Many colleges offer support services for students with learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the levels of support may vary widely from college to college. The information below is designed to help students and parents understand the differences between programs and how to determine the best fit for each individual student.
Finding the Right Fit
There is a common misconception that college-level support services are generally similar, with the exception of colleges exclusively dedicated to educating students with disabilities. This misconception often leads to the conclusion that a close look at the specifics of a college's support program is unnecessary. Of course, just the opposite is true. Levels of support offered by colleges vary widely. Additionally, the IEP or 504 that determines levels of support and specific accommodations in high school does not fall under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to which colleges must adhere. While college Offices of Disability Services routinely review a student's IEP or 504 to consider what they can offer through their programs, they are not obligated to provide what was offered in high school.
With this in mind, it is beneficial for students and parents investigating college-level supports to ask two important questions: What are the supports in high school that have helped me succeed? Which of those specific supports might I need in college to continue to be successful? The answers to these questions will provide a template upon which to evaluate college programs that will provide a similar (not exact) array of supports. The following questions may also be helpful when looking for the right fit:
• Who am I and what do I want from my college experience?
What type of learner am I?
• In what environment do I learn best?
• What are my strengths & weaknesses?
Levels of Support
The following list may give you a better idea of the varying levels of support that colleges offer. When researching colleges, it's a good idea to identify the level of support and other learning services available (see Landmark College's Disability Services Evaluation Worksheet). The following categories are from the least to the most supportive:
I. Compliance - The primary goal of the college is to ensure access to students with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Students at these institutions will receive some of the accommodations that were available to them in high school.
II. Service - The primary focus of these colleges is the provision of accommodations and the delivery of some beyond-access services, such as a writing lab or tutoring center that is open to all students.
III. Comprehensive - The college program's focus is on the provision of accommodations in addition to the delivery of services beyond accommodations such as strategy and skills training, academic coaching, tutoring, and so on. Such programs often provide a monitoring system that faculty can use to alert support staff about concerns.
IV. Embedded - These are highly developed programs that exist in a few colleges dedicated exclusively to the education of students with disabilities. All accommodations and beyond-access services are built into the natural teaching and functioning of the institution. For example, all faculty would adhere to a teaching and learning philosophy and utilize proven educational methods. Two excellent examples of colleges with embedded programs are Landmark College and Beacon College.
Disclosing a Disability
Disclosing a disability during the college search and application period: Some students and parents worry that speaking to a college's office of disability services might negatively impact the student's chance of admission. While this concern is understandable, it is also unnecessary. Colleges are prohibited by the Americans with Disabilities Act from discriminating in the admissions process based on a disability of any kind. Additionally, students and parents routinely speak to college offices of disability services personnel to gather information about the appropriateness of the program. In some cases, students and parents with deep concerns choose to contact the disabilities center after gaining admission to the college.
Disclosing a disability once admitted: Though it may appear counterintuitive, a significant number of students do not disclose their disability and do not access the available services offered by their college. The following data points provided by researchers at Landmark College illustrate this reality:
In Secondary School
➢94% of students with LD’s receive assistance in high school.
➢Roughly 25% of these students utilize the resources available in college.
Post-Secondary Outcomes (within 6 years of high school graduation)
➢51% of all students earn a post-secondary degree
➢38% of students with specific learning disabilities & roughly 35% of students with ADHD or ASD, earn a post-secondary degree.
The most common reason why students choose not to disclose is that they greatly underestimate how beneficial their high school accommodations and supports have been to their overall success. In addition, students may have a fear of stigma or being seen in college as "labeled LD." Closely related to this, it is common for students going off to college to desire more independence or a "new identity" or a "fresh start" distinct from high school. While these reasons are understandable from a developmental perspective, often their net effect is to alienate students from the support they need to be successful and thriving college students. Through our ongoing onsite review and evaluation of college LD/ASD support programs, we have discovered that the number one reason students with special needs struggle in college is nondisclosure.