Anne+Osowski+-+Wiki+(final+project)+EPSY+5140

=//Students with disabilities taking charge...// = = //What// __YOU__ //need to know about Postsecondary Education// =



====College students are expected to be responsible for themselves academically and socially, make their own decisions, understand time management, practice effective study skills, be aware of all the campus resources available, and learn how to advocate for themselves; this can be overwhelming for many first-year students. Preparation in the early years of high school may make the transition to postsecondary education more understandable and attainable. ====

====The transition from high school to college can be a stressful time for parents. As their child moves onto a new level of independence, roles change, which may lead to an increased level of anxiety. Parents may have been a spokesperson in their son or daughter's life during the elementary and secondary years. As their child enters the postsecondary environment, that will no longer be the norm in most cases. There is "letting go" in so many ways. ====

====This passage of transitioning for students and parents are commonly filled with many emotions - joy, anxiety, fear, and excitement. The actions students take in high school in preparing for their transition may aid in their enjoyment of a successful postsecondary experience. ====

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= __Resources for Students__ = = =

====You have more than likely heard someone whether that be a sibling, friend, parent, or teacher say, "College is very different from high school." This is true whether you are going to attend a community college, four-year university, or vocational school. When you leave high school to attend college, you are basically considered an adult. The websites below are designed to help you understand more about your disability, what type of college to attend, academic strengths and learning styles, study strategies, and different majors to consider. By actively using the websites below, you will hopefully begin feeling more confident about pursuing your college journey! ====

[|Going to College]
====Online learning tool to identify transition goals by learning about the college experience. Watch some videos of college students tell some stories of their own college experiences. ====

[|Catch the Wave]
====Information on how to prepare for college and realistic expectations in step by step format to alleviate student anxiety about transitioning. ====

===**[|Access to Assistive Technology in College] **=== ====Learn about how the use of assistive technology (AT) can benefit you and how AT can be considered an accommodation. Also, click on "checklist of questions about AT" under the heading //Questions to Ask Colleges about Assistive Technology.// ====

===**[|Successful students with disabilities!] **===

Read about high school students with learning disabilities (LD) who won a schoarlship and will begin college soon.
===**[|Transition Checklist] **=== <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">“To do” list that keeps you on top of all aspects of transitioning from initial college considerations through college acceptance.

**<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Invisible disabilities and Postsecondary Education] **
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Video of “real life” college students discussing their disabilities and how they handle them.

====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The type of postsecondary education you choose depends on several factors, such as: your strengths and limitations; academic interests; and career interests. You might be interested in living at home or living on a college campus. While most four-year universities have residential living, some community colleges are creating living environments, too. Vocational schools and some community college academic programs provide students with the ability to enter the workforce immediately after completing the length of their program. If you're considering attending community college and then a four-year university, or going directly to a four-year university from high school, you will most likely spend four years or more in school prior to beginning your career depending on the academic major you decide to pursue. ====

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Opening Doors to Postsecondary Education and Training (pgs 11-16)]
====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Step by step suggestions for preparing for college from the beginning of high school. Pages 11-16 provide information regarding high school courses to take depending on educational path - a vocational school or four-year college. ====

**<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Bureau of Labor Statistics - Employment Projects] **
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">As the graph below shows, the less education, the decreased salary, the increased unemployment...

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Key differences between high school and college
====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Children with disabilities are protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004. Once you leave high school, IDEA no longer applies. As a college student with a disability, you are protected from discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In high school, your teachers are responsible for providing with you with various academic strategies and monitoring your success. When you come to college, you will be provided with accommodations and strategies to help you, but __you__ are responsible for your own success. The college you attend ensures access and that is in the form of accommodations. ====

====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">It is important to research each college you are considering, and if possible visit with the Disability Services Coordinator responsible for providing accommodations to students with disabilities. Knowing which college you want to attend can be overwhelming. Beginning your college search early will allow you to make a decision on which college is the best fit for you. On each college's disability services website, you will most likely find information about disability specific (e.g. learning disabilities, physical disabilities, psychological disabilities, and visual impairments) documentation guidelines. The documentation that you provide will assist the disability services coordinator(s) with determining what accommodations will be most beneficial for you. ====

====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Accommodations provided in college are meant to "level the playing field," which allows students with disabilities to "compete on an academic level with their peers" (Texas Wesleyan University - Disability Services, 2010). The documenation you provide to the disability services coordinator helps to determine appropriate accommodations. As a high school student preparing for college, think about what accommodations you receive, what accommodations you use most, and why the accommodations you use are helpful. Knowing this about yourself will prepare you for your new role in college. ====

//Shaw, S.F., Keenan, W.R., Madaus, J.W., & Banerjee, M. (2010). Disability documentation, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, and the Summary of Performance: How are they linked? Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 22(3), 142-155.//
 * **High School** || **College** ||
 * * Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004; Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
 * Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504 Plan
 * Responsible for providing tools and monitoring student success || * ADAAA/Section 504 requires equal access to educational opportunities
 * IEP or Section 504 Plans don't serve as sufficient documentation for accommodations or services
 * Psycho-educational evaluation; Summary of Performance (SOP) - acceptable documents
 * Ensures access - not success ||

===**<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education] **=== <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">U.S. government site focusing on high school v. college differences, documentation and discrimination.

**<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|7 Elements of Quality Disability Documentation] **
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Website that disability service providers, students, parents, high school educators, and others can access to learn how to meet the needs of students with disabilities. This specific link shows what information is generally requested in disability-related documentation.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**[|Transition Guide]**
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Self-advocacy, your rights and responsibilities, and questions to consider when choosing a college to attend.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Self-advocacy]
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Suggestions on how to become an advocate for yourself.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**[|Student and Professor Interaction]**
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Youtube video of Disability Services Coordinator speaking with student about the accommodation process and student using this information in her individual meeting with her professor.



<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">__**Parent Resources**__
====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The steps involved in transitioning to college can be a daunting experience for students, but also for parents. It is important that parents understand how different, yet exciting college is and how their student will be taking on many new experiences that will inevitably result in academic and personal maturity. A parent's support and encouragement can make a difference in their college student's undergraduate career. ====

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Parents in Transition]
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Information geared to inform parents of their student's different rights and responsibilities in high school versus college and the parental role in supporting their student.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Letter to Parents]
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Advice on how the role of parent/child changes as the student transitions to college and tips for navigating into that role.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Parent Brief]
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Provides guidance on why parents need to be involved in their college student's life and what that involvement entails.

=== <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Students: Remember that the faculty and staff members whom you work with at college want to assist you in being the BEST you can be! ===



<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">__ References __

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Shaw, S.F., Keenan, W.R., Madaus, J.W., & Banerjee, M. (2010). //Disability documentation, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, and the Summary of Performance: How are they linked?// Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 22(3), 142-155.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; height: 204px; width: 278px;">Disability Services - Texas Wesleyan University (2010). //What does a disability accommodation do?// Retrieved from <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> []

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">United States Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012). //Employment projects - education pays//. Retrieved from: <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[]