Achieving College Success Now Understanding the College Transition

Achieving College Success Now Understanding the College Transition for Students with Disabilities

From High School to Post Secondary: K-12: IDEA 2004/504 “ENTITLEMENT” College: ADA/504 “ELIGIBILITY” Attending college is Student has a right to free privilege. There is no and appropriate public guarantee of acceptance or education. success. Students must be eligible. “Success” “Access”

Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) • Legal requirement for providing special education to students with disabilities in the K 12 system • Students have been evaluated and identified as having a disability and are eligible to receive special education services • Identified students have an Individualized Education Program (IEP), that guides their educational program

Types of Special Education Support • • Learning support Emotional support Blind or visually impaired support Deaf or hearing impaired support Speech and language support Physical support Autistic support Multi-disabilities support

Members of an IEP Team Physical/Occupational Therapist Special Education Teacher Advocate/ If Requested Personal Aide Parents The Student School Nurse School District Rep (LEA) General Education Teacher Transportation Coordinator Speech/Language Therapist School Counselor Instructional Technologist

Individualized Education Program • Document developed by IEP team and includes information on the student’s: • Present level of educational performance • Educational goals for the school year • Defines the type, where and how often special education and related services will be provided • Details how and when student’s progress will be reported to parents

The IEP may include • Modified curricular goals • • Change of graduation requirements Less rigorous curriculum Less homework Less course content • Alternate ways for students to demonstrate learning • • Project instead of written paper Written paper instead of test Oral test instead of written test Extended time for assignments/homework

The IEP may include • Instructional adaptations • • Pre-teaching Repeating directions Extra examples Note taker • Test modification • • • Fewer choices on multiple choice test Shortened test Word banks Cueing on tests Use of “tool kit” Unlimited test time or retesting until a certain grade is achieved

The IEP may include • Alternate materials and/or assistive technology • • Transcribe text into Braille Large print Alternate texts: high interest, low vocabulary Computer access • Physical services • • Furniture arrangement in environments Specific seating arrangements Individualized desk, chair, wheelchair accessibility Adaptive equipment

The IEP may include • Social-behavioral services • Social skills instruction • Counseling • Peer supports, such as facilitating friendships • Individualized behavior support plans • Rules modified for students, exceptions made for behavior infractions

Transition to College • The IEP and IDEA are only valid in the K-12 system and do not drive educational programming at post secondary institutions • Services at post secondary institutions are under the auspices of the Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act of 2008 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act of 2008 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 • A student with a disability who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities including caring for one’s self, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, working • Also includes functions of the immune, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive systems

ADA/Section 504 • Prohibited discrimination includes denying access to educational programs and facilities • “Otherwise qualified” • “ A person with a disability who meets the academic and technical standards requisite to admission to, or participation in, the college’s education or activity. ”

ADA/Section 504… • Admission to a post-secondary institution • Acceptance into a specific program or course of study • Continuation and completion of a specific course of study

Disability Services in College

Office of Disability Services Responsibilities • Ensure access to programs, activities and services to students with disabilities • Review documentation • Determine and provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations

Accessing Disability Services in College

Accessing Disability Services: The Process • Step 1: Contact the Disability Services Office • Step 2: Meet Eligibility Requirements • Step 3: Request Specific Accommodations • Step 4: Use and Monitor Accommodations

Step 1: Contact the Disability Services Office • Self-identify to the Disability Services Office • Complete required paperwork to initiate this process

Step 2: Meet Eligibility Requirements • Submit documentation of disability • Schedule a personal interview, if required. During the interview, the student may be asked to discuss: • His or her disability • Learning strengths and weaknesses • Special education services • Impact of his or her disability in the academic environment • Accommodations requested

Step 3: Request Specific Accommodations • Student must request accommodations • Based upon current functional limitations outlined in documentation • Interactive process to determine specific accommodations are made on case-by-case basis • Need for accommodations are communicated to faculty following institution’s procedures

Reasonable accommodations are: • designed to “level the playing field” for students with disabilities by allowing them to circumnavigate the effects of a disability in an academic environment • changes in the physical environment or in how the content is accessed or evaluated

Reasonable accommodations are NOT: • designed to change the standards of learning, essential functions of a course • changes in the course content to be learned or evaluated • services that are offered to all students at an institution

Reasonable Accommodations • Classroom • Testing • Residence Hall • Parking • Assistive Technology • College Life

Classroom Accommodations May include, but are not limited to: • Note taker • Texts in alternate format • Enlarged print or brailled handouts • Sign Language Interpreter or captionist • Recording of lectures • Preferential seating • Specialized furniture • Use of a Service Animal • Assisted Listening Devices

Test Accommodations May include, but are not limited to: • • • Extended time Larger font or Braille Distraction limiting environment Reader Scribe Use of computer

Residence Hall and Parking Accommodations May include, but are not limited to: • Visual fire alarm • Accessible housing • Accessible bathrooms facilities • Handicapped parking

Assistive Technology Accommodations May include, but are not limited to: • Screen readers • Dictation software • Digital recorders including smart pens • Amplified stethoscope • Magnification devices • Communication devices

College Life Accommodations • Any accommodation that will provide access to an institution’s activity or event, such as athletics, cultural event, or extracurricular activity

Reasonable Accommodations DO NOT include May include, but are not limited to: • Word banks for tests • Modified content on tests • Unlimited time on tests • Retesting • Altered Course Standards

Step 4: Using Specific Accommodations Student Responsibilities • Meet with faculty to share and discuss accommodations as per institution’s procedures • Monitor effectiveness of accommodations throughout semester • Request additional accommodations through Disability Services, if necessary • Request for accommodations each semester

Step 4: Using Specific Accommodations Faculty Responsibilities • Provide reasonable accommodations • Keep disability related information confidential • Refer students to DSO if they request accommodations without appropriate documentation

Faculty and Student Transition

Faculty and Student Transition Physical/Occupational Therapist Special Education Teacher Advocate/ If Requested Personal Aide Parents The Student School Nurse School District Rep (LEA) General Education Teacher Transportation Coordinator Speech/Language Therapist School Counselor Instructional Technologist

Faculty and Student Transition Academic Advisors Professors The Student College Support Staff Office of Disability Services

Faculty and Student Transition Students often arrive without the self advocacy skills to: • Initiate discussions with faculty/staff • Explain needed accommodations • Evaluate effectiveness of accommodations

Faculty and Student Transition • Place a statement on syllabus regarding accommodations for students with disabilities and verbally encourage students to discuss accommodations • Let the student initiate the first contact • Schedule a meeting as soon as possible to avoid the “one minute conversation” after class