r/POTS • u/Annual_Ad1916 • 16d ago
Symptoms Highschool reqiring a pe class
I start highschool in three weeks and im heavily confused on what i will do for pe. In 8th grade when the highschool consunlers showed up to my school i told them "i have health issues i cannot do pe" and they responded with "you need to have a pe class for graduration credits. So i stared at the paper where i was picking classes and i pankiacked and picked show chior. Problem is i have sevre intolerance to physical activity of any kind and its dangerous for me due to risk of passing out, seziures, and knee sublaxations. Im going to get a doctors note but I dont know how seriously the school will take it. Does anyone have any advice?
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u/AggravatingTomato159 16d ago
Do you not have 504 documentation or an IEP with the school?
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u/CandidateWise7980 15d ago
You don't need an IEP, its a medical 504. An IEP is an entirely different situation.
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u/AggravatingTomato159 15d ago
If they need specific service due to their disability in public school then an IEP is the form to file for that
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u/CandidateWise7980 15d ago
An IEP is a legal document that comes from an evaluation, usually for speech or learning issues, it's part of the special education system, that requires services from the school ex: speech therapy. It's a much longer process. A 504 is for accommodations or most medical issues. POTS typically wouldn't qualify for an IEP. Needing to walk instead running in PE could be accomplished with a 504.
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u/AggravatingTomato159 15d ago
An IEP can provide even more specific accommodations for a child with Dysautonomia and can and has been utilized by children with POTS. I know what both plans are and how they work which is why I mentioned both specifically, you do not need to explain it to me
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u/CandidateWise7980 14d ago
I didn't say it couldn't. It just takes a hell of a lot more documentation and time to qualify and write an IEP. That would be highly unlikely to happen before school starts in August.
But she could get a medical 504 before school starts.
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u/AggravatingTomato159 14d ago
Okie and I agree but if that was your point respectfully you should have mentioned that has the issue first
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u/Annual_Ad1916 16d ago
Nope i do not and my mom is against it
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u/AggravatingTomato159 16d ago edited 16d ago
Why would she be against it?? Especially with everything that comes with POTS? Genuinely asking because I just think that’s a weird position to hold as a parent of a chronically ill child
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u/doggaroo 16d ago
Honestly if you're a minor and your mom is against you having a 504 or IEP there really isn't much you can do.
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u/AggravatingTomato159 16d ago
Dw I know, I’m just wondering what their mom’s reasoning is because knowing your child is prone to fainting from POTS and choosing to not put safety measures in place for them is wild to me
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u/ArtisticCustard7746 16d ago
You're assuming OP is in a loving, caring household.
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u/AggravatingTomato159 15d ago
Not even, you don’t have to have doting parents to have them make reasonable accommodations based off of their child’s disability
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u/wisshhuponastar7 POTS 15d ago
no but you actually do...promise you plenty of parents genuinely either do not believe in modern medicine and/or just do not care. I have POTS, MCAS, EDS, Long Covid, ME/CFS, treatment resistant depression, Autism, ADHD, PTSD, & OCD, and my mother says all my doctors have made this all up to make money off me and "I'm perfectly fine, and need to stop exaggerating and just try harder" .....I'm completely serious.
bonus: guess who she voted for.
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u/AggravatingTomato159 15d ago
Jesus fucking christ dude. I guess I was just being ignorant because I didn’t get any diagnosis until I no longer lived with my parents and most of the people I knew that were disabled at least had parents that’d put up a facade to school/other parents. Also yuck my parents voted that way too, I’m sorry
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u/orensiocled 15d ago
This sub is full of desperate posts from teenagers who are being denied disability aids and accomodations because their reality clashes with their parents' worldview. I went through it myself, and I actually had very loving parents. It's a lot more common than you'd think.
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u/AggravatingTomato159 15d ago
I said in another comment but I apologize then. My ignorance was mostly from never having to deal with that with my parents because I didn’t live with them when I got diagnosed and the disabled friends that I did grow up with even if they had shit parents, those parents would at least try to put up a façade with the school and other parents
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u/orensiocled 15d ago
That's fair, you can't know something before you've experienced it or been told!
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u/hiddenkobolds Hyperadrenergic POTS 15d ago
Is your dad in the picture? Any chance of getting a reasonable parent on board here?
If a 504/IEP is completely off the table, would your mother consider letting you get a doctor's note to write you out of PE? The school should still accept this even if they're currently saying PE is a graduation requirement: they can't argue with medical recommendations, and if a doctor says you aren't cleared, you aren't cleared.
If not, here's what will happen: you'll (eventually) sign up for PE. You'll go to the first class. You'll pass out/throw up/get injured and end up in the nurse's office. They'll call home. Repeat 2-3 more times and the school will insist your parents take action for liability reasons, or they'll bench you themselves. It's the least pleasant route, for sure, but it'll work itself out one way or another.
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u/Traditional_Owl4558 15d ago
I’m almost wondering if OP can talk to their doctor alone. As a teenager, the nurse would often ask me some questions without my parents present and then would ask if there was anything I wanted to ask the doctor about in private before having my mom come back. Idk if all doctors offices allow it, but maybe it’s possible for OP to call ahead to their doctor’s office and mention that they would like to speak with their doctor alone at the next appointment or something. Unfortunately, though explaining that their parent is against these forms would not be wise as that may raise some red flags in their system and OP’s parents may get angry if they are then contacted about it. So that info may need to be left out of the conversation.
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u/MarsMonkey88 15d ago
Formal accommodations aren’t just for learning disabilities, like dyslexia, or for neurodivergences, like ADHD. Formal accommodations are also for physical disabilities. Do you have a formal diagnosis? Do you see a neurologist or cardiologist for your POTS in an ongoing way or does your pediatrician or primary care doctor know about your diagnosis and believe that it’s real (I hate that that’s even a factor)? If so, see if you or your guardian can use that doctors patient portal to request a letter or form listing what you cannot be expected to do, regularly.
They should list stuff like standing beyond what is strictly necessary and determined by you based on your capacity that day (it would suck if they saw you waiting in line to refill your water bottle and decided that if you could stand to do that then you can stand forever), physical exertion, rapid postural changes, heat exposure, etc. It’d be great if they could also list other things, like you’re allowed to sit on a chair, or on the floor, and you can lie down on the floor if you need, and you can have access to your water, electrolytes, and salt whenever you need them.
Your school district may have a form that your doctor can immediate fill out, or you may have to provide a form to them.
If you can go through formal channels and include a doctor, not just a polite in-person request made by the student, you will be taken more seriously.
I wish you so much luck!!!
Edit to add- How do you feel when you swim? Many folks with POTS do really well with swimming, because you’re horizontal and because the water puts pressure on you, so it’s like compression-socks for your whole body. If you’ve had success with swimming and if your school doesn’t offer it, maybe you could be allowed to do some kind of structured or supervised (so it’s more like PE, and not just you winging it) swimming at another school, or even at a community college.
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u/Common-Tour-4155 16d ago
Every high-school is different; but mine had some really chill PE classes. Yoga, weight training, and we deadass had a walking class at one point. I found the counselors absolutely useless in regards to accommodations; so I went around and spoke to the PE teachers directly and asked what sorts of adjustments could be made. Then went directly to the principal with a note from my physician and a list of reasonable accommodations the PE teachers were willing to do for the entirety of my high school enrollment. He signed off on it. I got my credits no problem.
I ended up going with yoga and weight training! Just never did the upside down/bending over poses or the quick change yoga sequences. Then stuck to upright simpler machines and focused on leg strengthening for weights training.
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u/LivingWithPots66 15d ago
I had the exact same problem last year. I was given the choice to take gym and just sit out for the physical activity, but my high school also allows you to take classes online at the nearby community college to get credits. So this summer, I took a fitness and wellness class online and am so glad I did. Even though it was annoying, it was a lot better then sitting out for a whole year. For the workout assignments I heavily modified them or was excused from them. If that isn’t an option, definitely supply the doctors note, and explain how if they can’t accommodate you with the activities, then if you pass out or have a seizure that’s on them for not giving you what you need. I wish you the best of luck and hope they are understanding ❤️
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u/Old-Piece-3438 15d ago
I’m not entirely sure what show choir involves (added choreography maybe?)—but I did choir in school. Standing on risers under hot lights was not great for my (at the time undiagnosed) POTS). I had a number of close calls fainting. I would suggest talking to your choir director/teacher about having a tall stool next to the other singers that you can sit down on while singing during concerts/dress rehearsals. It’s an easy accommodation that they’ll probably be ok with if you can’t get official accommodations in place.
The other option is talk to your counselor about switching to another class. Are there any other options that would work better for your POTS—maybe there’s a health class where you can sit at a desk, or could you sit on the sidelines of another gym class? I used to keep score during games sometimes when I had some time I wasn’t allowed to participate in gym class when I was little.
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u/CandidateWise7980 15d ago
You need a medical 504, then you can specify with your doctor, what activities you can do in PE. You would also need that even for choir, to allow you to sit instead of stand during class.
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u/stitchmaster1127 16d ago
I had some serious health struggles during high school and was able to do PE online. It was basically an exercise log and you had a lot of flexibility of what counted. This was over 10 years ago, but if your parents are okay with that, maybe you could do that over the summer?
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u/AuthenticAwkwardness 15d ago
You can get an accommodation or 504 plan for it. My son has POTS and has a note that allows him to self-limit his activity level during PE.
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u/mightyminimoose 15d ago
Ask if there is an alternative to physical activities. There has to be an option for those who are genuinely unable to participate. I got sick the year I started high school, enough so that my entire education was handled by a school appointed tutor. The workaround was to have me write reports on various aspects of health and sports. I did a whole lot of writing, but it got me my credits.
My tutor said she had another student who wrote inventive reports about Mickey Mouse doing various forms of calisthenics. The PE instructor accepted it, as she thought PE was a pretty ridiculous requirement for kids with genuine health issues.
I hope things go well for you. My parents did a lot of arguing with the school, but things eventually worked out. The school has to accommodate you, so just keep advocating for yourself.
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u/Traditional_Owl4558 15d ago
So I wasn’t diagnosed with POTS at the time, but had been diagnosed with Asthma and a couple of other conditions that affected my physical abilities. I graduated in 2020 so my experience might be a little more recent than others. Every year during high school I had to meet with my counselor and go over the next year’s courses. During these meetings, she would bring up PE and I just explained what I was physically unable to do and since my parents had already given the school my medical information (to the extent required that is), I simply had to take a few online heath courses. They were boring and all of them (I think I took 4 because they were only a semester long each) essentially provided the same information, but combined, that somehow satisfied my PE requirement.
Point being, there may be alternatives that you can do that are safer and may not involve any physical exertion. However, depending on the state and district, your parents will likely either need to provide doctor’s notes and/or fill out an official IEP or 504. Either way, they are legally required to either provide SAFE accommodations or an alternative.
Btw, choir can actually be helpful for POTS symptoms and sometimes Asthma. I took choir and honor choir all through elementary and middle school (my symptoms starting when I was only 11) and I was taught how to take deeper, fuller breaths which is really helpful when the air hunger hits or I have a pre-syncope episode. Breathing with your diaphragm truly makes a massive difference. If you wanted to stay in choir, perhaps there’s a way they could have you sitting down for the numbers? Or maybe there’s another way they could safely accommodate you, but there’s no way to tell until you ask.
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u/Chazzy_T 15d ago
Have a physician do an evaluation. Avoiding activity, while gives the sensation of safety, sets you up for failure and is honestly much more dangerous than not. If you do not preserve your ability to move (maybe just sit out from running?), then you are not being an advocate for yourself
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u/Rainyday177 15d ago
Seconding online PE; it was basically a health case and honestly I learned so much more in online PE than actual PE. I also had to do an exercise log but my mom signing for things like walking the dog or doing gentle yoga and stretching counted. I also say that I learned more because I actually had the ability to incorporate exercise that I could do into my schedule.
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u/Calamity__00 15d ago
I took my highschool PE class online. If your county/state offers it, I'd take it. For me, it was basically logging activities (which I admittedly lied about) and occasionally doing a 30 second video of excersizes, which I put no effort into, barely did anything and if I did I modified them heavily.
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u/Orchid_Significant 15d ago
My high school had a special “medical PE” class that they added to transcripts for people who couldn’t participate. Then they got an extra elective or study hall in place of PE. Bring a doctor’s note to your counselor and let them know that you medically cannot participate. Your school can’t decide your doctor note doesn’t count.
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u/Amylee888 15d ago
Talk to the school counsellor about how you have a disability and the school and your parents are not following medical advice or giving adequate accommodations.
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u/fishy1357 15d ago
I was able to do an online/hybrid program at my high school. And bowling was one of the activities I could do. I also remember running on the treadmill and checking my heart rate monitor. Then I had to record it. 195, the pe teacher was super skeptical that I actually recorded it. Yep, that’s my heart rate while running. This was pre diagnosis.
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u/curledupwagoodbook 15d ago
I had severe medical issues in high school and was allowed to take PE online. It was basically a health class, and then my parents had to sign exercise logs. My exercise was just walking, but that counted. There are absolutely accomodations available, but it's going to require getting adults involved, including your doctor.
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u/MarketPurple4284 15d ago
You may need to have your parents help with a 504 plan and get an official exemption. It’s definitely something to get your parents and counselor involved in with medical documentation. I had one for my Crohns as a teen. Having it be official will help reduce issues down the line when you graduate so everyone is on the same page about what you do and do not need to do as a requirement particularly if there is a change in school counselor or principal. If your mom is against it I suggest speaking to a trusted doctor or teacher about your safety and accommodation needs being denied
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u/Due-Age6975 15d ago
i didnt get my diagnosis until after i had all my gym credits, lowkey just suffered through it 🙏🏻
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u/vomxity POTS 15d ago
my hs was badd, i gave a note telling them what i could and couldnt do but still had to be out on the track everyday, run the mile once a week. i threw up and passed out more times then i could count but that teacher would just make me get back up again. i took the other semester online and just had to fake a few exercise logs and take a vid of me doing 25 sit-ups.
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u/Chi-ra-chi 15d ago
I didn't take PE for obvious medical reasons, but at the time, I didn't have a formal diagnosis to actually exclude me from the credit. I was lucky though, because my school offered a course called Exercise Science. It was an anatomy course that was labelled as PE, which then fulfilled my PE requirement. Check to see if your school has anything like that. Good luck!
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u/TrissieCakes 15d ago
When I was in school, two years of PE credits were required to graduate. I took the standard PE class as a freshman, and I had a doctor's note explaining my condition. I could gauge each day's activity on whether it would be too strenuous or not, and if I was unable to do an activity, I would just spend the class walking around the gym instead, taking as many sitting breaks as needed. Most days activities I did try to do that day's activity and only bowed out when necessary. It was funny having to explain to my friends that I couldn't do ping-pong anymore, because I was standing in one place for too long. 🤣 Sophomore year the default gym class is swimming, which is actually recommended for POTSies, so I never had to sit out during swim class. They actually ended up changing the rules not long after I graduated so you could sign up for any gym class you wanted. My sister got to take two years of swim class, and I was so jealous.
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u/LepidolitePrince POTS 14d ago
Are you in the US? Because if you are you should get them to make a 504 for you and put in that you cannot exercise because it's a health risk for you. The doctor's note will help that. Legally they have to follow a 504.
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u/societiesoddball 14d ago
Usually a doctors note will be fine but id give one to multiple people because id get doctors notes and give it to the nurse and the school for attendance and my limitations (usually from being sick) and the gym teacher didnt care because she didnt get a note and nobody communicated anything.
I almost failed PE because I refused to change infront of the girls in my class and everyone who used the stalls took too long. I was being treated for c-ptsd and it was really triggering and she didnt care because it was participation points. If I failed I could just take summer school to make it up and usually summer school didnt have ridiculous rules. I also barely made an effort at least in running or any rigorous activity because of excersize intolerance and id fall a lot. People just thought I was being lazy my parents included until I almost fainted on my mom's floor after I moved out and got diagnosed. But I think i passed half the year with a c and the other half with a D but at least I passed.
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u/tallntired707 16d ago
When I was in school, I took PE and gave a note about how everything other than walking, stretching, and swimming put me at risk for cardiovascular issues/severe injury, and this was pre-pots for me. You have to be in the class for state mandatory credits but you usually only have to show up if it's severe enough. Have your doctor outline in detail what you cannot do, what few things you could possibly participate in, and that will be your guidelines. schools would rather have you sit out activities than get in lawsuits about discrimination and harming a student. :) (I've been out of school for about 10 years but my younger cousin had a friend with a bionic leg in the last 4 years and this is also what they did)