What  Students with Learning Disabilities Should Know About College Admission[1]

As students advance through high school and the college process those with learning issues must have a good grasp of what their learning disabilities are be able to articulate this to professors.  This skill takes proactive and will need repeating  and explaining so that both the parent and student understand the learning disability.  The following list includes areas students should thoroughly understand:

·      The history of their learning disability and its date of diagnosis.

·      How their disability affects areas such as listening, writing, spelling and speaking.

·      How much help they have needed from school resources in order to be successful.

·      Which  academic areas are most challenging for them and why.

·      The importance of being enrolled in mainstream courses in high-school (for those who are college-bound).

This information will be instrumental in allowing those students to develop long term goals that are realistic and concurrent with their strengths.  Students must lead the discussion at their annual IEP meeting beginning in ninth grade.  Students must be able to articulate their disability and be comfortable seeking the appropriate accommodations.  They must be in the driver's seat.

When searching for  the appropriate college setting, students and their parents  need to have a good idea of the level of support the student will require in college.

·      Will the student need a structured support program which usually charges an additional fee?  Such services may be providing certified LD staff, tutoring, mentoring, skills classes, and monitoring.

·      Most colleges offer basic services to students with disabilities such as extended test time, reduced distractions environment for tests, and books on tape.

·      A 504 coordinator to determine appropriate services and review documentation must also be available.

Here are some questions students and parents can ask of colleges:

·      Are there members of the disability support services staff who are certified in learning disabilities or do they employ non-certified staff?

·      What documentation is required to request services and who is responsible for determining eligibility of these services?

·      Is there a separate program for students with learning disabilities that requires a separate application in addition to the general application?

·      Is there a fee for services?

·      What is the waiver/substitution policy for required graduation courses?  Is there any flexibility in the admission criteria relative to required courses (such as foreign language), and are foreign language and/or math required to exit the college upon graduation?

·      How will professors be notified of the disability and approved accommodations?

·      Who will be an advocate for the student on campus?  Will the student need to request services each semester? How will the student know about these services?