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Off to College with Special Needs
Helping Your Child Make the Transition By Sue Marquette Poremba
My daughter has a form of dyslexia that makes it difficult for her to do certain projects, such as reading a question and looking up the answer in a textbook. Through elementary school and high school, she had an IEP to make sure she had the time she needed to do her work. However, we never thought to have her retested in high school, nor did her counselors suggest it. Hers was not a situation where we had to meet regularly with the school, as everything seemed to be working well and she was getting good grades.
When she went to college, my daughter met with campus officials about her dyslexia and the need for some extra accommodations. She was told her high school IEP was too old and out-dated, and she needed to be retested. Unfortunately, by the time she was scheduled for her testing, the first semester was nearly at an end, and school had become too much of a struggle for her. She eventually left college and moved into another career path.
Teenagers with learning disabilities and other special needs have dreams that include a college education, whether for a career or for the extended learning opportunity. However, unless parents are aggressive or knowledgeable about the system, schools often aren'tforthcoming about the assistance available or the paperwork that needs to be completed. The truth is, with some planning from the time the teen enters high school through graduation, college is attainable to almost everyone.
"According to the ADA Civil Rights Statute, students with an LD [learning disability]are frequently required to provide institutions with documentation that verifies their disability," Reiff says. "Many colleges require testing administered no more than three years prior."
Amy James, author of School Success for Students with Special Needs