Q: My junior's PPT is coming up soon. Is there anything specific we need to address to prepare for the college years?

A: Yes! Junior year planning is very important, particularly for a student with a learning difference. There are several main areas that a college-bound student with an IEP or 504 plan needs to consider: learning style, self-advocacy, accommodations, and documentation.  

Leaning style: Hopefully, by junior year in high school, the student has a decent idea of their academic strengths and weaknesses -- and we all have them. This is a good time to assess: How do you learn best? In what types of classroom settings are you the most successful? What accommodations are you utilizing? Are there any others that you might need in college? 

Self-advocacy: The most important attribute of a successful college student with a learning difference is self-advocacy. College students must take charge of asking for accommodations! This includes self-identifying as a student with a learning difference and notifying professors themselves. So, in setting goals for the rest of high school, focus on self-advocacy!! 

Accommodations: We like to tell our students to think about the move from high school to college accommodations as a shift from entitlement to equal access. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states that a K-12 student is entitled to receive services to prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living. Colleges must comply with the Americans for Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act but are not bound by IDEA. They must provide equal access to education, leveling the playing field for a student with a disability. 

Documentation: College learning support offices ask students to provide updated documentation of their disability (neuro-psychological testing, medical diagnosis, etc.). Usually, they want this to be done within the last three years, so requesting updated testing during the junior year makes a lot of sense. 

Unfortunately, junior year also tends to be the one in which many students are guided to or independently decide to exit the special education system, especially students that are finding success academically and are good self-advocates. And while it is tempting to see college as a clean slate, that is rarely the case. Getting accommodations for things like high stakes standardized testing and college courses requires that a student is utilizing the accommodations that they have been given. Remember, you bring yourself with you to college, so why not give yourself every opportunity to find success?