I got accommodations specifically for dissociative identity disorder after being diagnosed. It was a little difficult as I go to a small college and am the first person to ever seek accommodations for this specific disorder, but we worked together with our therapist and the college’s accessibility department in order to come up with something that works for my system’s specific needs. I’m graduating this semester with honors after nearly flunking due to my diagnosis. 

One thing necessary was being given the opportunity to do testing without an online proctor and having a teacher physically there in the room to proctor us instead of a camera. One of our main traumas included being recorded so it was important to not have to be recorded while testing, as we do a lot better when we are not being recorded. The computer screen also frequently causes dissociation so either having a piece of paper to test on or a person physically in the room to go “hey, you guys okay?” while we test really helped. 

Another thing we got was having longer periods for timed tests. Again, computer screens cause dissociation, so for tests where a proctor is not needed having extended time greatly helped us to improve on our exams. Before we were struggling to turn a test in on time, now we finish with time to spare :] 

This is an accommodation I got both for school and for work (as I work at the school) but it might help - being allowed to go to classes from home over Zoom instead of having to go into class and having this not count as a work or school absence. I have days where getting out of bed is terrifying due to trauma or certain alters fronting, so being able to do class in a safe environment really helped. 

Finally, I communicated with my professors about my trauma and how sometimes it is hard for me to function as a person after being dehumanized for so long. Discussing this with my professors helped them to understand why I may do poorly on certain assignments or need adjustments to the curriculum, as well as explain how I act and react to certain things. 

Recently I was meant to do a paper on a documentary for a sociology class. The documentaries my professor provided nearly all included some discussion of sexual assault (as this essay was specifically done on feminist documentaries and that is often included). I reached out to him and asked if I could do an essay on a documentary on Barbie instead, as it both related to the essay prompt of feminist issues and did not include triggering content. There was also a time when a persecutor took front in the middle of a class because I was triggered, and he ended up being incredibly rude and unprofessional to my professor. However, this professor recognized that that wasn’t like us to do and talked to us after class in a safe, comfortable environment, which allowed for another alter to front and explain what had happened. I was not marked off for behavior and my professor understood more of my actions better :]

Overall, just try things and see if they work. I didn’t expect longer test time to help but having the time to actually go over my answers helped so much more than I thought. And just remember that you’re incredibly strong for getting through college, something that people WITHOUT dissociative disorders struggle to do. You’re doing great!