Learning Disability and Grad School

[allazar]

Hello fellow good people.

I feel like i am suffering from a delima in my life and for my future, so i am reaching out for any guidence.

I'm currently a junior at the University of Texas at austin studying my BS in physics. I transferred recently, and it is going stellar for me to my surprise. My current goal as of now is to go to grad school to continue my education and hopefully more opportunities for the future. I will be seeing a professor soon and hopefully get involved in research.

But their is a slight problem. I'm afraid my learning and social disability will hinder any chances for me to be inept for such program. I have been diagnosed with PDD-nos, which is on the autism spectrum, at the age of 5 and i have been struggling with a lot throughout my life. I have trouble communicating ideas and concepts with others. I can type papers wonderfully and do the math like no other, but describing it, I am no more than inadequate. This worries me as well when i will be tested soon on my oral skills for the GRE and senior thesis. I believe i am well in social conversation, but when expressing ideas, its bothersome and confuses others more in the process

My question is, would my disability of communication with others hinder any chances for me to go into higher education? Who would be more knowledgeable when asking questions like this? Grad advisors? Disability coordinaters?

 

[S.G. Janssens]

I'm diagnosed with autism as well. It has slowed me down considerably at times, but I have been reasonably successful in mathematics so far. (As an undergraduate, physics was "too much at once" for me, also lacking the kind of rigor and structure that I enjoy in math.) At the moment I'm completing my doctorate, so I believe you could very well go that way too. My advice would be to discuss your concerns with whomever of the faculty or staff you trust most. Graduate advisers or disability coordinators may indeed quality. If you would like to discuss more with someone from the forum, you may contact me in private, but don't feel obliged. Good luck!