Parent's Guide to College for Students with Disabilities
Test your knowledge:
Differences between High School and Post Secondary Education
- Services are delivered to the student - High School
- Student must seek out services – Post-Secondary Education
- Academic adjustments/ special education services– High School
- Accommodations are based on situational/functional limitations – Post-Secondary Education
- Special Education professionals/ parents can act as advocate – High School
- Student acts as advocate - Post-Secondary Education
- Annual review & IEP – High School
- No annual review or IEP - Post-Secondary Education
- Regular parent contact – Definitely High School
- No parent contact - Post-Secondary Education
- Entitlement to Education law (IDEA) – High School
- Anti-discrimination law (ADA) - Post-Secondary Education
About Post-Secondary Education
There are no IEP’s or mandated team meetings
Your child must request services and ask for accommodations.
(Your child is considered a responsible adult by the university faculty and staff.)
Responsibilities include but not limited to:
- Wake up independently
- Attend classes and be on time
- Submit papers / projects on time
- Arrange for tutoring and support services
- Identify as an individual with a disability
- Make an appointment with the Office of Disability Services
- Pick up and give letters of accommodations to professors every semester
- Ask for accommodations
ASK Your Child: Are you ready to assume these responsibilities?
If not, what does your child have to do to prepare for these responsibilities ?
Self-Advocacy is the responsibility of the student
In order to self-advocate, the student needs to know the following:
- What is in his/ her documentation?
- What is her/ his diagnosis?
- What are his / her functional limitations?
- What are his/ her learning strengths and weaknesses?
- What accommodations worked well in the past?
Your child needs to know the answers to all these questions in order to be an effective self-advocate.
College Checklist for Parents and Students
- We believe college is important and that there is a clearly defined goal.
- We have had a meeting with the IEP and transition team and have the supporting documentation to receive services in post-secondary education.
- We have read the documentation and can answer all the questions under self-advocacy.
- We have discussed responsibility and we are prepared to be responsible for our own behaviors.
- We have read the policy and procedures for obtaining disability services.
- We are aware of the various assistive technologies that may assist in accessing education.
Further Information:
Letter to Parents from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR)
Procedure to Request Services
Self Disclosure and Request Form
