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ElizabethC.Hamblet

CollegeDisabilityServicesDirectorsOfferAdviceforParents

Jan23 5minread

Bythetimetheirchildisnearingtheendofhighschool,manyparentsofstudentswithlearningdisabilitiesorADHDhavespentyearsbeingveryinvolvedintheirchild’seducation,advocatingfortheirneedsandsupportingthemathome.Asstudentsmovethroughhighschool,however,studentswhowanttomoveontothecollegeenvironmentneedtodevelopalevelofindependenceandself-advocacyinordertobeprepared.Forsomeparents,thismaymeanshiftingtheirapproach.WhenIwasdevelopingmybook,FromHighSchoolToCollege:StepstoSuccessforStudentswithDisabilities,Iaskedcollegedisabilityservicesdirectorshowcanparentscouldbesthelptheirstudenttoprepareforsuccessfultransitiontocollege.Inthisbonuscontentnotincludedinthebook,theyprovidedadvice.

WardNewmeyerisDirectorofStudentDisabilityServicesatDartmouthCollege.Fosterindependence,self-sufficiency,andresponsibility.Letyouroffspring,whoistransitioningintoadulthood,learnfromexperience,includingtheconsequencesofone’sactionsorinaction.Refrainfrompressuringcourseandmajorselection;allowyouroffspringtoexploreintellectually.Thisisnoteasy,andperhapsnotsopracticalsometimes,butIhaveseentoomanyawfulconsequencesofstudents’toilingoversubjectstheydonot

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enjoytomeetothers’expectations.

StaceyReycraftisDirectorofStudentDisabilityServicesattheUniversityofMississippi.Assomeonewhoparentedachildwithadisabilitythroughhighschoolandintocollegeandadulthood,Iunderstandtheanxietyandfearinvolvedinsendingourstudentofftocollege.Wewantthemtohavethebestexperiencepossibleandtosucceedacademically.Wehavebeensoworriedforsolongabouttheirhappinessandwell-beingthatthisbecomesourdefaultemotion.Itisextremelydifficulttoletthemgo.Wehavetounderstand,though,thatcollegeissupposedtobeachallenge,academicallyandsocially.Thisiswhenstudentslearntheskillsthatwillfollowthemintoadulthoodandbeyond.Ashardasitis,wehavetostepbackandallowthemtoexperiencenotjustthesuccessesbutalsothefailuresofgrowingup.Thereisalotoflearningthathappenswhenwefailandwedoadisservicetoouradultstudentswhenwedoeverythinginourpowertoprotectthemfromfailure.Asparents,wehavetotakeadeepbreathandtrustthatwedidagoodjobraisingthemandthatdiscomfort,disappointmentanddifficultlessonsareavitalpartofthegrowingprocess.

BonniAlpertisAssistantDeanatWesternNewEnglandUniversity.Parentsshouldhelptheirstudentlearnabouthis/herdisabilityandwhatitsimpactis.Theyshouldhelpthemlearnhowtoassesswhatworksandwhatdoesn’twithregardtostudyandorganizationstrategies.Andtheyshouldteachtheirstudenthowtodothingsforhim/herselfratherthandoingeverythingforhim/her.Forinstance,ifthestudentneedsassistance,parentscanconstructemailtheirstudentcanuseasatemplatetoemailteachersandcanroleplaywiththestudentwhats/hewillsaywhentalkingtoteacherswhentheyseekassistance.Finally,parentscanhelptheirstudentlearnwhathis/herrightsare,gainunderstandingofhim/herself,andinformtheirstudentthatservicesatcollegearefocusedonprovidingaccess,notsuccess.

CindyPoore-PariseauisCoordinatorofDisabilityServicesatBristolCommunityCollegeinFallRiver,Massachusetts.Bysenioryearofhighschool,studentsshouldbereadytoself-advocate,whichmeansthatparentsneedtostopdoingthingsforthematsomepointinhighschool.Whenstudentscomeintospeaktomeattheirintakemeeting,theyshouldknowhowtospeaksimplyabouttheirdisability;theyshouldnotneedtolookattheirparentstoprovideanswersforthem.Themorestudentsknowaboutthemselves,thebetterIcanhelpthem.Parentsshouldnot“shield”studentsfromdevelopinganunderstandingoftheirdisability(thoughanyconversationshouldalsoemphasizetheirstrengths,too).Asstudentsmovethroughhighschool,parentsshouldprovidescaffoldingatthebeginningbutpullawaysupportsastheygoalong.Studentsneedtobeabletohandlecertainthingsbythemselves,includingarticulatingtheirneeds.

L.ScottLissneristheADACoordinatoratOhioStateUniversityMyadviceislikelytosoundprettytypical–ifyouarenotplanningtomoveintothedormwithyoursonordaughteryouneedtoletthemtaketheleadwiththedisabilityservicesoffice.

JamieAxelrodistheDirectorofDisabilityResourcesatNorthernArizonaUniversityWheninvestigatingschools,researchdisabilityofficesearlytogetasmuchinformationasyoucanaboutaccommodationsandservices,andalsoinquireabouttypesofacademicsupportavailableoncampus.Findouthowstudentscangetconnectedwiththeseserviceswhentheyarriveoncampus.

MaiGravesisDirectoroftheDisabilityResourceCenter(DRC)atPrattInstituteParentsshouldletstudentstakemoreresponsibilityforeverydayresponsibilities,suchasself-care(e.g.,gettingenoughsleepandnotpullingall-nighters,eatingregular,nutritiousmeals,limitingsugar),laundry,timemanagement,organization,prescriptionrenewal,communicatingwithteachers,etc.Inordertomakesurethey’remakingprogresswiththeseskills,parentscanaskstudentstocheckinwiththemoracounseloronaweeklybasis.Theyshouldgivetheirstudentasenseof“bestpractices”forsomeonelivingonhis/herown.Parentsalsoneedtomakesurethattheirstudentunderstandstheirdisabilityandhowitaffectstheirfunctioning.Ifstudentshavebeentestedatsomepointduringhighschool,parentscanaskthepersonwhodidthetestingandaskhim/hertoreviewitwiththeirstudent.Ifstudentshavenotbeentestedthatrecently,they’lllikelyneednewtesting,andparentsshouldmakesurethatthepersonwhodoesitdiscussesitwithhim/her.Studentsneedtoknowtheirownlearningandpersonalstrengthsandweaknesses.Parentscanalsohelpstudentsmakeaplanforwhatkindsofsupportsthey’llseek.Studentsneedthisknowledgesothattheycanself-advocate.Parentsshouldscalebacktheirinteractionswithteachersandcasemanagersbythetimetheirstudentisaseniorandletthestudentlearntospeakforhim/herself.

Thedisabilityaccommodationsystematcollegeworksverydifferentlythanitdoesinhighschool.Studentshavetoregister-staffdoesnotcomelookingforthem.Andaccommodationsandsupportsaredifferentinthecollegesetting,wherethereislessstructure.Learnwhattheresearchsayshelpsmakestudentswithdisabilitiessuccessfulatcollege,andmore.ReadFromHighSchooltoCollege:StepstoSuccessforStudentswithDisabilities,availablefromAmazonandfromthepublisher.(Lookinsidethebookhere.)Subscribetomyblogformoreupdates.

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