Disability Services

Information for Parents

Parents and those who are working with a new student transitioning to college for the first time can help by understanding how college is different from high school and what this means to the first-time college student.

• How is college different from high school?

• How can I help my son or daughter prepare for college?

• As a parent, what information is available to me from my son or daughter's educational records?

College life poses different challenges for students with disabilities. When students enroll in college, they are considered responsible adults by faculty and staff. The expectations are that they will assume responsibilities for meeting their class requirements.

This added responsibility is coupled with a change in environment. High school is a teaching environment in which students acquire knowledge and skills. College is a learning environment in which students take responsibility for thinking through and applying what they have learned.

Another student responsibility is that of self-advocacy. Students must become adept at realistically assessing and understanding their strengths, weaknesses, needs, and preferences. Also, they must become experts at communicating this information to other adults including instructors and service providers. Although services will be available to students through an office specializing in services to students with disabilities, students will be responsible for seeking these services and supports. Good communication skills and knowledge about oneself become crucial to success in college.

Understanding some of the important differences allows parents to help their son or daughter achieve a smoother transition.

How can you help your son or daughter prepare for college?

Preparing for a successful college university experience begins early in school. Statistically, students with disabilities are less likely to enter higher education, and those who do attend are less likely to graduate than their peers without disabilities. If your son or daughter is going to beat these odds, you have to plan and support the decision that can lead to college success.

Use the following list to help your son or daughter plan for college:

• Encourage your son or daughter to take a lead role in discussions about college. Recognize that your son or daughter with a disability will go through the same experiences as their non-disabled peer. Preparation for higher education needs to start early in your son or daughter's high school years.

• Ask the high school staff for information regarding appropriate post secondary choices, such as technical college, community college, or university.

• Explore the benefits of extending the high school graduation date to take advantage of transition programs.

• Work with your son or daughter's high school teachers and support staff, and community agencies to identify transition activities that will prepare your son or daughter for college.

• Contact the admissions office of several colleges or universities. Ask to speak with the service provider for students with disabilities. Talk with the service provider about the admissions process for students with disabilities, how students must document their disability, and what services that the college or university offers to students with disabilities.

• Ensure that your son or daughter will have the necessary recent testing that a college needs to document a disability. This includes but is not limited to learning disabilities. This testing can be done during the senior year of high school but schedule it early. Have these reports and copies of your son or daughter's most recent disability assessment, IEP (Individualized Education Plan), and transition plan available for college or university staff.

• Encourage your son or daughter to contact rehabilitation services to determine eligibility for services. Rehabilitation services can help with financial and equipment support for students with disabilities.If your son or daughter's college or university requires post admissions test results, learn the process for requesting testing accommodations.

• If your son or daughter needs testing accommodations, the need must be documented.Ensure that your son or daughter learns to use reasonable and appropriate accommodations. These accommodations are determined based on documented need and may include but are not limited to test taking, note taking, reading texts, and using adaptive technology.

• Remember your son or daughter has the responsibility to notify the college or university that she or he has a disability identifying his/her needs and provide appropriate documentation of those needs. The college has the responsibility to provide reasonable accommodation based on documentation of the disability.

As a parent, what information is available to you from your son or daughter's educational records?

In general, under federal and state privacy laws, students at colleges or universities have the legal right to control access to information about themselves. Some information called "directory data" is public and available to anyone, even parents. Almost all other information such as grades or class schedules is private and, in most cases, a student's written authorization is required to release to a third party private information held by a college.

Parents are legally considered to be "third parties" and need their child's written permission to access private data about them. See the Minnesota West's Student Data Privacy information.