Smarter Admissions

Did you see our recent blog post about Understanding Disability Accommodations in College? If you’re a family who has a student for whom these accommodations are necessary, make sure you understand the expectations of college students in securing and communicating academic support needs.

Identifying Colleges with Strong Disability Services

If you are in the early stages of developing a college list, it is worthwhile to research disability services offices at the colleges you think you might want to attend. Depending on the types of accommodations you need, the schools on your initial list may or may not be a good fit for you. You might be surprised that the size and prestige of a school do not correlate with whether it has a robust program of student support services.

To support your brainstorming, I would encourage students to use the free quiz on College Web LD. This “success survey” will determine a set of guidelines that can shape college list building based on student responses. It links to over 400 colleges with robust disability services offices.

The Davidson Institute has a helpful resource for students to help them learn about different kinds of colleges. Because neurodiversity means a student’s brain works differently, maybe a college with an atypical pedagogy would be a good fit. These cool college programs are different from the norm, but they may spark something in a student that gets them to do more research about a school or program they never knew existed.

Family Support Resources

Because asynchronous development is a hallmark of 2e students, parents may have greater worries about the social/emotional aspects of sending their child to college than academic ones. As such, I think it could be beneficial to offer the students executive function and life skills support resources. One of my favorite such books is Judith Lythcott-Haims book How to Raise an Adult. In this book the author provides a fantastic checklist for life skills teens should be able to accomplish on their own. From doing laundry to making a doctor’s appointment to getting a haircut, these skills will help students function independently at college.

Elizabeth Hamblett’s book 7 Steps to College Success: A Pathway for Students with Disabilities would be an excellent resource for parents. This book is well written and easy to read, yet it’s packed with clear steps and further resources (if needed).

The resources provided in the College Bound Transition Curriculum by Eastern Carolina University’s STEPP program are also fantastic. In the program designed for families, parents and students can together work through eight modules that address  areas of change in the high school to college transition. While not every module will be applicable to every student, this incredibly robust resource is an organized, user-friendly way for students to learn about what going to college really entails.

The Realities of FERPA

The Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) legislates access to student records. For parents who have been deeply involved in managing their child’s high school years, know that this right ends when your child turns 18. This means that even though you are the one paying for college, you have no right to access your child’s grades or intervene in their accommodations.

Having a discussion with your child now about expectations for your involvement while they are at college is a way to address FERPA before an acute situation arises. Waiving FERPA rights can be an option for some students, but discussing this before going to college is good for all parties. Being proactive can help keep communication open– and it also lets your child know you believe in their ability to handle the college environment.

Study Smarter’s college consulting team is here to help. We are passionate about helping students with disabilities build a college list of schools where they will thrive.