks which have been recorded on tape through the national "Recordings for the Blind" can be obtained in a timely manner. Currently it may take up to 6 weeks for this process to be completed.
4.  Student Support Services can make raised line drawings (whenever drawings are used) by tracing over the lines of a drawing, map, chart, or other material with white glue (such as Elmer's Glue).
5.  Allow students who are blind or who have significant difficulty reading to have a reader administer examinations when needed. Dr. McIver is checking into the possibility of monetary support for our own students to fulfill reader responsibilities.  Otherwise, arrangements for readers and examination settings are made through Student Support Services and must be made at least three days in advance.
6.  Consult with Student Support Services staff to determine how much additional time might be appropriate when test- takers (scribes) provide assistance to students with visual impairments.
7.  Use a black felt-tip pen when making remarks on papers to assist the partially-sighted students to read your comments.

MOBILITY AIDS
Assist students with visual impairments in maneuvering by having the classroom door all the way open or completely closed - otherwise the door may present an unexpected obstacle.  (Re)arrange the classroom to provide large work areas, if appropriate.   Ask someone to wait at the door of the original classroom to guide the student to a new
location when your class is relocated.  Allow students time to orient themselves before offering assistance.  Refrain from petting, feeding, or talking to guide dogs. This attention is inappropriate and distracts specially trained animals from their duty.

SPEAKING STYLES
Always identify yourself to students with a visual disability; let them know when you are leaving their presence. Avoid expressions like 'this,' 'that,' 'here,' and 'there'. Instead, provide a concrete description of the material being discussed.  Attempt to keep noise levels and distracting sounds low; consider the acoustic factor in physical surroundings.

Individuals with a hearing loss are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and may need specific accommodations within the classroom. The type of hearing loss as well as severity will affect the accommodations needed. Remember that students with hearing loss work far harder at "listening" during class than most other students. It is fatiguing and especially difficult when the information is new and complex.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL ADAPTATIONS
1.  Allow individuals to select seating which is best for them - close to speakers and away from noisy hallways are the usual preferences.
2.  When lecturing stay relatively stationary, away from windows with bright lights that cast a shadow on the face, and avoid talking with your back to the audience (e.g., while writing on the blackboard).
3.  Maintain a relatively quiet classroom. Excess noise (whispering, shuffling papers, loud fans, echoes) are distracting for students with a hearing loss, and create further communication barriers.
4.  Avoid speaking rapidly and giving complex and lengthy information without providing supportive visual information on handouts or visual aids.
5.  Avoid raising your voice above your normal speaking level...it's not necessary nor helpful to the hard-of-hearing / deaf student, and it will annoy the other students.
6.  Avoid taking special pains to rigidly face and/or place yourself in front of a hearing impaired student...it will detract from your lecture and embarrass the student at the same time.
7.  Prepare supplemental information using other modalities including written outlines, overheads, or other visual aids.
8.  With the student's permission and guidance, request individual amplification devices from Student Support Services (277-3506). These devices include a small transmitter worn by the instructor and a receiver worn by the student.

INTERPRETER IN THE CLASSROOM
If a student's hearing loss is of sufficient severity, he or she may require an interpreter in the classroom. Certified interpreters are arranged for by Student Support Services. When interpreters are used, be sure students have good visual access both to the lecturer and the interpreter. During personal communications with a student, be certain that you speak to and look at the student, not the interpreter.

Many interpreters have attended college for at least four years to prepare for their job. A certified interpreter has gone through strenuous evaluations to obtain an assurance of at least minimal interpreting ability. Interpreting modes can range from spoken English to signed English or can be another language altogether such as American Sign Language (ASL). Effective interpretation of a lecturer's material does not depend solely on the skill of the interpreter. The lecturer can assist the transmittal task by maintaining a reasonable speaking rate and by spelling or defining complicated or unusual terms. Since students using an interpreter may receive information from one to several seconds following its spoken source, allow for that processing time when speaking directly to the student.

Student Support Services (SSS) can provide a number of helpful services as well as assistance in determining reasonable accommodations. Services include signed language and oral interpreters, note takers and note-taking materials (e.g., NCR paper), duplicating services, assistive listening devices, and real-time translation (call SSS for further information). Additional questions regarding interpreters can be directed to the Signed Language Interpreting Program in the Department of Linguistics.

There are psychiatric conditions that can be severe enough to impair academic functioning and adaptability to university life. There are also specific life and adjustment problems that are the focus of mental health treatment. Usually outpatient therapy and temporary medication are helpful as these problems can inhibit a student from
functioning as expected (e.g., divorce, life-threatening illness, death of a loved one). In these kinds of situations, lowered levels of functioning in an academic environment are usually time-limited.

INDICATORS THAT MAY SUGGEST 
AN EMOTIONAL OR MENTAL DISABILITY
Students may exhibit a cluster of behaviors or symptoms that suggest difficulty in maintaining an acceptable level of academic success. Some of these include:

- Sudden changes in performance, attendance, and interactions with others.

- Difficulty in cognitive functioning, including concentration or focusing attention, memory, decision making, and problem solving.

- Difficulty in communicating clearly, orally or in writing due to thoughts that are incoherent, jumbled, or disjointed.

- Behaviors or thoughts that seem inconsistent with reality (such as paranoia).

- Difficulties in completing tasks/assignments within designated time periods.

- References to killing self or others.

- Appearance of no feelings, or expression of feelings that seem inappropriate or overly reactive to the situation.

- Excessive nervousness or anxiousness during tests, class presentations, or in interaction with others.

- Disruptive behavior that is characterized by hostility, aggressiveness, and physical 'acting out'.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO BE HELPFUL?
Sometimes a student who is struggling with emotional or mental problems will take the initiative to talk to you. He or she may will even define the specific ways in which you can provide support and encouragement without lowering or changing academic standards. Another student may request the mental health professional providing care to write a letter verifying problems and treatment, as well as the specific considerations needed by the student. It is not uncommon for students with temporary impairment to request withdrawals, incompletes, or extensions of time to allow themselves to meet the requirements of a course, a program or a degree.  Some students literally need to withdraw from the university for a semester until their condition stabilizes.

If you are concerned about a particular student and that student has not taken the initiative to meet with you, you might invite the student to schedule an appointment during your office hours. Any attempt to discuss academic functioning that may bring up personal problems should be carried out in privacy. In the discussion you might share
specific observations of the student's behavior that has led to your concern and then ask if there is anything you can do to be helpful. It is important to listen attentively and to refrain from judging the person's behavior. If the student asks for your opinion feel free to give it. If, in your opinion, a student might benefit from an assessment for mental or
emotional difficulties you may refer the student to:

EMERGENCY INTERVENTION
If the student appears to be suicidal or homicidal, or completely unable to cope independently, it is important to seek emergency assistance by escorting the student to or calling the emergency on-call clinician at the Student Health Center. If it is a weekend or after 5 p.m. on a weekday, emergency services are available from:

Campus Police can assist as an escort, but most students would prefer less visibility. A friend or family member may need to be contacted in order to assist.

Occasionally students with emotional or mental difficulties may act out aggressively against property or other people. The following recommendations are made for such situations:

     - Stay calm
     - Have someone call Campus Police Emergency
     - Alert the Dean of Students' Office if a student's behavior has violated the Student
       Code of Conduct.

Remember, it is reasonable to expect student behavior that complies with the UNM Student Code of Conduct, regardless of the cause. Faculty and other students have a right to expect behavior that is conducive to a teaching/learning environment. Behavior that threatens or intimidates is not conducive and requires safety first...then calm disciplinary intervention followed by therapeutic intervention.

Graduate Student Handbook