northern secondary school thursday, january 19 ,...

Northern Secondary School

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

Transition to Post-secondary for

students (and their parents)with

Learning Disabilities

Tentative Agenda

• Before you land at post-secondary

• The summer before post-secondary

• Your first fall semester

• Your winter semester

• Your summer semester

• And so on…..

Transitional Experiences

• “In high school, my teachers wouldn’t leave me alone.

Now I miss them.”

• Translation: Take advantage of them now

• “I have 400 pages to read (for the first time) before

tomorrow’s exam.”

• Translation: Everyone will procrastinate

• “If it wasn’t for my mother (..father…sister), I would never

have graduated from high school.”

• Translation: You will need another support system

Transition Myths

• Post-secondary is a huge place and no

one cares about you – you are just a

number

• You are the only one registered with

Disability Services

Over the past 15 years the percentage of university

students with disabilities has grown from 1.21% to

3.84%

Students With Disabilities as a % Of Total University Student Population (Headcount)

Source: Universities Full-Time and Part-time Headcount (Eligible and Ineligible for Funding)

Universities Disabilities Offices AFSD Annual Reports Table 1: Principal Disabilities

Total number of students with disabilities has grown from 4,045 in 1991-1992 to 17,002 in 2007-2008 – a 320% increase

Headcount has grown from 335,101 in 1991-1992 to 442,189 in 2007-2008 – a 32% increase

0.00%

0.50%

1.00%

1.50%

2.00%

2.50%

3.00%

3.50%

4.00%

4.50%

91-92 92-93 93-94 94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08

Year

The number of students with “Invisible”

disabilities has increased over the past 5 years

Over the past 5 years, the number of students with:

ADHD increased from 570 students to 1,751

Psychiatric Disabilities increased from 1,736 to 3,966

Acquired Brain Injuries increased from 181 to 348.

Learning Disabilities increased from 4,703 to 5,546

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08

Number of Students with Disabilities at Ontario Universities – by Category

Learning Disability

Psychiatric

Chronic Illness/Systemic/Medical

ADHD Mobility/Functional

Other Deaf/Deafened/Hard of Hearing

Acquired Brain Injury Low Vision/Blind

Over the last 5 years, most disability categories

have grown, but “Invisible” disabilities have grown

the most

Disability Category as a Proportion of Total Number of University Students with Disabilities

All Other

Disability

Categories

(4,568) Learning

Disability

(4,703)

Psychiatric

(1,736)

Acquired

Brain Injury

(181)

2003-2004

All Other

Disability

Categories

(5,351) Learning

Disability

(5,546)

Psychiatric

(3,966)

ADHD

(1,751)

Acquired

Brain Injury

(348)

2007-2008

Students with “Invisible” Disabilities: 7,190

Students in All Other Disability Categories: 4,568

Total University Students with disabilities: 11,758

Students with “Invisible” Disabilities: 11,611

Students in All Other Disability Categories: 5,351

Total University Students with disabilities: 16,962

Summary First….

• Have your documentation all ready

– IEPS

– Most recent psycho-educational report

• Connect with your DSO the minute you accept your school

• Realize it takes time to put supports in place

• Be prepared to take a reduced course load

Before you apply…

• Research schools of choice – Size

– Programs

– supports

• Understand YOU academic strengths and challenges

• Look at your program and see the FIT with YOUR academics

While You Are Applying

• Collect all the documents you will need – IEP – understand why you have the supports you do and in what

way they assist you

– Psycho-educational report (ideally 3-4 years)

• Find out the grade requirements for your program

• Explore options to get there – Extra semesters at HS

– Colleges with articulated agreements

– Entering in one program and transferring in 2nd year

A word about updated

reports

• Ideally 3-4 years and it helps with getting a

picture of where the student is now and

how to set accommodations

• Required for Modified Admission

• Interim accommodations can be put in

place with older reports

• Assessment can happen the first year of

studies through DSp

Modified Admission

• Open to ANY student

• Still need to meet the acceptance criteria

with respect to U and M level courses

• MINOR grade consideration – 1 or 2 %

• Needs to be a reason – not that they have

a disability in and of itself

– Accommodations late to put in place

– Newly assessed

Summer Prior to Starting

• Think about course selection…

• Full course loads are the MAXIMUM you

can take a year – not what you SHOULD

be taking

• When choosing # of courses – what is the

goal – good grades or finishing a course

What You Think it Looks Like

Schedule

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

7:30

8:30 Class 1 Class 2

9:30 Class 5

10:30

12:30

1:30

2:30 Class 3 Class 3 Class 3

3:30

4:30 Class 4 Class 4

5:30

6:30

7:30

8:30

9:30

10:30

What It Actually Looks Like -

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday What is

7:30 Not Noted

8:30 Course

1

Course 2 Course 1 Course 1

Study

9:30 Course 5 Study Course 5 - commute

10:30 Study - PT job

12:30 Course 2 - friends

1:30 Study - family

obligations

2:30 Course

3

Course 3

Study

Course 3 Course 3

Study

Course 3 - eating

3:30 Course 3 - physical

activity

4:30 Course

4

Course 4 Course 4

Study

Course 4 Study - connecting with

DSO

5:30 Study

6:30 Course 1 Course 5 Course 2

7:30 Study Study Study

8:30 Course 5 Course 4

9:30 Course 2 Study Study

10:30 Study

Dealing with Administration

» Transition is a PROCESS that takes TIME

» Setting up supports can take up to a semester or

even 2 depending on the complexity

» Larger institutions move more slowly than

smaller ones

Counselling & Development Centre 16

Deadlines and Processing

Times

» There are deadlines by which you will need to:

» Choose courses – within the first few weeks

» Drop courses – 1/3 of the way through a semester

» Pay fees – prior to courses starting

» Submit requests to write tests and exams in another

location – minimum of 2 weeks in advance

» Apply for bursaries and financial supports – minimum of

6-8 weeks

Counselling & Development Centre 17

Transitional Issues in Time

Management

• More time is spent OUTSIDE class studying

than inside class – 1 hour of lecture = 2-3 hours of homework

• A balanced load is easier to carry – choose courses where more play to your strengths than your challenges

• Be prepared to constantly evaluate your system as the term evolves

How Study is Different

• 1 percentage point = 1.25 hours of work

Or

• 10% = 12 hours

Course Load – Full Time/Part

Time

» Maximum # of courses a student COULD (not SHOULD) enroll in is

normally 5 per semester

» Some courses run a full year

» Some courses run a semester

» Full time status for students without a disability is 3.5 courses PER

semester (i.e., you cannot take 1 course in the fall and then 2.5 in the

winter and be full time – need to take 3.5 or higher PER semester

» For a student with a permanent disability, 2 courses is considered a full

course load by OSAP standards

» This does NOT mean that all students register in only 2 courses –

means this is the minimum for full time

Counselling & Disability Services 20

OSAP

• APPLY even if you do not want to take the

loan – eligibility linked to bursaries

– Just need to be “eligible” for 1$ of need

– Can just take the bursaries, not the loans

– Based on individual disability related needs

up to $10 000 annually

• Applications available in June on-line

Summer Before

• Realize that having a disability allows you

to connect early with support and gives

you a place where you can ask your

questions

• It will require TIME for you to set up

services – transition is a PROCESS that

can take the entire academic year

Transitional Issues in Accessing

Accommodations

• Students need to self-identify that they require

additional supports and accommodations by approaching

the disabilities services program at their school.

• The school will not automatically note that a student will

be using or requesting accommodations.

Think About Disclosure

• Students will have to inform professors

that they are registered with Disability

Services to access services

• Student is not obligated to disclose

disability ONLY how the disability impacts

academic performance

Accommodations

Setting of accommodations is a collaborative

process informed by:

• IEP

• Psycho-educational report

• Service provider at DSO

• Student

Accommodations can not undermine the academic

integrity of a course.

Standard

Accommodations

*Individual students require supporting documentation for these to be put in place

• Separate Room

• Extra Time: Multiple Choice/Heavy Reading Component

• Extra Time: Essay Questions/Heavy Writing Component

• Extra Time: Mathematics

– Note about extra time: 50% is the standard – few students are writing with more than this –

100% is possible but rare.

• Word Processor – this does not include use of a dictionary/thesaurus

• Self-Help spelling Aids

• Dragon – voice dictation (less often Scribe)

• Kurzweil – text reader (less often Reader)

Other Accommodations

• Instructions/Directions Clarified (content is not clarified)

i.e., use pencil, double space your work

• Supervised breaks – in the case when student has attention issues, anxiety issues, or is writing for an inordinate amount of time – often no prompts

• Use of authorized spelling list, list of formulas

• Use of a calculator for mathematically based subjects

Rare/Other

Accommodations but Possible

• Add short answer to multiple choice

• Assignment in lieu of oral presentation’

• Division of exam/tests into units

• Flexible deadlines

• Take-home tests

• Oral presentation in lieu of

assignment

• Reweighing of exam/test

• Spacing of exam writing

• Memory aids

Your First Semester

• Be aware of deadlines

– Add courses

– Drop courses

– Submit requests to take tests/exams in alternative

space

• Realize that the first 2 weeks of class are not an

indicator of how busy you are during the term

• Check your email regularly as this is the way you

are likely to be communicated with

Your First Semester

• Check in with your DSO after your first

round of tests/exams

• Realize that accommodations are put in

place to LEVEL the playing field giving you

equal chance to pass or fail

Transitional Issues in

Reading

• Increase in the overall quantity of reading

– Typical psych courses request about 50 pages of

reading per week

• Independence - Assigned readings are not

always covered in class

• Knowing what is really important/what to take

away from a reading

Transitional Issues in

Writing

• Frequency of written assignments (essays,

take-home exams, and essay format tests)

• Development of a thesis /Integration of

material

• Referencing rules vary across disciplines

Transitional Issues in

Mathematics

• Mathematical concepts appear in non-

math courses

• Required Math courses are specified with

little room for changes

Note-Taking

• Note-taking requires listening skills

• Need to focus on purpose of notes

– Will you study for tests with them

– Will you need them for tutorial discussion

• You will not always know at first what is

important and the lecturer might not tell you

• Keep a list of new vocabulary words

• Clarify points with instructors in office hours

• record lectures

Bottom Line

• Regardless of how students with and without

learning disabilities manage the requirements of

university, they must be able to understand

material, form opinions, and draw

conclusions about printed information.

• With few exceptions, students will be required to

demonstrate their knowledge in written form.

Who Is There to Support

You?

• All college and universities have support

systems in place for students with

diagnosed learning disabilities

• Degree of support will vary institution to

institution

• Minimally there will be

– A Learning Strategist

– An Assistive Technologist

Winter Semester

• Take time to re-evaluate

Learning Disability Services at

York

• 956 students registered this year

• 6 Counsellor/Educators

• 2 Assistive Technology Speclialist

• 1 Learning Strategist

• 2 Support Staff

• PSMD - Physical

• MHDS – Mental Health

Structure of High School

Student

Parents School

Structure of Post Secondary

Project ADVANCE

• 6 week summer institute preparing students with learning disabilities for university success

• York University, July 4 -August 10

• $200 deposit refunded upon 80% attendance

• Learn about academic strategies,

• study and life skills,

• assistive technologies,

• availability of campus support.

• http://www.yorku.ca/cds/lds/projectadvance.html

Career mentorship

program

Learning skills program

Assistive technology/lab

Language and learning 1000

Student peer support & leadership

Tutoring

OSAP/Disability bursary

Other sources of funding

Job finding assistance

Letters of accommodation

Assessment referrals

Notetaking Alternative exams Transcription

services

Learning skills assessment

Summary

42 Counselling & Disability Services

Workshops

Individual counselling

Asperger’s group & mentor program

Learning Disabilities

Program

Financial

assistance

Academic and professional development

Accommodations

Individual/Group

support services

Hosted

By

Learning Disability Services

100 100

200 200

400 400

300

400

Before You Are

Here

Test

Accommodations

Class

Supports

Other

Supports

300 300 300

200

400

200

100

500 500 500 500

100

1, 1

This is the document your

School made up for you.

What is my IEP

1,2

This is the most common

Accommodation for tests.

What is extra time?

1,3

This accommodation is one

You have the most control over.

What is audio recording of lectures?

1,4

This is the person you can

Ask any question to when

You are here.

Who is your Learning Disability Advisor

2,1

This needs to be very recent

If you want to be considered

For modified admission.

What is my psycho-educational report?

2,2

This is the second most

Common accommodation for

Tests and exams

What is a computer with spell check?

2,3

This accommodation can be

Done by a volunteer

What is note taking?

2,4

These helpful sessions cover

Topics like studying and

Reading at university.

What are drop-in workshops?

3,1

This is the document your

School made up for you but

Does not necessarily outline

Everything you might have

At university.

What is my IEP?

3,2

This accommodation means

That there are fewer people

Around you when you write.

What is a separate test/exam space?

3,3

This accommodation is not

Available in most tutorials.

What is tape/audio recording?

3,4

This is a support coupled with

OSAP is and is based on a

Student’s individual disability

Related educational expenses.

What is the BSWD?

4,1

This number of students

Allows you to be a full time

Student (/5)

What is 2 courses or 6 credits?

4,2

This is an accommodation

To support your reading on tests

What is Kurzweil or Text to Speech Software?

4,3

This accommodation needs to

Be negotiated well in advance

And determined by the

professor.

What is flexible deadlines?

4,4

This is a place for quiet

Study using technology.

What is the TEL 1017 Lab?

5,1

Type the answer for 5,1 here.

(Type the question for 5,1 here.)?

5,2

Type the answer for 5,2 here.

(Type the question for 5,2 here.)?

5,3

Type the answer for 5,3 here.

(Type the question for 5,3 here.)?

5,4

Type the answer for 5,4 here.

(Type the question for 5,4 here.)?