In my last piece, I discussed a parent’s role in their twice-exceptional child’s transition to post-secondary education. In this piece, I focus on actions that students can take to have an academically and socially successful transition to college.
The number of students with learning disabilities (LD) attending universities has tripled over the past 30 years, according to a study by Cole and Cawthon (2015). This has led to a significant increase in awareness among faculty and staff at the post-secondary level.
Findings from a research study by Denhart (2008) help to frame the remainder of this article. Denhart conducted a qualitative study that examined the experiences of college students with learning disabilities and identified three common barriers experienced by the participants:
- Insecurity about utilizing academic accommodations because of social stigmas
- Apprehension of being misunderstood by faculty
- Belief that they had to work harder and longer than their non-labeled peers
How do post-secondary students overcome these barriers? As a twice-exceptional learner myself, I offer the following suggestions:
Utilize Academic Accommodations Provided by the College or University’s Disability Center
LD services help individuals with learning challenges overcome academic barriers. College students with learning disabilities form a support network (including a faculty advisor, peer tutors, etc.) on campus that become the students’ “academic team” and will assist them throughout their entire college experience.
Visit the Campus and Set Meetings Prior to Starting College Full Time
Students can meet with representatives from the disability services center. It helps to have academic accommodations in place when the semester begins. Students should also meet with faculty or staff advisors — and find out about any additional academic resources the campus has to offer such as peer tutoring, review sessions, and writing and math assistance.
A student’s academic team serves as a parachute. If a student begins to falter in a class, the parachute is in place to open and ease their landing. If the academic team is not in place when the student leaps into college, any challenges could cause an avoidable fall.
Examine Special-Education Services and Laws
Investigate those laws that govern what has to be provided to the student, because they vary between high school and college. In primary and secondary public schools, students identified as learning disabled receive special education services under IDEA or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Subpart D (Madaus & Shaw, 2004). Post-secondary institutions that benefit from federal financial assistance are also mandated to follow Subpart E of this same law.
The two Subparts have areas that overlap, but it is more important to understand the differences. For instance, Subpart E does not require postsecondary institutions to identify students with disabilities who may be in need of services (Madaus & Shaw, 2004). It is the student’s responsibility to self-identify to their school and work with them to set up accommodations.
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]A student’s academic team serves as a parachute. If a student begins to falter in a class, the parachute is in place to open and ease their landing.[/perfectpullquote]
Another difference relates to providing documentation. Subpart D (primary and secondary schools) states that “school districts are responsible for providing a comprehensive evaluation of the students need and for assuming the costs for such evaluation.” Subpart E (post-secondary) does not include any discussion of assessment, as “the burden of providing current and comprehensive documentation of the disabling condition falls on the student. This may include assuming the financial responsibility for obtaining or updating such documentation” (Madaus & Shaw, 2004). Students or their parents should request that all assessment documentation be updated prior to graduating from high school.
Utilize the Academic Team in Communicating with Faculty Regarding the LD
All 2e students have experienced being misunderstood at one point or another, and many of us have encountered those who equate having a disability to not being as academically capable as non-labeled peers. Denhart’s study found that “10 of 11 informants spoke of being misunderstood by faculty.” I struggled with what to tell my professors about my learning disability. How many people should I tell? Will their impression of my academic abilities change if they know I have a learning disability? I encourage students to consider how they want to discuss their exceptionalities with faculty and peers.
I don’t believe there is one “correct” way to handle these social situations, but it is worth it for the student to consider what they are comfortable discussing. Many individuals going to college (myself included) have been with the same group of peers in school for at least four years, if not longer. There is a certain level of comfort among this group, as they probably know that about the learning difference, accept it, and don’t need to inquire about it.
This will most likely change at college. Some may ask why the student takes tests elsewhere. They may also ask why the student has a smart-pen or why she records lectures. These questions are generally not intended to offend, as I have found that most people who ask are genuinely curious. The student
can use these questions as an opportunity to educate people about learning differences. Later in my educational career, I found that having a short, pre-scripted response helped ease my anxiety when people asked about my LD or services I received related to my LD.
Consider How the Learning Difference May Impact Course Performance
When talking with faculty, students should use the potential impact of their LD as a basis for discussion. For example, there is a very important difference between saying “the exams are hard for me” and “because of my reading disability, I struggle to comprehend the questions on the exam, and worry that my grade will not reflect my effort or how much I learned in the course and prepared for the exam.”
The second statement communicates a very different message than the first and will begin a more productive dialogue with the professor. Students should discuss their LD with each professor every semester (that might be as many as 10 new people a year), including a focus on strengths and weaknesses. For example, if the student struggles with multiple-choice exams and that is the major assessment method in the class, discuss how another form of assessment might be used.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]I found that having a short, pre-scripted response helped ease my anxiety when people asked about my LD or services I received related to my LD.[/perfectpullquote]
Another barrier experienced by individuals with LD in college was having to work harder than their non-labeled peers. I disagree that is a barrier, and instead challenge students to
think of all the hours of work as empowering. Of course, it is frustrating when non-labeled peers study less (or not at all) and do better on exams. However, I can genuinely say that I learned much more in college because I had to study so much. The study skills and work ethic that I developed in high school, college, and graduate school is something of which I am proud, as these attributes help me succeed every day in my professional life.
Know Which Strategies Work
When I went to college, many of my friends wanted to study for exams as a group. This ended up turning into a more of a social hour, and after this type of studying, my friends would go take the exams and get pretty decent grades, and I would take them and get D’s or even fail. I learned quickly that I needed to study either in a quiet location by myself or by having someone quiz me. I found that the campus library had a basement study section that not many people knew about. It was quiet, secluded, and there was not a lot around to distract me. I spent hundreds if not thousands of hours in study cubbies there.
I understand that change and the unknown can be intimidating and anxiety provoking. There is a security in familiar settings, routines, and people. I am writing these pieces on transition to encourage students to think about their future academic settings. Consider what academic habits can be replicated from high school, and also think about what new behaviors can be incorporated into routines and adapted to new surroundings. I have found that if I mentally prepare and think about change, it is less scary, and I am more willing and able to follow through with new actions.
References:
Cole, E. V., & Cawthon, S. W. (2015). Self-Disclosure Decisions of University Students with Learning Disabilities.
Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability,28(2), 163-179. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
Denhart, H. (2008). Deconstructing barriers: Perceptions of students labeled with learning disabilities in higher education.
Journal of Learning Disabilities, 41, 483-498
Madaus, Joseph., & Shaw, Stan. (2004). Section 504: Differences for Secondary and Postsecondary Education.
Intervention in School and Clinic, 40(2), 81-87.
