Transition To College Accommodations for Students With Disabilities

Transition To College: Accommodations for Students With Disabilities in Higher Education BY: BARBARA M. BARRISH, PH. D. LEARNING DISABILITIES SPECIALIST ROWAN COLLEGE AT BURLINGTON COUNTY

Objectives of Today’s Presentation Prepare students and parents for some of the important differences between high school and college. Make students and parents aware of the rights and responsibilities of college students who have disabilities. Discuss general procedures for receiving academic accommodations in college.

Five Major Differences Between High School and College 1) Time Spent in Class: v v High school: 6 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 180 days; 1 -2 hours per day of homework. College: 12 -16 hours per week; 2 hours of study for every 1 hour of class time. 2) Rules vs Responsibility: v v In high school, you are usually told what to do and corrected if your behavior is out of line. Your parents may be called and there may be a “manifestation determination. ” In college, you are expected to follow a Code of Conduct and take responsibility for your actions and for the consequences of your decisions, regardless of your disability status.

Five Major Differences Between High School and College 3) High School Teachers vs College Professors: v High school teachers: tell you what you need to learn v keep track of what you do v put notes on the blackboard v guide you through the learning process. v v College professors: v provide a syllabus and expect you to keep track of assignments and tests. v expect you to think through and apply what you have learned.

Five Major Differences Between High School and College 4) Tests: v v High school: v Frequent tests; small amounts of material. v Teachers give review sessions and tell you what you need to study v Test of how well you can give back information by memory or solve the kinds of problems you were shown how to solve. College: v Infrequent tests; cover large amounts of material. v Professors rarely offer review sessions. v Test of how you apply what you have learned to new situations or solve new kinds of problems.

Five Major Differences Between High School and College 5) Grades: v v In high school, effort counts. v Academic expectations may be lowered. v Teachers may allow points for extra credit or homework. v You may graduate as long as you pass everything with a D. v You may not be allowed to fail. In college, effort may be appreciated but results count. v Professors are not obligated to help you pass. v Academic expectations will not be lowered. v Your college will have standards for graduation, usually a C average or above. v You can fail.

Goals of College Disabilities Services To ensure that students with disabilities have every opportunity to participate as active members of the college community. To ensure that students with disabilities learn and practice self-advocacy skills. To ensure that students with disabilities understand know their rights and responsibilities as community members of a higher education institution. To ensure that faculty and staff are sensitive to the needs of students with disabilities.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ØTitle II of the ADA Act of 1990 prohibits discrimination based on disability in public entities. ØSection 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination based on disability in programs or activities of institutions that receive federal financial assistance.

Comparison of Services High School College Support services provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Under IDEA, high schools are required to provide a free, appropriate public education (entitlement law) under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Under ADA and Section 504, colleges must provide equal access to the learning environment to a qualified person with a disability (anti-discrimination law)

Comparison of Services (cont. ) High School College IDEA contains Child Find provision that requires states to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities, ages 3 -21, who are in need of special education services. does not apply. Students must selfidentify. FERPA prohibits college personnel from inquiring about a student’s disability status or diagnosis

Comparison of Services (cont. ) High School College IDEA requires the Accommodations and development of an IEP or 504 Plan. Individual Education Plan (IEP) developed by team and services are delivered to the student. services from these plans are not automatically transferred to the college. Student must selfidentify and make the request if academic accommodations are desired.

An Academic Accommodation is: ØAny change in the physical or learning environment which minimizes or eliminates the impact of the disability and provides an equal opportunity for learning. ØA reasonable accommodation is one that does not require a substantial change in curriculum or alteration of a substantial element of the program.

Comparison of Services (cont. ) High School College Educational and Student is responsible psychological testing is provided. Special Education services are allotted based on educational classification and by time and curriculum needs. for providing documentation Services are based on situational/individual needs based on the severity of the impact of the disability.

Comparison of Services (cont. ) High School College Curriculum modifications Academic adjustments and special programs are common. Academic expectations may be modified. District may provide personal devices such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, and personal attendants. that equalize opportunity for participation are required. Academic expectations may not be modified. Colleges are not required to provide these.

Comparison of Services (cont. ) High School College Case manager acts as Student acts as own advocate and keeps track of your progress. Regular parent contact and progress reports. Success may be guaranteed by the IEP advocate and keeps track of own progress. No parent contact unless approved by the student; no progress reports. Access is guaranteed; success is up to you!

Examples of Services at College Examples of accommodations offered to students who currently attend BCC are (not an exhaustive list): Readers/scribes for tests (when appropriate) Extended time for testing Testing at the Test Center or CALL Lab Use of a basic calculator (student provides) Preferential seating Use of tape recorder (student provides) ASL interpreters Braille Printer Dragon Dictate Software Intellikeys enlarged keyboard JAWS Software FM amplifiers Others as needed or negotiated

Accommodations Not Provided by Colleges Modified tests. Oral testing (at professors’ discretion). Paraphrasing test questions. Resource room support. Study outlines (provided at professor’s discretion). Personal devices such as hearing aides, calculators, or tape recorders. Classroom aide. Unlimited excused absences/homebound instruction. Tailored homework assignments. Course waivers. Weekly parent call/note Readers for personal use or study. Open book tests Word banks Re-taking tests

Physically Accessible Buildings? No, not necessarily. While buildings constructed after the Section 504 regulation was issued (that is, those built since 1977) must be fully accessible, older buildings do not have to be made fully accessible. For older buildings, the law requires that the program or activity be made accessible. A common way this is done is to relocate the program to another building that is accessible.

Steps to Receiving Accommodations in College If you are a new student with a disability and want to receive academic accommodations prior to the semester, there a few steps you must take in advance: 1. Research colleges to find out if they have the majors or courses of study in which you are interested and the accommodations you will be needing. 2. Apply to the college by completing an admissions application. You do not have to reveal your disability status at this point. 3. Wait to receive your letter of acceptance.

Steps to Receive Accommodations in College 4. Take the Placement test, if required, at your high school or at the college Test Center. Ø NJ State mandated assessment in writing, reading, computation and elementary algebra Ø Before taking the test, call the college’s Disability Services Office to find out if they offer any accommodations (e. g. , extra time for the essay, use of a basic calculator, reader and/or scribe for the test) Ø 5. Provide the Disability Services with the required documentation of your disability/disabilities Ø 6. Follow the college’s policies and procedures for receiving accommodations

Steps to Receive Accommodations in College Examples of documentation: (items a thru e cannot be more than 3 -years-old, item f needs to be updated annually): a) IEP from high school with diagnosis and accommodations offered, PLUS: b) Psychological evaluation with diagnosis and recommended accommodations c) Learning Evaluation with diagnosis and recommended accommodations AND/OR: d) Psycho-educational evaluation with diagnosis and recommended accommodations e) Medical evaluation with diagnosis and recommended accommodations f) Psychiatric evaluation with diagnosis and recommended accommodations

Colleges’ Rights and Responsibilities: Colleges have a right to create their own documentation standards. Colleges have right to decide how access will be provided through accommodations. Colleges are not required to make sure students are keeping up with what they need to do to receive accommodations. Colleges have to abide by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Professors do not have to communicate with or respond to communications from parents.

Summary of Student Responsibilities 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Apply to college Take placement tests Register for classes Call the disability services office and self-identify as a student with disabilities Provide necessary documentation of disability Pay for testing/additional documentation required for accommodation. Request reasonable accommodations Obtain personal attendants, tutoring, and individually fitted assisted technologies. Self-advocate

If You Plan to Go To College: • Take four years of math and English in high school. • Make sure your Child Study Team evaluations or medical documents are up to date. • Get to know your IEP or 504 Plan • Self-advocate: practice talking about your talents and abilities as well as what you need to succeed.

How To Be an Effective Self-Advocate Self advocacy is not the ability to win arguments or fight for your rights. Self-advocacy is the ability to effectively articulate your talents and abilities as well as what you need to succeed.

How To Be an Effective Self-Advocate To be an effective self-advocate, you should: v Know yourself and your disability v Be able to explain your disability to others v Be able to explain your needs (e. g. , compensatory strategies, accommodations) v Take the initiative and communicate with professors and other college personnel v Practice these skills with people with whom you feel comfortable

Tips from Successful College Students Have goals for the semester and a plan for the future Know your academic history, strengths and weaknesses Take control of your time and your choices Get to know your professors Be assertive and persistent; seek help when you need it Focus on your strengths and overcome your weaknesses Learn to be a creative problem-solver Build social support systems Self advocate

Thank YOU! Contact me at: 609 -894 -9311, x 1789 or at bbarrish@bcc. edu Rowan College at Burlington County We can get you there! • Donna Kaklamanos, Student Support Coordinator, 609 -894 -9311, ext. 1803 or Dkaklama@bcc. edu