Recipe for SuccessRecipe for SuccessMarch 23, 2010March 23, 2010

Nuts and Bolts of being a College Nuts and Bolts of being a College StudentStudent

College is different from High College is different from High schoolschool

IN High School, most of your IN High School, most of your education decisions are made education decisions are made for you by your parents or for you by your parents or teachers or the state curriculumteachers or the state curriculum

IN College, a few decisions are IN College, a few decisions are made for you but there is a LOT made for you but there is a LOT of choice. And lots of of choice. And lots of independence!independence!

Who advocates for you?Who advocates for you?

High SchoolHigh School Your ParentsYour Parents Your TeachersYour Teachers You after age You after age

1616

CollegeCollege YOUYOU Your parents Your parents

might might be in one be in one meeting with meeting with you and the you and the Disability officeDisability office

Plans in High School V/s Plans in High School V/s CollegeCollegeHigh SchoolHigh School 504 Plan 504 Plan IEPIEP Teachers responsible Teachers responsible

for plans being for plans being implementedimplemented

College does not have a College does not have a written plan like High written plan like High School School

Student is Student is responsible for responsible for

requesting academic requesting academic accommodations from accommodations from the Disability Office the Disability Office with with documentation documentation supporting the requestsupporting the request

Notifying Professors Notifying Professors making testing making testing

arrangementsarrangements Ensuring they are using Ensuring they are using

the services necessary the services necessary Following the time lines Following the time lines

of their schoolof their school

What do I mean by Advocate?What do I mean by Advocate?

You have a disability. You have a disability. You have to be You have to be COMFORTABLE COMFORTABLE

discussing your Disability.discussing your Disability. You have to You have to KNOW KNOW your Disability your Disability

and any limitations your disability and any limitations your disability causes that might impact your causes that might impact your access to a College Education.access to a College Education.

You have to You have to KNOWKNOW your disability your disability and any limitations well enough to and any limitations well enough to ASK ASK for reasonable for reasonable accommodations. accommodations.

What Do I mean by What Do I mean by “Advocate” ?“Advocate” ?

By knowing your disability, you will have By knowing your disability, you will have ideas about what the college and you can ideas about what the college and you can do to reduce the impact of your disability.do to reduce the impact of your disability.

You are allowed reasonable academic or You are allowed reasonable academic or residential accommodations to help reduce residential accommodations to help reduce the impact of your disability on educational the impact of your disability on educational access. access.

If you don’t ask for the help or the If you don’t ask for the help or the accommodation you may need, it may not accommodation you may need, it may not be offered. be offered.

Help Resources on campusesHelp Resources on campuses

For All Students:For All Students: Academic Support ServicesAcademic Support Services Writing CenterWriting Center Tutoring officeTutoring office Help tables in various departmentsHelp tables in various departments Counseling CenterCounseling Center Health Center/Wellness CenterHealth Center/Wellness Center Academic Advisement CenterAcademic Advisement CenterFor Students with Disabilities:For Students with Disabilities: Disability OfficeDisability Office

Disability OfficeDisability Office

This is the office that will work with you to This is the office that will work with you to receive equal access to the College receive equal access to the College You have to You have to identify identify yourself to this office as a yourself to this office as a

person with a disabilityperson with a disability You have to provide You have to provide documentation documentation of your of your

disability and its functional limitationsdisability and its functional limitations You have to work together with the Disabiltiy You have to work together with the Disabiltiy

Office to determine Office to determine reasonable reasonable accommodationsaccommodations

If you don’t’ identify If you don’t’ identify with the Disability Office the with the Disability Office the college college does not knowdoes not know that you are on campus that you are on campus and and does not knowdoes not know you may need you may need accommodations.accommodations.

Accommodations start Accommodations start AFTER AFTER you identify with you identify with the officethe office

Documentation part of Documentation part of AdvocacyAdvocacy Each Each disability has differentdisability has different

documentation requirementsdocumentation requirements Discuss with your college Discuss with your college what what

documentation it needsdocumentation it needs for your for your particular disabilityparticular disability

Discuss how Discuss how CURRENT the CURRENT the documentationdocumentation needs to be (some needs to be (some within 6 months, others within 3 within 6 months, others within 3 years - - years - - you are responsibleyou are responsible for for documentation NOT the college)documentation NOT the college)

Good Advocate knows: Good Advocate knows: Reasonable Accommodations –Reasonable Accommodations –

Reduce the impact of the disability on Reduce the impact of the disability on access to the educational environment, access to the educational environment, physical or educationalphysical or educational

Do not reduce the rigor of the academic Do not reduce the rigor of the academic programprogram

Do not change the graduation Do not change the graduation requirementsrequirements

Do not provide a service for free that others Do not provide a service for free that others have to pay to receivehave to pay to receive

Do not provide personal aides or tutorsDo not provide personal aides or tutors Do not provide free technology that others Do not provide free technology that others

have to pay to receivehave to pay to receive

Good Advocate knows: Good Advocate knows: Unreasonable Academic Unreasonable Academic AccommodationsAccommodations Free services that other students pay to Free services that other students pay to

receive ( tutoring, for example) receive ( tutoring, for example) Personal Aides for personal care or Personal Aides for personal care or

assistance with study or work outside the assistance with study or work outside the classroomclassroom

In general any request that changes the In general any request that changes the graduation or major requirements graduation or major requirements of the of the collegecollege

There are some colleges that There are some colleges that will consider will consider substitutionssubstitutions, but other colleges consider a , but other colleges consider a substitution a fundamental alteration of the substitution a fundamental alteration of the curriculum.curriculum.

Know the GRADUATION or major Know the GRADUATION or major requirements requirements before you apply.before you apply.

Good Advocate knows:Good Advocate knows:

Other requests that may be Other requests that may be unreasonableunreasonable Color code the important information in Color code the important information in

the text book FOR youthe text book FOR you Someone to keep you on task in the Someone to keep you on task in the

classroomclassroom Directions simplifiedDirections simplified Test questions explained or simplifiedTest questions explained or simplified Exemptions from general education Exemptions from general education

requirementsrequirements Door to door transportationDoor to door transportation

To be a good Advocate for To be a good Advocate for yourself you need to:yourself you need to: Know the Know the NAMENAME of your of your

DisabilityDisability How does your disability How does your disability impact impact

or limitor limit you in School? you in School? How does your disability How does your disability impact impact

or limitor limit you with on-campus you with on-campus housing?housing?

How does your disability How does your disability impact impact or limitor limit you in everyday life? you in everyday life?

What are the limitations of What are the limitations of YOUR disability? Example:YOUR disability? Example: YOU may have a Learning Disability YOU may have a Learning Disability

It:It: May slow down your reading speedMay slow down your reading speed May slow down how fast you get May slow down how fast you get

information in or out of your braininformation in or out of your brain May make it very difficult to listen to May make it very difficult to listen to

lecture AND take notes at the same timelecture AND take notes at the same time May prevent you from reading text May prevent you from reading text

books (reading vocabulary is low), but books (reading vocabulary is low), but you can understand what you hear.you can understand what you hear.

Learning Disability exampleLearning Disability example

Reading speed slow, processing Reading speed slow, processing speed slow speed slow

REASONABLE accommodation REASONABLE accommodation may be may be extra time on examsextra time on exams pacing your courses so you have pacing your courses so you have

fewer reading intense courses fewer reading intense courses each termeach term

Learning Disability cont.Learning Disability cont.

Can’t read the text book but can Can’t read the text book but can understand what you hearunderstand what you hear

REASONABLE academic REASONABLE academic accommodation may beaccommodation may be Electronic books so you can hear Electronic books so you can hear

your computer read the book to your computer read the book to you.you.

Books on tape from RFBDBooks on tape from RFBD Reader for examsReader for exams

Learning Disability Learning Disability

Can’t listen to lecture and take Can’t listen to lecture and take notes at the same timenotes at the same time

Reasonable academic Reasonable academic accommodation might beaccommodation might be Student note taker ORStudent note taker OR Copy of lecturers notes ORCopy of lecturers notes OR Use of a digital recorder to record Use of a digital recorder to record

the lecture the lecture

Physical Disability ExamplePhysical Disability Example

How does your physical How does your physical disability get in the way of your disability get in the way of your education?education? Mobility?Mobility? Opening doors?Opening doors? Stamina?Stamina? Fine motor control (hand writing)?Fine motor control (hand writing)?

Physical DisabilityPhysical Disability

MobilityMobility Reasonable accommodation may Reasonable accommodation may

include:include: Special HousingSpecial Housing Door openersDoor openers Elevators in buildingElevators in building Special parkingSpecial parking Reasonable paths to classesReasonable paths to classes Extra time between classes to give time Extra time between classes to give time

to move around campusto move around campus Accessible Washers and DryersAccessible Washers and Dryers

Physical DisabilityPhysical Disability

StaminaStamina Reasonable accommodations Reasonable accommodations

may include:may include: Reduce course loadReduce course load Extra time for examsExtra time for exams Customizing your schedule with Customizing your schedule with

one class in morning and one in one class in morning and one in afternoonafternoon

Physical DisabilityPhysical Disability

Fine motor controlFine motor control Reasonable accommodations Reasonable accommodations

may include:may include: Word processor for essay examsWord processor for essay exams Scribe for examsScribe for exams Person to bubble in scantron Person to bubble in scantron

exam answersexam answers

Your turn to play advocate:Your turn to play advocate:

What are the limitations a What are the limitations a person with these disabilities person with these disabilities might have?might have? Hearing impairedHearing impaired Visually impairedVisually impaired Attention deficit disorderAttention deficit disorder

What might be Reasonable What might be Reasonable accommodations for each?accommodations for each?

Did you suggest - - - Did you suggest - - -

Hearing impairedHearing impaired Notes?Notes? Sign language interpreter?Sign language interpreter? Hearing aid system that works Hearing aid system that works

with Audio in lecture area?with Audio in lecture area?

Did you suggest - - - Did you suggest - - -

Visually impairedVisually impaired Enlarged print for hand outsEnlarged print for hand outs Braille for handout or booksBraille for handout or books Auditory or electronic text booksAuditory or electronic text books Reader OR large print OR Braille Reader OR large print OR Braille

for exams for exams

Did you suggest - - ?Did you suggest - - ?

Attention deficit disorderAttention deficit disorder Less distracting testing Less distracting testing

environmentenvironment Extra time on exams to re-focusExtra time on exams to re-focus Special class schedule to have Special class schedule to have

classes during the part of the day classes during the part of the day when more likely to be focusedwhen more likely to be focused

Other Disabilities: know what you Other Disabilities: know what you have and how it impacts youhave and how it impacts you

Psychiatric or Emotional disabilitiesPsychiatric or Emotional disabilities Allergies that are limiting in nature Allergies that are limiting in nature

(allergic to wheat, peanuts, etc)(allergic to wheat, peanuts, etc) Medical disabilitiesMedical disabilities Chronic illnessesChronic illnesses Combinations of conditions (LD + Combinations of conditions (LD +

ADD, ADD + Anxiety)ADD, ADD + Anxiety) Recovery from drug or alcohol Recovery from drug or alcohol

dependencedependence Traumatic event syndromesTraumatic event syndromes

Final WordsFinal Words

Think about yourself carefullyThink about yourself carefully If you go away to schoolIf you go away to school

Can you clean your room?Can you clean your room? Can you do laundry?Can you do laundry? Can you get up and get to class on your Can you get up and get to class on your

own?own? Do you take showers and change your Do you take showers and change your

clothes on a regular basis?clothes on a regular basis? Remember medications on your own?Remember medications on your own? Remember to eat regular meals?Remember to eat regular meals?

Final Thoughts cont.Final Thoughts cont.

Deal with room mate issues?Deal with room mate issues? Can you study with out some one telling Can you study with out some one telling

you to study?you to study? Can you remember test dates and Can you remember test dates and

homework due dates with out constant homework due dates with out constant reminders?reminders?

You can be Academically qualified to You can be Academically qualified to be at College be at College BUT BUT you also need to you also need to have the self care and self have the self care and self motivation to succeed at college.motivation to succeed at college.