Post-Secondary Education for Students with Disabilities

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Post-Secondary Education for Students with
Disabilities

• February 27, 2009
• Students with Learning Disorders Early
  Identification Promotes Successful College
  Transition
• Regents Center for Learning Disorders
• Beverly Sermons, Ed.D.
• Nancy Larkin Reed, Ph.D.

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Topics

• What do students/parents need to do to prepare
  for the transition to the post-secondary setting?
• Whats different at the postsecondary level?
• What is the role of the Regents Centers in
  serving students with learning disorders?
• How and when can students access Regents Center
  for Learning Disorders services?
• What are the Board of Regents criteria for
  documenting learning disorders (ADHD, LD, ABI,
  and psychological disorder), and what is the
  rationale?
• How are accommodations, including assistive
  technology, determined?
• How is the Alternative Media Access Center
  affecting how accommodations, including assistive
  technology, are determined?

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Preparing Students to Transition to the
Board of Regents System
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The Official Guide for Parents, Teachers,
Students, School Counselors, and Psychologists
www.gsu.edu/rcld/BORWEB/introduction.html
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Summary of Performance

• Recommended Summary of Performance Form for K-12
• http//www2.gsu.edu/wwwrld/
• SummaryofPerformance.pdf

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Post-Secondary Education and Disability
Philosophical Policy Shift

• Philosophical Shift
• College education requires a higher level of
  knowledge/training and individual maturity
• Responsibility shifts from institution to
  students
• Policy Shift
• IDEA vs. ADA
• Process is not retroactive

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IDEA

• Right to education
• District identifies
• Free evaluation
• IEP process
• Special Education

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ADA/504

• No right to education
• Student self-identifies
• Student responsible for documentation
• No IEP
• No Special Education
• Student still must meet technical standards

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IDEA and ADA A Comparison
IDEA
ADA
Free and appropriate mandatory education Entitlem
ent Law Remedial learning tools Outcome
oriented successful learning
Optional education Civil Rights Law Aids and
accommodations Equal access, not equal success
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Qualifications for Services under ADA

• Existence of a legitimate disability
• Substantial limitation to one or more major life
  functions, including learning
• Essential course requirements are not altered
• Documentation that verifies a need for
  accommodation

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Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

• No otherwise qualified individual with a
  disability shall, solely by reason of his/her
  disability,
• be excluded from participation,
• be denied the benefits of, or
• be subjected to discrimination under any program
  or
• activity of a public entity.
• www.adabill.com

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The Principle of Otherwise Qualified

• Students must meet criteria for admission.
• Students must have potential to do the work.
• Students must be able to meet academic
• standards of institution.

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Preparing Your Student

• The Role of Teachers and Administrators

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Early Identification as Predictor of Success
Identified/Served in k-12 Service
Not identified/served in k-12

• Lack of self-awareness
• Limited knowledge of disability
• Minimal advocacy skills
• Deficit areas not remediated
• Lacks self-compensation skills
• Poor study habits learning strategies

• Increased self awareness
• Savvy/knowledgeable of disability
• Self advocacy skills
• Benefited from remediation
• Developed compensatory skills
• Study skills learning strategies

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Early Identification as Predictor of Success
Identified/Served in k-12 Service
Not identified/served in k-12

• Exposure to assistive technology
• Positive memory of services
• Connected to community agencies
• Greater parental involvement support
• Sharper critical thinking skills

• Little to no AT exposure usage
• Recalls only struggles/disconnect
• Not connected to agency supports
• Parental disconnect and confusion about where
  support is needed
• Lacks the critical thinking skills needed for
  college academics

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Preparing Your Student

• The Role of the Parents/Guardians

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Preparing your student for college (and for
life!)

• Help your student develop realistic goals
• Think long-term (you cant always be there)
• Teach self-advocacy skills from the beginning
• Strengths and weaknesses
• Necessary accommodations
• Independence

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Preparing your student for college (and for life!)

• Advocate for evidenced-based teaching and
  remediation
• Advocate for Universal Design for Learning
• Know the difference between remediation and
  tutoring
• Know the difference between testing and teaching

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Preparing your student for college (and for life!)

• Be knowledgeable about Assistive Technology
• Includes a broad range of services, strategies,
  and practices
• Helps an individual carry out a functional
  activity, such as reading or writing

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Preparing your student for college (and for life!)

• Advocate for appropriate Assistive Technology
  right from the beginning
• Content should be at the level of the students
  ability, NOT their disability
• Critical that students come to college knowing
  how to use the appropriate Assistive Technology

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The Role of the Regents Centers for Learning
Disorders
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RCLDs Three Main Purposes

• Conduct comprehensive standardized assessments
  and review submitted documentation for
  accommodations
• Provide consultation and support to Disability
  Service Providers at referring institutions
• Engage in academic research and clinical training

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Regents Centers

• The University of Georgia
• Interim Director, Will Lindstrom, Ph.D.
• Liaison, Gerri Wolfe, Ph.D.
• Georgia State University
• Director, Mary Morris, Ph.D.
• Liaison, Nancy Reed, Ph.D.
• Georgia Southern University
• Director, George Shaver, Ph.D.
• Liaison, Beverly Sermons, Ed.D.

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RCLDGeorgia Southern University

• Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
• Albany State University
• Armstrong Atlantic State University
• Bainbridge College
• Coastal Georgia Community College

• Darton College
• East Georgia College
• Georgia Southern University
• Middle Georgia College
• Savannah State University
• South Georgia College
• Valdosta State University
• Waycross College

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RCLDGeorgia State University

• Atlanta Metropolitan College
• Clayton University
• Columbus State University
• Dalton State College
• Georgia Highlands College
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Georgia Perimeter College

• Georgia Southwestern State University
• Georgia State University
• Gordon College
• Kennesaw State University
• North Georgia College and State University
• Southern Polytechnic State University
• University of West Georgia

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RCLDUniversity of Georgia

• Augusta State University
• Fort Valley State University
• Georgia College and State University
• Georgia Gwinnett College
• Macon State College
• Medical College of Georgia
• University of Georgia
• Gainesville College
• PLUS E-CORE and E-MBA enrolled students

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The Admissions Process
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STEP ONEPreadmissions Process

• Accommodations on preadmissions high- stakes
  tests (SAT, ACT)
• http//www.collegeboard.com/parents

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Admissions and College Preparatory Curriculum
(CPC) Requirements
Students who received waivers from the State
Board of Education for the Foreign Language
requirement will be considered as having met the
CPC requirement for Foreign Language for
admission purposes. Board of Regents Academic
Affairs Handbook 2.22.01 http//www.usg.edu/admin/
accaff/handbook/section2/2.22
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Georgia Department of Education Contacts for
Waivers Lynn Holland Learning Disabilities
Consultant Phone [phone] lholland_at_doe.k12.g
a.us Sue Dorman Phone [phone] sdohrman_at_do
e.k12.ga.us
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STEP TWO

• Begin admissions process no later than Fall of
  
  Senior year
• Prepare for obtaining accommodations at the
  college level
• Gather existing documentation
• Determine what is missing
• Begin process of bringing documentation up to
  BOR standards, if necessary

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STEP THREE

• Students must meet criteria for admission.
  (Refer to the institutions website for further
  information)
• Students must be able to meet academic standards
  of institution.
• Admissions is legally blind to disability
  status.

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STEP FOUR AFTER ADMISSION TO COLLEGE

• Complete the Declaration of Disability
• Contact the schools Office of Disability
  Services
• Provide documentation
• (a) Outside evaluation (Agency/Private
  Evaluation) meeting BOR criteria
• or
• (b) New evaluation through RCLD

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STEP FIVEBefore Classes Start and Once
Documentation is Approved

• Determine appropriate accommodations and services
  with the colleges Disability Service Provider
• Sign Release of Information
• Arrange for Letter to Faculty specifying
  accommodations
• Check with Service Provider for support services

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BOR Criteria for Documentation ofLearning
Disabilities

• Average or above intellectual ability
• gt 90 on standardized intelligence test
• Significant discrepancy between ability and
  achievement
• gt1 standard deviation below measured intellectual
  ability in one or more, but not all, areas of
  academic achievement

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BOR Criteria for Documentation ofLearning
Disabilities

• Processing deficit(s) associated with the area(s)
  of underachievement
• Social-emotional factors assessed and ruled out
  as primary cause
• Evaluation completed within 3 years of request
  for accommodations or as an adult

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LD Areas of Assessment

• See www.gsu.edu/rcld Suggested Assessment
  Measures
• 1. Measures of Cognitive Ability
• (One of these measures must be used.)
• Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale III (WAIS III)
• Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children III
  (WISC III)
• Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence test
  (KAIT)
• Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second
  Edition (KABC-II)
• Differential Abilities scales (DAS)
• Stanford Binet IV (SB IV)
• Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS)
• Woodcock-Johnson III General Ability Index

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LD Areas of Assessment

• 2. Academic Achievement
• Reading
• Decoding, rate/fluency, and comprehension
• Mathematics
• Calculation, reasoning, and algebra
• Written Language
• Spelling, written expression

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LD Areas of Assessment

• 3. Cognitive Processing
• Attention
• Oral language (listening comprehension, oral
  expression)
• Phonologic/Orthographic processing
• Word Fluency/Rapid Naming
• Memory/Learning (Working memory, long term
  memory, visual memory, auditory memory,
  short-term memory)
• Executive Functions
• Visual-Perceptual-Spatial-Motor skills

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BOR Criteria for Documentation ofADHD

• Childhood symptoms/developmental history
• Current Symptoms meeting DSM-IV criteria
• Clinically significant symptoms on standardized
  rating scales for both child and adult
• Corroboration across settings
• Clear evidence of interference and/or functional
  limitations
• Rule out of other medical and psychiatric
  disorders
• Documentation by qualified professional within 3
  years or considered current

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Guidelines for documentation of Acquired Brain
Injury (ABI)

• Documentation of medical history
• Date of cognitive assessment
• Medical condition
• Date of onset
• Documentation of a DSM-IV diagnosis (e.g.,
  Cognitive Disorder NOS) by a qualified
  psychologist, neuropsychologist, or neurologist
• Documentation of resulting functional impairments
  including nature, length, and severity
• Documentation of resulting learning difficulties

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Guidelines for documentation of Psychiatric
Disabilities

• Documentation within 3 years or considered
  current
• A DSM-IV diagnosis by a qualified psychologist or
  psychiatrist
• Documentation of resulting functional impairments
  including nature, length, and severity
• Documentation of resulting learning difficulties
• Impact of medications

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Accommodations

• Must be determined on a case-by-case basis.
• Must provide equal access, not provide an
  advantage or optimize performance.
• Cannot require modification of core aspects of
  the course/curriculum.
• Note student still must meet technical standards

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Technical Standards

• Relates to Essential Functions in Title I of
  ADA
• What reasonable accommodations, if any, exist?
• Are they essential?

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Accessing Accommodations

• Must be accessed through the Disability Service
  Provider
• If a student has been evaluated at an RCLD, the
  written report will include a list of recommended
  accommodations that are consistent with
  University System policy.
• The Office of Disability Services may review a
  students documentation and decide which
  accommodations are appropriate based on the
  institutions policies.
• Regents Centers for Learning Disorders offer
  expertise by reviewing and recommending
  appropriate accommodations.

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BOR-level Accommodations(must be approved by an
RCLD)

• College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) Foreign
  Language Substitution
• A maximum of two extra semesters in Developmental
  Studies/Learning Support not automatic -
  determined by school and students performance to
  date
• Regents Exam Accommodations
• e.g., Text to voice technology (Reading test)
• e.g., Voice to text technology (Essay test)

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Institution-level (local) Accommodations

• The choice of accommodation must be based on the
  information provided in the documentation.Example
  s of accommodations that can be granted if
  specifically justified by documentation include
• Extended time on exams
• A quiet place for taking tests
• Reduced course load
• Permission to audio record lectures/note taker
• Use of a non-programmable calculator
• Use of computer-based technologies for reading
  and/or writing
• Alternate format textbooks and materials

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Course Accommodations

• Reading
• Textbooks on Tape
• Scan Read Technology
• Writing
• Note taker
• Word Processor
• Speech to Text
• Grammar Check
• Spell Check
• Thesaurus

• Math Calculation
• Non-programmable calculator
• Foreign Language
• Borrow Language Tapes
• Spell Check
• Extraordinary Accommodations
• Word Bank
• Formula Bank

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Example 1

• Course College Algebra
• Disability SLD-Mathematics
• Deficit Visual memory
• Appropriate Accommodation
• Formula sheet
• Inappropriate Accommodation
• Reduced number of problems

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Example 2

• Course U.S. History
• Disability SLD-Reading
• Deficits Phonological decoding (severe)
• Reading rate/fluency
• Appropriate Accommodation
• Text scanner, extended time on exams
• Inappropriate Accommodation
• Reduced reading requirements, instructor
  reads test to student

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Example 3

• Course Chemistry I
• Disability ADHD
• Deficits Distractibility, impulsivity
• Appropriate Accommodation
• Distraction-reduced test environment
• Inappropriate Accommodation
• Alternate test format (multiple choice
  instead of problem solving)

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Assistive Technology Reading

• Software that will read the book, test, article,
  etc. to
• the student
• Kurzweil 3000
• Premier Software
• Write Outloud
• Cast E-Reader
• WYNN
• Read Please
• Reading Pen

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Assistive Technology Writing

• Software that will allow the student to dictate
  into a computer
• Kurzweil
• Alpha Smart 2000
• Dragon Naturally Speaking
• Co Writer
• Phonetic Spell Checkers
• Inspiration

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AMAC

• Alternative Media Access Center
• http//www.amac.uga.edu/index.php
• Serves all USG institutions
• Provides alternative media, including Braille, to
  students with disabilities

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Assistive Technology Web Links

• Tools for Life
• www.gatfl.org
• gTrade
• www.gtradeonline.org
• Georgia Project for Assistive Technology
• www.gpat.org

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Vocational Rehabilitation

• In some circumstances, Vocational Rehabilitation
  will pay for both the evaluation and assistive
  technology needed to accommodate a student with
  a disability.
• if the technology is deemed critical for
  functioning at home and work.
• if the individual with a disability is otherwise
  qualified to perform the essential functions of
  his/her job.

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Thank you for all you do for students with
disabilities