Information for Parents
College life can pose challenges for students with disabilities, however, there are services that can ease the transition and support your son or daughter. Good communication skills and knowledge about oneself are crucial to success in college. Another critical success factor is self-advocacy -- becoming adept at realistically assessing and understanding their strengths, weaknesses, needs and preferences.
How can I help my son or daughter prepare for college?
Preparing for a successful college experience begins early in school. Statistically, students with disabilities are less likely to pursue higher education and those who do attend are less likely to graduate compared to students without disabilities. Following are tips to help your son or daughter beat the odds:
- Recognize that your son or daughter will go through the same experiences as their non-disabled peer.
- Help your student prepare for college while in high school.
- Consider extending their high school graduation date to take advantage of transition programs.
- Work with high school teachers, support staff and community agencies to identify transition activities that will prepare your son or daughter for college.
- Contact several colleges and ask them about the admissions process for students with disabilities and what services are available to them.
- Make copies of recent disability assessments (i.e. Individualized Education Plan) and transition plans and make them available to the college staff.
- Encourage your son or daughter to contact rehabilitation services to determine eligibility for financial and equipment support.
- Make sure your son or daughter takes advantage of reasonable accommodations for test taking, note taking, reading texts and using adaptive technology.
- Remind your son or daughter that they are responsible for notifying the college or university about their disability.
