College and the Student with Learning Differences

The snow on the east coast may have prohibited you from heading to work or school today. This isn't an issue for me as my plan was to participate in a live webinar on The Changing Role of Disabilities Documentation in Transitioning to College.

College can be a reality for students with learning style differences but the transition to college may be more challenging for these students and for parents as well. If students have accommodations in high school, keep in mind there are steps to take to insure they can continue with these accommodations in college. In other words, it isn't automatic. Like other aspects of the college landscape, we saw changes this past year with the SAT, the FASFA, and the introduction of the new Coalition Application, The guidelines for disability documentation in college is evolving as well. There are steps to take to negotiate these accommodations and to do that we all must understand the current trends in these disability documentation guidelines.

Keep in mind, as the students go off to college, the responsibility of managing their accommodations will shift onto their shoulders. Students really need to learn how to be their own advocate and manage their services.

They need to really understand their disability, how it effects them and how to explain it. They should understand their legal rights as well. The need to understand the difference between the structured life of high school and the less structured life of college will be more important now than ever.

I will be sure to get back to you and report on what I learn in today's webinar. In the meanwhile, if you are getting hit with the snow storm, enjoy your day off and keep warm. If you aren't getting hit with the storm, enjoy the fact that you don't have to deal with the snow!