| High school personnel, as well as students | | | | as the student's postsecondary and career |
| with learning disabilities and their parents, | | | | choices become refined. |
| are often frustrated in searching out a | | | | |
| suitable postsecondary setting that will | | | | Special Skills For College-Bound Students |
| afford opportunity for success. While there | | | | |
| are many directories of postsecondary college | | | | The postsecondary environment is much less |
| programs (Hartman & Krulwich, 1984), they | | | | structured than most high school settings, |
| often result in more confusion than clarity. | | | | requiring a great deal of responsibility on |
| Since there is no consistent pattern of | | | | the part of students to determine what to |
| programming for students with learning | | | | learn as well as how and when to learn. |
| disabilities at the college level, selecting | | | | Students with specific learning disabilities |
| an appropriate college is often an | | | | are often left confused unless they are |
| overwhelming task. | | | | specifically instructed in skills such as |
| | | | evaluating courses, planning long-range study |
| Since there are many more colleges seeking, | | | | time, and interacting with faculty. The high |
| or at least admitting, students with learning | | | | school setting does not typically provide the |
| disabilities than actually have | | | | opportunity to practice such skills. Special |
| well-developed programs, it is imperative | | | | educators, in collaboration with content |
| that professionals help these students act | | | | teachers and counselors, must provide their |
| cautiously during the selection and | | | | students with simulated college experiences |
| application process. Simply finding a "good" | | | | that incorporate these skills. |
| program or the one with the most services is | | | | |
| not the solution. A match must be made | | | | Potential Areas of Interpersonal Problems |
| between the unique needs of the student and | | | | |
| the characteristics of the college and its | | | | Students with learning disabilities often |
| learning disabilities program (McGuire & | | | | have serious interpersonal problems in the |
| Shaw, 1987). | | | | dormitories and negative interactions with |
| | | | professors as they seek help or ask for |
| Developing An Appropriate Individualized | | | | accommodations. In the college setting, where |
| Educational Program (IEP) | | | | students are expected to be independent and |
| | | | function as self-advocates, these problems |
| A critical element of an effective high | | | | soon become apparent. |
| school program is determination of which | | | | |
| curricula and courses will be taken by | | | | Many students with learning disabilities are |
| students with learning disabilities. Too | | | | unable to perceive intuitively the verbal and |
| often, these students are counseled into a | | | | nonverbal cues that identify appropriate |
| general studies curriculum that will | | | | behavior in various social situations. |
| disqualify them from admission to most 4-year | | | | Families and teachers of these students often |
| colleges. In addition, many students with | | | | shelter them from potentially stressful or |
| learning disabilities receive course | | | | threatening social situations and thereby |
| waivers--often for foreign language or | | | | prevent them from developing the social |
| mathematics--which can significantly limit | | | | skills they need to function successfully in |
| college options. Course waivers may be | | | | the outside world. The frequent inability of |
| necessary and appropriate, but they should be | | | | these students to maintain healthy and |
| provided only when based on valid diagnostic | | | | cordial relations with their friends and with |
| data. Furthermore, all parties should be made | | | | adults reflects their poor social skills |
| aware of the implications of waivers for | | | | development. |
| postsecondary education. | | | | |
| | | | Characteristics of the Postsecondary |
| Although the college experience is often | | | | Institution |
| difficult for students with learning | | | | |
| disabilities, pacing of a course of study has | | | | High school counselors are skilled at helping |
| proved to be an effective programming | | | | typical students select colleges. However, a |
| variable (Norlander, Shaw, McGuire, Bloomer, | | | | student with learning disabilities needs more |
| & Czajkowski, 1986). A student who might | | | | diverse and detailed information from high |
| experience frustration and failure with a | | | | school personnel than do typical students. |
| full college course load might be successful | | | | Such a student needs to investigate |
| when taking only two or three courses. | | | | admissions procedures carefully. How he or |
| Likewise, if high school personnel, parents, | | | | she compares to the typical entering student |
| and students were open to planning a 4 1/2- | | | | in terms of preparation and performance is |
| or 5-year program, the students would be more | | | | critical in preventing a frustrating and |
| likely to leave high school with the skills, | | | | possibly short-lived college experience. |
| content, knowledge, and positive self-concept | | | | |
| necessary for postsecondary success. | | | | A number of academic considerations are also |
| | | | critical for a student with learning |
| The individualized educational program or | | | | disabilities. The availability of precollege |
| transition plan for a student with learning | | | | courses, developmental and remedial courses, |
| disabilities should provide for an early | | | | and course waiver provisions is essential |
| determination of postsecondary goals | | | | information. The size of the institution |
| agreeable to all concerned and specification | | | | itself, as well as the size of classes |
| of the curriculum, courses, time sequence, | | | | (particularly the number of large lecture |
| and support program appropriate for | | | | classes) may be especially important to a |
| realization of those long-term goals. The | | | | student who has any of the social or |
| goals will require continual monitoring and | | | | interpersonal problems noted earlier. |
| adjustment throughout the high school program | | | | |