Prove It: Got a request for additional documentation from the specialized services department at the community college my son will be going to. It came on Saturday, of course, when I couldn't do anything about it, so I've had all weekend to stew. It's asking for proof of his need for academic accommodation that I'm not sure I can get, and while it's possible that when I talk to them later today there will be some more accessible ways to get him this help, the idea of him losing it has got me thinking about whether he really needs it. He's received lots of special-education help over the years, including a one-on-one paraprofessional, but in high school it's become apparent that his need for academic support isn't that great, it's behavioral support that he benefits from. Academic support is what the college gives, and I'm not really sure at this point that he needs note-taking and tape-recording and a calculator and a tutor and extra time on tests as much as he just needs a general awareness among his professors and maybe the security people on campus that he may behave in unexpected ways. Chances are, everybody will assume he has autism the way they have in high school, and perhaps will extend him some grace based on that. The college does have a lot of support systems for mainstream students, too -- is it possible he could shed his special status and still survive? It's a scary thought, but kind of exciting, too.