School support by Gwen

School support by Gwen - November 2020 Scholarship Essay

One aspect of my education I am most thankful for was being able to have extra assistance in all of my classes whether or not there was an inclusion teacher. I would still like to have extra assistance in my classes, but due to the problems caused by the coronavirus, I won’t be able to have as much help because of the all virtual set-up. The reason I value this extra assistance is because of my autism and how it affects me both in school and in home life. While it is true that I do sometimes struggle with my academics, my main issues in school were outbursts in class. Despite my smarts, I don’t feel like I can perform as much as I used to because of all the coronavirus news and feeling quarantined. I don’t like virtual learning because of a disconnect with people and being stuck doing individual assignments with some hint of socialization.

I actually didn’t value the extra assistance when I was younger, particularly in elementary and middle school. This was mainly an issue in Middle school because I didn’t have any good support in middle school and also because it was terrible. I have many bad memories of middle school, bad classes and teachers, teachers leaving at random times, and many other problems I had to deal with. It wasn’t all bad, but a majority of my time there was. No one in middle school gave me the kind of assistance I needed, which is why I am more grateful for my treatment in high school because of my bad middle school experiences. I actually got the help I needed for my autism in high school which I am a lot more grateful for compared to my early school days. That’s why I prefer my high school days compared to my early days. This might have been a tangent, but I figured this will explain why I value my extra assistance in school.

I think the main reason I liked having the assistance was not just because I needed help containing my outbursts, but also because I had someone else to talk to. I originally was a person who wanted to keep to myself, but now I see that my loneliness has taken a toll on me. I soon came to find that in my teen years, I was lonely and wanted friends. Now that the virus has caused social distancing, that’s making me feel even more lonely than I already was. This time, I have few opportunities to try to socialize with others in real life, and now have to rely on my video game characters for company. This is because of me feeling heavily immersed in my game worlds and feeling like I have an actual connection with the cast.

I am still thankful for my extra assistance from school, but I still wish to return to school even if its hybrid. Most of my friends are able to experience hybrid school, but me and other students of Suffolk are stuck with all virtual. If I am able to return to physical school, I would feel a lot more happier, but for now, I am stuck with chronic loneliness despite my reduced outbursts in everyday life.

Now you see why I am grateful for having extra assistance in school. Thanks to their assistance, I have grown as a person and have better control over my emotions. Without the assistance, my growth would have been much slower. I may have had a rough transition when I was younger, but that shows why I need certain people to assist me and to know what triggers certain responses in me. If I don’t feel like I have the right people, I won’t have a good time in my classes throughout my school years.