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##  Selecting a College for Students with Learning Disabilities or                  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ERIC Digest.                

Students with learning disabilities (LD) or attention deficit                   hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) approach the transition from high                 school to college with an array of learning strengths and needs.                They need to understand their own abilities and guide their own                 transition planning by looking at various postsecondary options. If             college is the path chosen, investigating postsecondary programs to             find the right match is a crucial step. In general, postsecondary               support services are less intensive than secondary special education            services. Students need to become experts on how to engineer their              academic success, a process that requires experiences that build                self-insight, self-advocacy, and resourcefulness. WHEN TO BEGIN               COLLEGE PLANNINGThe Individuals with Disabilities Education                 Act (IDEA) requires that the Individualized Education Program (IEP)             team consider post-school goals when the student is about to enter              high school at about age 14. Beginning at age 16 (or younger, if                appropriate) a statement of transition services needed by the                   student must be included in the IEP. High school experiences, both              academic and social, greatly influence future options for all                   students. For adolescents with disabilities, these experiences are              pivotal. 
Transition plans should be grounded in the student's                 goals and vision for life as an adult, career interests,                        extracurricular and community activities, and the skills the student            needs to progress toward his or her goals. Planning should include              preparation for proficiency tests and other assessments needed for              postsecondary academic work (e.g., SATs), as well as the development            of self-determination and self-advocacy skills. 
During the last 2             years of high school, diagnostic testing should be conducted to                 further define the LD or ADHD. Colleges require documentation of a              disability (i.e., results of tests indicating the presence of a                 disability) in order to provide support services; having an IEP or              Section 504 plan in high school is not enough documentation to                  obtain services from colleges. Students entering postsecondary                  programs will need to present current assessment data in order to               receive accommodations at college. 
Even for students who have                 struggled academically in high school, postsecondary education may              very well be a possibility. Students who wonder whether college is a            realistic option can explore summer pre-college courses for high                school students who have completed their junior or senior year.                 Alternatively, students can take a college course the summer before             they enroll to get to know the campus, learn how to use the library,            and sharpen their study strategies and time management                          skills. UNDERSTANDING STRENGTHS, LEARNING NEEDS AND THE SUPPORT               NEEDEDStudents must understand their strengths and learning                 needs not only to be successful in coursework, but also to identify             the accommodations they will require. For example, will they need               academic support services such as math labs, writing workshops,                 reading courses, computer labs, tutoring, or counseling? Will they              want to take courses to improve social skills, study skills,                    learning strategies, communications skills, or                                  assertiveness? 
Understanding and using technology can be another              key to success. Computers and related technologies are expanding                opportunities and increasing instructional access for numerous                  individuals with LD and ADHD. Students should consider both                     instructional technology (e.g., computers, tape recorders, or videos            used as a means of instruction) and assistive technology (technology            used by individuals to compensate for specific                                  disabilities). 
Assistive technology is most effective if it                   accentuates an individual's strengths and minimizes areas of need.              Selecting appropriate technology for an individual should take into             account the individual's learning profile, the tasks and functions              to be performed, the specific technology, and the contexts of                   use (Raskin, 1998). For example, word processors with                           text-to-speech, outlining, word prediction, and speech recognition              capabilities offer assistive capabilities depending on a person's               specific disabilities. Technology is like any other tool: The                   challenge is to find the technology applications that work best for             the individual and learn how to use them. This takes an investment              of time and money, but the payoff can be increased productivity and             creativity (Malouf, 2000). UNDERSTANDING LEGAL RIGHTSOnce                 students with disabilities graduate from high school, they are no               longer eligible for services provided by the school system and will             not have an IEP. If they have been receiving rehabilitation services            as part of their transition plans, they can continue to receive                 them. They will have an Individual Written Rehabilitation                       Plan (IWRP) and may be eligible for services such as postsecondary              education, counseling, and vocational evaluation and                            assessment. 
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) bars                    discrimination against students with disabilities in the college                application process. Once admitted, students may request reasonable             accommodations to allow them to participate in courses, exams, and              other activities. Most colleges and universities have a disability              support services office to assist in providing                                  accommodations. IDENTIFYING THE DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF A                COLLEGEOnce the student's strengths, learning needs, and level              of support needed have been delineated, it is time to look at the               characteristics of colleges that might be a good match for the                  student. Consider various types of colleges: two-year colleges,                 public community colleges, private junior colleges, four-year                   colleges and universities, as well as graduate and professional                 schools. Students with LD and/or ADHD can succeed in all types of               schools, including the most prestigious. 
Students must determine              the characteristics of colleges that will make them happy and                   support their success. For example, how big is their high school?               Will they feel more comfortable in a larger or a smaller college?               Will they be happier in an urban or a rural area? Can they meet the             academic requirements? Should they find a college that doesn't                  impose rigid prerequisites? Should they consider enrolling part-time            rather than taking a full course load? What are their academic and              extra-curricular interests? 
In looking at colleges, students may              also want to consider whether progressive attitudes toward                      instruction prevail. Colleges that are using instructional                      techniques and electronic technology in a flexible way can increase             students' success. For example, if courses are web-based so lecture             notes or videos of presentations are available online and can be                viewed multiple times, then students have natural supports built                into a course. FINDING AND COMPARING COLLEGESLike all students            preparing to choose a college, students with LD or ADHD must                    identify colleges that appear to have the desired qualities and                 select a few candidate colleges for further investigation. They need            to visit colleges, see the right people on campus, and be prepared              to ask the right questions. 
Students with disabilities must also              look at other factors. They should investigate the support services             offered by candidate colleges, discuss them with college                        staff (e.g., personnel in the Office of Disability Support                      Services), and verify that the services advertised by the college               will actually be available to the student. For example, is tutoring             available? Will extended time be allowed for taking tests? Is                   someone available to help with taking notes or preparing written                work? Will college policies allow extended time to complete a course            of study so that fewer classes may be taken over a longer period of             time? 
Furthermore, students with LD or ADHD must decide whether               and to whom to disclose the presence of the disability. To obtain               support services, students must self-disclose their disabilities to             the Office of Disability Support Services. That office will notify              professors of the necessary accommodations. Students are not                    required to give faculty information about a disability, but to                 obtain the best course work accommodations, they must be able to                explain their needs to instructors. Therefore, students will want to            investigate specific classes before they register for them. Some                strategies for becoming informed about classes are listed below: 
*            Participate in orientation programs. These programs provide                     opportunities to become familiar with campus life and to ask                    questions of continuing students and advisors about classes,                    faculty, resources, and services. 
* Don't procrastinate. Do not               wait until the last minute to begin gathering information about                 courses and professors. Most Offices for Disability Support Services            will allow students with disabilities to register a few days before             other students. 
* Talk to other students. Other students are an               excellent source of information about classes and professors. 
*               Audit classes. It is possible to observe a class for a limited                  period of time to determine whether this is the right class.                    Students who audit a course are not responsible for exams or                    assignments. 
* Check the Internet. Most colleges and universities             offer an increasing amount of information, including the course                 syllabus (outline of the course), objectives, textbook, readings,               and assignments. 
* Meet the professor. Professors have scheduled              office hours to answer questions about the course. Getting the                  textbooks and reading list ahead of time also allows students an                opportunity to get a head start on the course. 
For many                       individuals with LD and ADHD, the transition to adulthood will be a             time of positive self-discovery, but it will take trial and error.              Goals and successes can sometimes be elusive, and the hidden nature             of LD and ADHD can pose special challenges. Careful preparation for             the transition to college can help. RESOURCESEmbich, J. &                 Leconte, P. (2000). Diagnosis: Now What? In J.M. Taymans, L. L.                 West & M. Sullivan (Eds.), Unlocking potential: College and other               choices for people with LD and AD/HD (pp. 69-94). Bethesda, MD:                 Woodbine House. 
Malouf, D. (2000). Understanding and using                    technology. Unlocking potential: College and other choices for                  people with LD and AD/HD (pp. 232-242). Bethesda, MD: Woodbine                  House. 
Mangrum, C. & Strichart, S. (1997). Peterson's colleges                with programs for students with learning disabilities or attention              deficit disorders. Princeton, NJ: Peterson's Guides. 
Raskind,                 M.H. (1998). Literacy for adults with learning disabilities through             assistive technology. In S.A. Vogel and S. Reder (Eds.), Learning               disabilities, literacy and adult education. Baltimore, MD: Brookes              Publishing Co. 
Taymans, J.M., West, L.L., Sullivan,                           M. (Eds.). (2000). Unlocking potential: College and other choices               for people with LD and AD/HD. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine                            House. 
RELATED WEB                                                            SITES 
ldonline--http://www.ldonline.org 
Association for Higher              Education and Disability--http://www.ahead.org 
Peterson's                     Education                                                                       Center--http://www.petersons.com 
HEATH--http:www.heath.gwu.edu                
Internet resources cited in this document were current at the time            of publication. Please note that Web addresses are subject to                   change. 
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ERIC Digests are in the public domain and may be              freely reproduced and disseminated, but please acknowledge your                 source. This digest was prepared with funding from the Office of                Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), US Department of                   Education, under Contract No. ED-99-C0-0026. The opinions expressed             in this publication do not necessarily reflect the positions of OERI            or the Department of Education.                                              **Title:** Selecting a College for Students with Learning Disabilities or                  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ERIC Digest.                **Note:** Digest number E620.                                                          **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, Council for            Exceptional Children, 1110 North Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA                       22201-5709. Tel: 800-328-0272 (Toll Free); Fax: 703-620-2521;                   e-mail: [email protected]. For full text: http://www.ericec.org.           **Descriptors:**  Attention Deficit Disorders, Civil Rights, College Bound Students,              College Choice,  College Planning, College Preparation, Decision               Making, High Schools, Higher Education, Hyperactivity,                          Individualized Transition Plans,  Learning Disabilities,  Selection             Tools,  Student Rights, Transitional Programs                                **Identifiers:**
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