The College Process for Students with Special Needs

Your Presenters

• Mrs. Kim Herwerth School Counselor at GHS

• Dr. Blair Jensen School Psychologist at GHS

Overview of Presentation

• Differences between services in high school and college

• Examples of services available in college; different colleges offer a range of different types of student support programs and services

• Characteristics that college admission staff are looking for in LD/ADD applicants

• Parents’ role in preparing their child for college

• The school’s role in preparing the student for college

• Parents’ role in the application process

• The school’s role in the application process

Overview of Roles

School Counseling Office

The role of the school counselors in preparing your child for collegeGrade 9Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12

Grade 9

Transition to High School

Part II

Grade 9• Academic monitoring• Solid schedule including

college prep courses• Encourage extracurricular

activities• High school transcript

information• Planning for next school year

with courses and credits• Promote student self

advocacy• Close contact with case

manager

Grade 10

Continued reinforcement of importance of:• Academic performance• Accruing credits• Increasing self advocacy skills in managing

school challenges • Extracurricular participation

CAPT test/Science only

• State test used to show mastery of local performance objectives needed for graduation

Grade 10 College Planning

PSAT• Fall practice test for SAT Reasoning Test• Registration information is reviewed with

students in classroom setting prior to test date

Individual career/ personality/interest inventories offered to students

Students are encouraged to attend the Fall College Fair

Grade 11Beginning to Focus on

Postsecondary Planning

Focus on General Post Secondary Planning

• PSAT’s in fall• Fall College/Career Fair• Junior Mini Groups• Individual career/interest inventories• Computer searches in Career Resources

Room in spring• Spring Junior Parent meetings

Group and individual

Grade 11-Postsecondary Planning

• Consideration of anticipated level of support needed at college level

• Research/Contact college learning services departments

• Visits to schools• Disclosure consideration• Appropriate documentation

(Psych educational Eval, medical report, Physician’s note, IEP, 504 Plan, SOP

Section 504 and Special Education Students

College Center for Academic Support

Grade 12

Post-Secondary Transition Plan

Post Secondary Planning for Section 504 and Special education

Students

• Possible updated psych educational evaluations being completed

• Revisit disclosure issue• Continue to communicate with college

learning service staff/forwarding of required information

• College visits• Review of support resources (ex/BRS)

Goals for Successful Post Secondary Transition :

1. Student to develop/maintain good academic habits

2. Student to practice good self advocacy skills

3. Student and families to use supports to put in place a post-secondary plan

Team of student, parent(s) and school staff

Services & Accommodations

High School vs. College Services

College Services

• The law governing services and accommodations for college falls under Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act, not IDEA (the laws governing special education preK-12)

• Section 504 states that accommodations must be made but does not specify that services must be provided

• Services will vary amongst colleges and there may be an extra fee involved

College ServicesProvided on case by case basis from

updated testingExtended time for testingPreferential seatingTape recorders allowed but a note taker is

preferredReader/Scribe for examsAccessible classroomsUse of Adaptive equipmentAssistive technology-e.g. MCC

College Services

Accommodations that are available at the high school level may not be available at the college levele.g. Word banks, study guides, positive

reinforcement

Professors will not modify only accommodate

College Services

Examples of Different Schools’ Programs

Manchester Community College• No fee involved• Will help student with

developing self advocacy in securing accomodations and with problem situations

• Requires student to self-advocate and take initiative

• Will meet regularly with student and give student ideas and steps to work on

• Must be student initiated

Mitchell College Mitchell College

• Fee for service• Levels of service available• Will arrange meetings with

your child up to 4 times/week to develop study skills and self-advocacy

• Additional cost above tuition of up to $6500+

• Student initiated support (designed to be less intensive) has no fee

College admissions staff expect all students to be:

• Highly motivated to go to college and high school info demonstrates motivation

• Sufficient academic background and have the college prep classes needed

• To work hard, use supports, attend all classes, and go the extra mile if needed

College admissions staff expect special needs students:

• Understand his/her disability and uses strategies to compensate for it

• Meet deadlines independently-no late assignments in college-(will not be a modification available)

• Accept and seek help from disability office-greater need to self advocate

High School Classes Needed for College

4 years of English3 years of math to include

Algebra 1 & 2, Geometry2 years of science-at least

one lab course2 years social science-

(we require 3 social science)

2 years foreign language

Parents’ Role in Preparing Their Child for College

• Expect your child to be a more independent student as he or she progresses through high school

• Expect student to complete homework regularly with increasing independence

• Encourage your child to manage as rigorous a college prep course load as he/ she can handle

• Encourage your child to have activities in high school both to promote his/her well being and to have on activity list for college

Parents’ role for special needs students

• Understand how your child’s disability impacts his or her learning

• Start the process of putting together your child’s disability documentation packet early – 9th grade (transition file)

• Keep copies of report cards, PPT forms; 504 Plans, letter of accommodations received on SAT

The School’s Role in Preparing Special Education Students for

Transition

• Incorporated in the curriculum Students can be recommended for 2 classes

through the special ed department called Strategies for Success 1 & 2 and/or Academic Assistance that include explanation of their disabilities, strategies to compensate and self advocacy skills

• Expect increasing independence and self advocacy from students as they progress through high school

• Reduce unnecessary modifications• Provide as rigorous a curriculum as the student

can manage with increasing independence

Parents’ Role in the College Planning Process

• Research the services that colleges provide for their special needs students

• Visit schools with your child• Help them with applications• Attend junior parent meeting in spring

The School’s Role in the College Process

Two general things to know:• School will assist with college planning

meetings for all students• School will provide more support with college

search and application process for special education/504 students who need it

Accommodations for SAT’s and College

• Update testing for accommodation eligibility • Assist with extra time for SAT’s for those who

qualify • SAT sets their own standards that are more

rigorous than Connecticut sets for schools• Receipt of accommodations on SAT’s does not

automatically qualify as proof of evidence for college level accommodations

Who Will Qualify for SAT Accommodations?

• On current testing, student must still show evidence of a processing speed deficit as well as an impact in a specific academic area.

• Must use extended time at least 50% of the time in academic classes

Books in Career Counseling Office

• The K& W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities or Attention Deficit Disorder

• Colleges with Programs for Students with Learning Disabilities or Attention Deficit Disorder

• Job Search Handbook for People with Disabilities• Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities or ADD• The College Sourcebook for Students with Learning

and Developmental Differences

Useful Websites• http://www.collegeboard.com/ssd/student/index.html

– Website for the company that runs the SAT’s and ACT’s and how they provide accommodations for students with disabilities.

• . www.ed.gov/ocr/transition.html – Government website that explains the rights of students with disabilities in applying for

and attending college• www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/postsecondary

– LD Online: The leading Web site on learning disabilitiesfor parents, teachers, and other professionals

– Website on how to select a college, self-advocacy, assistive technology, success strategies

• http://www.ucp.org/ucp_channeldoc.cfm/1/12/69/69-69/4509– Website published by United Cerebral Palsy National

• http://www.ncld.org/content/view/1019/389/– Website published by the National Center for Learning Disabilities– Many internet links to other resources in this article– http://www.greatschools.net/LD/school-learning/resources-for-college-for-students.gs?co

ntent=798– Website LD/ AD/HD/Resources for College– http://www.collegeautismspectrum.com/students.html– Website for Autism spectrum– http://www.aspfi.org/college/– Website Asperger Syndrome, College Resource Guide

Examples of college websites for students with disabilities

• University of Connecticut- http://www.csd.uconn.edu/• Southern Connecticut State University-

http://www.southernct.edu/drc/• Manchester Community College-

http://www.mcc.commnet.edu/students/resources/csd/special.php

• Mitchell College-• http://community.mitchell.edu/page.aspx?pid=496• Roger Williams University-

http://www.rwu.edu/academics/centers/cad/dss/

Questions?