For high school students with disabilities and their families, it’s never to early to start thinking about and preparing for the transition to college. It is critically important that students with disabilities and their families understand the application process years before it’s actually time to apply, and are aware of what to expect and what to look for as they start considering which colleges they’d like to attend.
Elizabeth C. Hamblet
Unfortunately, there are many myths and misunderstandings about postsecondary options for students with disabilities. In an article published in ASCA School Counselor (May/June 2014 issue), transition expert Elizabeth Hamblet, author of the guide Transitioning to College: A Guide for Students with Disabilities and the book 7 Steps for Success: High School to College Transition Strategies for Students with Disabilities, urges guidance counselors to be proactive in dispelling myths and providing students and their parents with accurate, useful information on key transition topics.
Hamblet’s list of myths to dispel include the following. For a more in-depth discussion of each, see the original article, posted at http://www.ldadvisory.com/dispel_myths.
1. Myth: Competitive schools do not provide accommodations for students with disabilities. FACT: ALL schools are required to provide basic adjustments at no additional cost.
2. Myth: There are separate admissions requirements for SWD. FACT: Schools do not have different requirements for students with disabilities; they also are not required to have different standards for SWD, so be careful about waiving certain high school classes as their may affect chances of admission.
3. Myth: Students are required to disclose their disability on applications. FACT: It is up to the student whether or not to disclose his/her disability on application.
4. Myth: Students will automatically get disability accommodations in college if they have had them in high school and disclose on their application. FACT: Students must specifically apply for accomodations with the Disability Services office, even if they disclosed their disability on their application. There is no requirement to apply, and nothing is automatic. If students don’t apply for accommodations, they won’t get them.
5. Myth: Schools are not required to waive/adjust graduation requirements. FACT: Usually waived courses require substituting alternative courses. Expect to be required to complete all courses.
6. Myth: Colleges will provide the same level of accommodations as the student got in high school. FACT: Colleges aren’t required to and usually don’t provide same level of services as one-on-one tutoring with a disabilities specialist. At some schools, the only option is peer tutors; some have limited time with disability services professional (e.g., once a week); some offer fee-for-service.
7. Myth: Maximize accommodations in high school to get into a good college. FACT: College requires independent study skills and learning strategies.It is advisable to wean students off of accommodations as they approach end of high school so that they develop skills they will need in college.
