DoveofPeace

"A generation of students accustomed to receiving help for special learning needs is entering college. The percentage of students identified with learning disabilities who graduate from high school and go on to four-year colleges jumped from one in 100 in 1987 to about one in nine last year. And those who go on to any kind of post-secondary education went from a third to almost three-quarters by 2003. But some are finding that the transition isn't easy.

Many students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia or memory troubles have had years of education shaped by intense parental support, involved teachers and legally mandated school safety nets. And many colleges, including American University and Montgomery College, have programs to assist students with the transition.

But what colleges must do is far less defined legally, and professors and administrators at some schools seem to remain skeptical about the needs that students might have. Schools must provide assistance to students, but only if the students disclose their disabilities...."
Bumps Abound When Students Become Their Own Advocates - washingtonpost.com

MamaDrama

The very fact that so many students with disabilities are even looking at college fills me with so much joy. Of course there are issues to be ironed out, but the very fact that it is becoming a mainstream topic.

I, for one, have been teaching my HS freshman D from day 1 to learn to advocate for herself. I step in if it gets really ugly or involves legalese but most of the day to day stuff she takes care of on her own.

colly

In part I think the jump is due to overdiagnosis. Yes, there are kids who have learning disabilities that stop them from doing work, but there are also lots of kids who have been diagnosed with one "syndrome" or another...it's like if you're not a straight-A kid, there must be something actually wrong in your head. I know kids in my school who get extra time on tests and deserve it, but I know a lot of kids who get extra time and go for organization help who are just plain lazy, or their parents are demanding it because they think their B and C kids have a "syndrome"...they need a kick in the butt to get back into reality.

nocousin

Thanks for this thread. We need MORE help in this regard. These kids are not stupid or lazy. They just have issues with organization, sometimes motivation, and otherwise slower to mature. They can get there, they just need a little extra help sometimes.

Other alternatives are ROTC programs as the structure and discipline of that seems to help some.

shawbridge

colly, overdiagnosis surely exists and especially last minute "my kid needs accommodations for the SATs" parents can purchase neuropsychological opinions. I suspect that the overdiagnosis is most prevalent in the upper ten or twenty percent of the income distribution, in which well-educated parents deal with relatively well-funded schools. However, I suspect that more kids disabilities went undiagnosed and continue to go undiagnosed than are overdiagnosed. This would be very likely in the bottom 30% of the income distribution, in which frequently less-educated parents don't have the tools to deal with under-funded schools. And even in the middle of the income distribution, I think the experience is likely to be kids having problems and the schools don't want to identify these problems with learning disabilities because they don't have the money or staff to handle them. If you go on the bulletin boards of sites for parents of kids with LDs, you'll see a constant fight to get the school to pay for testing (even though they are typically legally required to), to diagnose an LD (even though the data is pretty clear), and to offer any kinds of meaningful treatment.

But even at the higher end, Special Ed requirements are federally mandated but educational funding comes from local property taxes and some state taxes. Thus, additional SpEd money feels like it comes straight from regular education. In my relatively affluent town, I paid for private testing recommended by my neuropsychologist sister that showed stunning evidence that my son had an LD. Yet, the school first decided that although there were potential issues, they were not impacting his academic progress -- despite the fact that he couldn't read at all in 2nd grade, he was somehow at grade level. Over the course of the year, talking with the head of SpEd for the district plus the principal of the school and offering to pay for the service myself (which they couldn't accept), I was able to persuade them to accept the obvious years before they would otherwise have done so. We know parents less capable of dealing with the school system who never had diagnoses accepted (and this is one of the top school systems in our state in a fairly affluent community). Procedures aren't followed; decisions are deferred to subsequent years, etc. [All of this reduces the school district's financial liability]. People in our town seemed to be impressed that my son has received all of the support that he has, because they know many other stories of kids who haven't. For each kid who needs a kick in the butt, there are probably two or three whose uneven or poor performance results from undiagnosed learning disabilities.

bessie

As a parent who has dealt with situations as described above, I cannot imagine many parents who would choose to go through this (or to put their kids through it) when a simple "butt-kicking" would clear things up. It cost our family financially (for diagnosis and treatment), worry, and time, among other things. Our family life was impacted daily by having to consider whether we could take a vacation or even go out to dinner knowing that any hours away from homework time might end up hurting our kids academically. Our kids had to deal with teachers who thought they were lazy or disorganized because their LD wasn't (obviously) severe and they were smart enough to be successful. Also, kids who have LD's and are good kids (compliant, polite, happy) are seen to be able to control their behavior so teachers expect them to be able to control their LD right out of existence. I feel sorry for families who do not have the financial resources and backbone to help their children through those k-12 years.

tenisghs

I am happy to hear about this topic. Does anyone know of special needs students with math disabilities (i.e. dycalculia ??) applying to college? How well do they perform in college?

Topolover

In some cases satisfying the school is nearly impossible. They set up their own standards of how you prove a disability. I have hundreds of pages of medical records going back to the mid-eighties, more doctors than you an shake a stick at, but some schools still prefer that I see a doctor of their choosing at my expense to verify IF I need an accommodation or not.

pmrlcomm

Thanks for posting northstarmom...

littlegreenmom

I am currently working with a senior with ADHD and a mom who is in denial over this young man's capabilities. I think he can do so much more - with less handholding of parents who have done everything for him. Unfortunately, they have compiled a college list that is not only out of range with his needs and abilities, but also the schools that he can get into. My suggestions seem lost on this family.

Although he has improved much, he needs more time and a program that allows him a level of independence, but also success. Thanks for posting this article, DoveofPeace. I will share it with my student and his family.

csleslie51

Does anyone have a follow up for after college (i.e. What happens when special needs learners look for a job?) ADA aside, how much is a future employer expected to accommodate these students?

littlegreenmom

That is a great question. Unless it is a defined disability, I doubt that any employer is required to give special accommodations.

I can envision a world with kids with processing disorders who attempt to get jobs and ask for extra time to complete projects. How far would that go?

emeraldkity4

my daughter and her roommate senior year in college both have challenges that impacted their schooling and their daily lives. However they are both employed in fields and jobs that value what they can do- more than what they can't.
Nice thing about jobs- many places are more interested in your performance & will do what is needed to support that performance ( within reason)
Small Employers And Reasonable Accommodation
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires an employer with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities, unless it would cause undue hardship. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way a job is performed that enables a person with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities. There are three categories of "reasonable accommodations":

changes to a job application process
changes to the work environment, or to the way a job is usually done
changes that enable an employee with a disability to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment (such as access to training).

littlegreenmom

emeraldkity,

I haven't read the list of disabilities that are covered at ADA. Just wondering - dyslexia, ADHD, processing disorders - how do those fare with ADA?

My sister works for a school district that has been out of compliance with her physical disability. She threatened to sue to get the appropriate accommodations. They moved her instead to a school site that would offer her the working environment she needed. She was happy that they finally honored her request - 3 years after the fact.

emeraldkity4

the definition is pretty broad.
ENFORCEMENT GUIDANCE: REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION AND UNDUE HARDSHIP UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT