Posted on March 11, 2013 · Posted in TBI Voices
This entry is part 20 of 36 in the series Zachary

Accommodations Pre-Arranged for Severe Brain Injury: Zach Part Twenty 

You said there was this accommodations pre-arranged for severe brain injury sheet. What was the process like in terms of getting the accommodations pre-arranged for severe brain injury that you missed? 

I got set up ahead actually.  My transcript said I needed accommodations or something when I applied.  We had to go to this meeting thing when I was still in high school to talk about the accommodations or whatever.  A bunch of people with accommodations went, to U Mass.

So when I got there they were already in place, they were already set.  So whenever I needed something – accommodations or something – I’d just go to the building, “I need this, I need that.”  “Okay, we can do that for you.”

What were the specific accommodations pre-arranged for severe brain injury that you were getting?

Well, , a note taker.   I never used it but that was one of them that we could get.  Extra time for tests and then like a distraction free zone.  Like there’s this room that you go to and you’d be the only one in this little cubicle or whatever, you know.

For studying?

For, no, you can’t use it for studying. It was for tests, to take tests.

So just when you were taking tests you had this.

Yeah.

So you had more time and you got to take your test in a place where you were the only person?

Yes.

Did that help?

I tried a couple of times.  I remember I liked the way it was calm.  I used the extra time for tests but the distraction free, I, I don’t know, I did it. I mean everyone’s, nobody’s really making a lot of noise during a test, you know, so I didn’t.

During tests is the one time that distractions weren’t a big problem for you?

Yeah.  Yeah.  Yeah.

Kind of like being in your room?

Yeah.  Yeah.  Exactly.  Yeah.

To view:

Next in Part Twenty One –

Discovering His Gift for Writing after TBI

About the Author

Attorney Gordon S. Johnson, Jr.
Past Chair Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group, American Association of Justice
g@gordonjohnson.com :: 800-992-9447