{"id":201702,"date":"2017-07-26T12:47:13","date_gmt":"2017-07-26T16:47:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=201702"},"modified":"2023-07-24T12:56:40","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T16:56:40","slug":"helping-your-student-with-disabilities-prepare-for-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2017\/07\/helping-your-student-with-disabilities-prepare-for-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping Your Student With Disabilities Prepare for the Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s Note: Joseph Madaus, associate dean for academic affairs, pens this piece\u00a0originally published on\u00a0The Conversation<\/a>. Read the\u00a0original article<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"Blind
(Credit: XiXinXing via Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Summer is a busy time for high school juniors. They\u2019re getting ready to say goodbye to school as they know it and they\u2019re researching colleges, visiting campuses and trying to figure out what college fits their needs.<\/p>\n

Planning is an important part of this process, but for parents and guardians of students with disabilities, this is especially true.<\/p>\n

As a professor and researcher in special education, I\u2019ve worked with many students with disabilities transitioning to college. The ones who are typically most successful after high school are the ones who were prepared to be strong self-advocates, who could seek out needed services and supports, and who could manage the multiple demands of being independent.<\/p>\n

These are all skills that can \u2013 and should \u2013 be taught at the middle and high school level. Whether it\u2019s understanding your child\u2019s disability and legal rights or figuring out what accommodations and study habits work best, preparation is key.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it\u2019s understanding your child\u2019s disability and legal rights or figuring out what accommodations and study habits work best, preparation is key.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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A wide range of disabilities on college campuses
\n<\/strong>According to a 2016 report by the United States Department of Education, approximately\u00a011 percent of all undergraduates<\/a>\u00a0report having a disability \u2013 up from 6 percent almost two decades prior. Since nearly two-thirds of all students who received special education services in high school did not self-disclose their disability to a college, the actual number of students with disabilities on campuses is likely much higher.<\/p>\n

Most of these students have what are often called \u201cnonvisible\u201d disabilities, including learning disabilities, attention deficit\/hyperactivity disorder and, increasingly, mental health disorders such as\u00a0anxiety or depression<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Students with\u00a0autism spectrum disorders<\/a>\u00a0are also more often attending college than a decade ago. And on some campuses, programs are emerging for students with\u00a0intellectual disabilities<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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A change in legal status
\n<\/strong>Many of these students receive special education services during some (or all) of their kindergarten through 12th grade school years.<\/p>\n

For many, these services are provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA<\/a>). The IDEA requires a free and appropriate education, in the least restrictive environment, that meets the individual needs of students. A team of professionals work with the student\u2019s family or guardians to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The IEP outlines the student\u2019s strengths and needs, sets annual goals and determines what modifications might be required to help the student meet those goals.<\/p>\n

\"Joseph
Students with disabilities transitioning to college who are typically most successful after high school are those who were prepared to be strong self-advocates, says Joseph Madaus, associate dean for academic affairs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Other students with disabilities don\u2019t need IDEA. They qualify for services under\u00a0Subpart D<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0Section 504<\/a>\u00a0of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which is a civil rights law (not a special education law) that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.<\/p>\n

However, in both of these cases, services end at graduation. Special education services and individualized support and instruction required by the IDEA are not available in college.<\/p>\n

At the college level, students with disabilities may be covered under a different part of the Rehabilitation Act. (Subpart D of Section 504 covers K-12, while\u00a0Subpart E<\/a>\u00a0covers post-secondary.) Subpart E protects college students with disabilities against discrimination and requires that they be provided equal access to all aspects of the academic program and facilities \u2013 provided that the student gains admission into college and maintains eligibility to remain enrolled, without consideration of their disability.<\/p>\n

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If admitted, and if the student would like to receive accommodations, they must seek out disability services and provide the college with required information about the nature of the disability and how it impacts access to the physical environment or to learning. Often called \u201cdocumentation<\/a>,\u201d the specific requirements vary based upon disability type and, often, the college that the student attends.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to note that it\u2019s the\u00a0student\u2019s choice<\/a>\u00a0to seek out and to use services at the college level. But it\u2019s also important to know that students must self-identify as having a disability or else they\u2019re not eligible for services \u2013 the college does not need to seek students out.<\/p>\n

How families can prepare
\n<\/strong>There are several things that families can do to get ready for life after high school. The list below is by no means exhaustive. Each student with a disability has unique needs and questions that should be addressed.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

In general, however, students and their families should:<\/p>\n