College admissions is a fraught experience even for valedictorians of a senior class. Imagine if you’ve been struggling with learning issues since preschool, or if you’re a junior or senior in high school and are only now discovering your brain just doesn’t seem to work like the kid sitting next to you in class…what then? How do you start your college adventure?
Roughly 10% of all college students receive some sort of accommodation. What follows is information gleaned from attending a week-long conference and college tour focusing on the myriad issues facing the neurodivergent (LD/ND) community vis-á-vis the college experience.
Spoiler alert, if you read no more than this one sentence, my bottom-line advice is: connect early and be transparent with the learning support service staff of any college you are considering.
While you can find a lot of information from college websites, it may prove helpful to speak with staff about your particular needs before committing to any college. The academic support staff of Disability Services Offices are highly dedicated individuals. Their mission is to help students learn how to learn in the college environment.
Just like in K-12, accommodations are given to improve access to the academic environment. On a college campus, access does not mean a professor adjusts the academic content or curriculum in any way. Rather, access provides for:
- Extra time on tests, special desks or ramps
- Online support/assistive technology, trained mentors, and group and/or individual counseling.
- Staff in the disability services office to help explain the assessments required, what type of and how many hours per week counseling sessions are offered, and how much/if any of that service is included in tuition or what fees are charged.
The main issue for families with an LD/ND student is to determine whether a college’s “culture of care” aligns with the unique needs of their individual student.
No discussion of the college experience for students with learning challenges should begin without first noting that, unlike the K-12 experience, at the college level, it is the student that must advocate for accommodations not the parent. Though parents pay the bills, college freshmen are usually 18-years old and legally, are adults. FERPA rights transfer from the parent to the student; hence, automatic access or ‘rights’ to report cards, communication with teachers, health care updates is not a given.
If you think about the bigger picture of any student’s college adventure, the onus placed on the students themselves to get things done makes sense. Besides, isn’t this what we all want from any of our students—for them to develop into thoughtful, organized, productive citizens of the world? Being transparent about your student’s unique needs and asking the right questions from the start will help you choose a college that has a strategy for empowerment, that will equip your student to succeed in the 21st century.
Top 10 questions to ask a specialist in the Learning Disabilities Support Center:
What documents and evaluations are required by the college to get accommodations?
What types of academic and non-academic support is there?
How much support is provided per day/week/semester?
What accommodations are available for residential life?
Is there therapeutic (mental health) support?
Is there executive functioning skill support?
Is there an ‘employability’ program for my LD/ND student?
What are the additional fees for support services?
What training do you provide the paid and volunteer staff?
Do you refer to off-campus specialists?
Roles and Responsibilities at College or Who Does What and When:
The Student:
Self-identify and register with the Learning Support Center (before enrolling!)
Provide Documentation
Advocate for, schedule, and organize accommodations
Give accommodation letter to professors
Communicate with faculty as needed
The Learning Support Center:
Determine eligibility
Authorize appropriate academic accommodations
Assist faculty with disability specific issues
The Faculty:
Provide accommodations per the letter
Respect student privacy
Work with Learning Support Center
