Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, and The College
Sixth Edition
CONTENTS
Introduction 2
What are learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder? 2
What are the specific types of learning disabilities? 3
How are students diagnosed? 4
Learning disabilities and the law 5
The
How are faculty members informed about special learning needs? 6
Confidentiality 6
What can instructors do? 6
Typical accommodation requests 7
A few more practical suggestions for faculty 8
Some common myths 9
Documentation requirements 10
Requests for further review 11
Campus resources 11-12
Vicki Roth Pamela Spallacci
Assistant Dean Disability Coordinator
Learning Assistance Services
2004
Introduction
The Americans with
Disabilities Act and state and local policies mandate equal access to our
institutions of higher education.
Students with disabilities have responded eagerly to this civil rights
legislation, entering colleges and universities in numbers unheard of a
generation ago.
This publication is designed to help faculty and students understand policies and problem- solving procedures. Although the focus of the following text is on learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD), much of this information may be useful in regard to other disabilities as well.
What are learning disabilities and attention
deficit disorder?
Learning disabilities themselves are commonly understood to be lifelong conditions of neurological origin. Laws and policies on these issues may be new, but learning disabilities have been around forever. In fact, many of the stories we hear of people like Einstein and Edison are histories of overcoming learning and attention problems—and of making good use of alternative ways of looking at the world. In any semester, we have a number of talented and capable students with LD or ADD on our own campus; understanding how neurological disorders can affect perception, processing, retention, and expression of information is critical to the success of these students.
Although ADD is not considered a learning disability by
the strictest definition, the issues faced by students with this diagnosis can
have a substantial impact on academic performance. Teachers and clinicians formerly believed
that ADD was largely a children’s condition; we now know that problems with
attention and concentration can extend into adulthood. Some of our new understanding of adults with
ADD is being developed by researchers and clinicians here at the
ADD can occur with or without hyperactivity. It can cause difficulty in sustaining concentration while reading, attending to lectures, or working on written assignments. As a result, it can be hard to focus on a train of thought or to see an assignment through to completion, even for students of superior intelligence. Conversely, ADD may make it difficult for students to refocus attention. They may be able to concentrate on a task all too well, but have problems breaking away when it is appropriate to move on to a new idea or assignment.
What are the specific types of learning
disabilities?
Learning disabilities are described in a number of ways, depending on the perspective and the purpose of the analysis. Here are a few of the typical approaches:
1. Perceptual-Motor Disabilities.
Ÿ Auditory learning disabilities make it hard to differentiate between similar spoken words, to store what has been heard in long-term memory, to follow oral directions, and to comprehend abstract reasoning in lectures.
Ÿ Visual learning disabilities can cause problems in discriminating between similar letters, in copying shapes and figures, using computerized answer sheets, making sense of graphs and charts, lining up numbers in math problems, and taking notes from the board, the overhead, PowerPoint presentations, and the like.
Ÿ Spatio-motor disabilities can make it difficult for students to orient themselves to a printed page, to copy a sequence of actions (as in a lab procedure), to write legibly, and to handle lab equipment.
Ÿ Perceptual disabilities can affect students’ social skills, making it difficult for some students to read communication cues such as body language, facial expression, and tone of voice.
2. Processing Disabilities. While all learning disabilities in some way affect cognitive processing, some professionals find it useful to describe processing difficulties in terms of sequential and simultaneous approaches to learning.
Students who have problems with sequential thinking are likely to have trouble with tasks which must be done in a very linear fashion. Computer programming might prove especially difficult for such a student; math calculations could also prove to be a problem. Following a detailed line of thought in a textbook or a lecture could also be frustrating.
Students who have problems with simultaneous thinking tend to have problems putting things together and integrating knowledge into a larger picture. For instance, synthesizing specific ideas into a thesis statement for a composition might be difficult for these students.
3. Academic Disabilities. Often, learning disabilities are described in terms of the specific academic domain that is affected.
Ÿ Dyslexia refers to reading deficits that can range from problems in decoding words, to remembering what has been read, to analyzing more abstract thought. It should be noted here that dyslexia does not refer to reading problems that are the result of inadequate or inappropriate schooling, lack of intelligence, or insufficient time on task. Dyslexic students can be taught strategies to make the most of their current reading skills and to cope with their limitations, but the basic decoding or comprehension difficulties are likely to remain stable.
Ÿ Dyscalculia refers to difficulties in using numbers and math functions.
Students may have problems with recognizing and symbols, under-
standing spatial relationships, aligning numbers, and performing
operations.
Ÿ Dysgraphia is a term used for students who have difficulty with the
psychomotor skills needed for writing. Such students are likely to have
special problems with taking notes in class and in writing essay exams.
Ÿ Writing deficits often are first noted in a student’s spelling. For some
students with learning disabilities, phonics is particularly troublesome.
Words may be spelled in several different ways within the same writing sample. Other writing problems can include difficulties with understanding the concept of a thesis statement and support, discerning the differences between an abstract and a concrete idea, and so on.
4. Social and
Interpersonal Concerns. It is worth
noting that the experience of dealing with any disability may have serious
consequences for self-esteem and confidence.
In turn, students’ ability to initiate and maintain positive
relationships with faculty members and other students can be affected.
How are students diagnosed?
Given the advances in the field of learning disabilities in recent years, it is now much more common for students with special learning needs to arrive at college with a diagnosis in hand. Sometimes these students were noticed by a teacher or parent as early as the preschool years and referred for further evaluation. They may have received academic support in an informal way, or they may have been officially placed into special programs for students with learning disabilities. The records that these students can supply are of great help to a college support team in arranging needed accommodations.
But some students with learning disabilities begin their college years never having been diagnosed. Such students may have been very adept in developing coping strategies and compensatory skills that made it possible for them to succeed in high school. These strategies, however, may prove to be insufficient for college work. If these students find themselves less successful than they should be here in the College, and if a preliminary screening indicates that a learning disability may be involved, they are referred to licensed psychologists off-campus for additional evaluations. (Note: Screening appointments are available at LAS.)
Learning disabilities and the law
Qualified students with learning disabilities may be entitled to reasonable educational accommodations, in much the same way as students with other disabilities. The legal basis for this was established by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (PL 93-112), which states:
No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States shall, solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, which reinforces and greatly extends the impact of previous legislation, was passed in 1990. The ADA makes it unlawful to discriminate against any qualified person with a disability in terms of employment, government services, public accommodations, transportation, and telecommunications.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (P. L. 101-476), was also established in 1990. IDEA helps to ensure that more students with disabilities are well prepared for college.
The detailed implications of these laws are being refined in the courts, but to date, they have been interpreted in some cases to provide for the following for students with documented disabilities:
Ÿ No discrimination during the admissions process for qualified applicants.
Ÿ Modification of academic courses so that there is no discrimination on the basis of
disability. While the overall goals and standards for the course should remain the
same for all students, those with disabilities may require modifications in the way
they achieve those standards.
Ÿ For some students, alternative testing is an appropriate accommodation. The most
common modification is extended time; another adjustment may include converting
a multiple choice exam to an essay exam, or vice versa.
Ÿ Costs of required auxiliary services are to be borne by the college or university, not
by the student. A number of recent court cases have tested the extent of the
university’s financial obligation to students with special needs. It currently appears
that the expenses of diagnosis and evaluation are to be paid by the student; the costs
of adaptive equipment, taxed texts, readers, scribes, and interpreters, if reasonable,
are to be paid by the institution.
The University of Rochester’s Policy
The University of Rochester is committed to providing equal educational and employment opportunities for individual with disabilities, in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. To ensure equality of access for students with disabilities, the University provides reasonable accommodations, including auxiliary aids and modifications to courses, programs, services, activities or facilities. Exceptions will be made in those situations where the accommodation would fundamentally alter the nature of the program, cause undue hardship on the school, or jeopardize the health or safety of others. Accommodations must specifically address the functional limitations of the disability.
How are faculty members informed about
special learning needs?
Students who wish to request academic modifications for a particular course must be willing to complete a faculty notification form listing each instructor for whom they wish a letter to be prepared.
Important: These forms are never sent “automatically.” Students who wish
letters to be prepared for some or all of their instructors must complete the
request form available at Learning Assistance Services each semester.
Faculty letters attest to the student’s eligibility for
accommodations, name the kinds of modifications that may be requested, and
inform the instructor that the student has been encouraged to speak to him or her
in person about these needs.
Confidentiality
Documentation about the existence and nature of a student’s disability is private. Because such information is often sensitive, the University is committed to the principle that information about a student’s disability will be maintained confidentially. However, disclosure of such information may be necessary to establish a student’s eligibility for reasonable accommodations and to identify those accommodations.
What can instructors do?
With appropriate documentation, students may choose to request modifications. The following section provides suggestions for adjustments in course presentation and evaluation. Few students will need all of these accommodations; some may require new strategies that must be developed for very specific course requirements.
Please remember that the goal is not to eliminate requirements or to water down courses. Instead, it is to develop approaches that provide equal access to the content of the course and permit students to demonstrate their competence in ways that provide detours around their learning disabilities.
Typical accommodation requests
ŸAlternative testing procedures. Often, students with specific disabilities
can demonstrate knowledge and
competence via alternative methods. For
students with reading difficulties, slower processing speed, and/or motor
skills problems, extending deadlines or adding time to testing sessions can
significantly improve performance. It is
highly desirable to work out these arrangements well before the actual day of
the exam. Those who are unable to
perform well on multiple choice items may be able to show much more
understanding of the material on essay
questions, or vice versa. Computers can
be a great aid for students who have poor handwriting. Those who have reading deficits may be able
to demonstrate their abilities much better if the exam items are taped or read
to them. It often helps to do a practice
run with these alternative procedures before giving the test itself. This gives the instructor and the student the
opportunity to deal with any complications at a less stressful time.
ŸText
to speech technology. This accommodation has proved invaluable for many
students with ADD. Equipment that scans
text and converts it to speech is currently available in the Multimedia Center
at Rush Rhees Library. Most students
using recorded books follow along in the text as they listened either to tapes
or the computer.
Ÿ CCTV equipment. The Smart
View equipment, located in the
Multi-Media Center, is used for those
with low vision, and combines a video camera and a monitor. Students place a book or article on a viewing
stage and then magnify the video
screen version of the text and/or adjust the background to make the words legible. Students have access to a CCTV in the
reference section of Rush Rhees Library.
ŸTaped
lectures. For students with auditory processing deficits, graphomotor
difficulties, or attention problems, recorded lectures can be of great
assistance. A signed agreement that the
student will not share the tapes with others can be secured by those faculty
members who are concerned about copyrighted material within the lecture.
ŸNotetakers.
Some college students with
particular learning needs perform better with the assistance of a scribe who
takes notes during lecture. These
students are still expected to attend class and take notes themselves; the
scribes’ notes are used to fill in gaps, to reinforce learning, and to serve as
models of good record keeping.
ŸCalculators. Some students are able to handle quite sophisticated math concepts without being able to perform basic operations automatically. For these students, the use of a calculator can be of considerable assistance.
·Include
a “disability outreach” statement on course syllabi and as part of the
introduction to the course during the first week of classes. Students with learning disabilities often
are very reluctant to talk about their needs with their professors; an outreach
statement can help students feel more confident about discussing these
issues. Here is a model of an outreach
statement:
If there is anyone in this class who has an academic need related to a disability, I would like to talk with you. Please come in during my office hours, or call or email me.
ŸProvide a detailed syllabus early in the semester. Some students with ADA related learning needs have difficulty with organizational skills. Having a clear roadmap for the course can help.
ŸMake the course requirements and due dates for assignments very explicit. Convey assignments both orally and in writing.
ŸUse as many modes as possible when presenting information in the classroom. “Multimedia” approaches can help: lectures, discussion, chalkboard, overhead projectors, demonstrations, illustrations, etc.
ŸMake sure rooms used for alternative testing are appropriate. While some faculty and department offices are suitable locations for alternative testing, others are noisy and distracting. With advance notice, Learning Assistance Services can proctor exams if the instructor is unable to find an alternate site. Please contact LAS at 275-9049, send us an e-mail, or refer to www.rochester.edu/College/las for more information.
ŸHold a midsemester conference with students with learning disabilities. Strategies developed at the beginning of the semester may need fine tuning as the term progresses.
ŸCheck to see that your students are aware of available support services. Don’t assume that students with learning disabilities know about UR resources; you may be the very first person on campus the student has talked to about these issues.
ŸTreat all communications about disabilities as confidential information.
Some Common Myths
Here are some commonly held misconceptions about the nature of learning disabilities, followed by alternative views.
A “learning disability” is just a polite way to refer to lower overall
intelligence and abilities.
Learning disabilities are quite different from global impairments. Inherent within the definition of learning disabilities is a discrepancy between demonstrated intelligence and specific functioning. It is possible for a student to be both gifted and learning disabled at the same time; many UR students match this description.
Given the proper instruction, students can grow out of their learning
disabilities.
College students
with LD can and do acquire improved skills, but the learning disabilities
themselves are not cured in the process.
Because learning disabilities are thought to be lifelong conditions, it
is more appropriate to talk about “compensation” instead of a “cure.”
Myth 3
Students with learning disabilities have “attitude problems.”
It is certainly true that the frustrations of
living with a learning disability can cause a loss of self-esteem, and this in
turn can look like “a bad attitude.” But
this is a result and not a cause of a learning disability. It is critical that faculty and staff
understand the level of dedication many students with LD. They tackle college
with the knowledge that, in many cases, they will need to put in double the
effort of students without learning disabilities. A little understanding can go a long way to
help these students retain the level of confidence and motivation they will
need to succeed here.
Accommodating the needs of a student with learning disabilities means watering down course requirements.
Teaching a student with ADA-related learning needs does not mean “less.” It may, however, mean “different.” The instructional goal should be to find ways to work around the area of deficit in order to impart and to evaluate the same body of information and sets of skills.
Students use learning disabilities as an excuse to get out of
work.
Students with learning disabilities may need help from their professors and TAs to see the essential information in a course. Their purpose is not to avoid work, but rather to focus their efforts. Many students with LD routinely invest far more effort in their studies in comparison to their non-LD peers.
Accommodations for disabilities give students an unfair advantage.
Without modifications, common forms of instruction and examination often inadvertently measure a student’s disability rather than his or her knowledge of the subject at hand. For instance, a student with dyslexia may perform poorly on an essay exam question, even with a large fund of knowledge on the topic, because the dyslexia makes on-the-spot writing very difficult. An alternative form of examination may factor out the dyslexia and allow the instructor to measure the student’s understanding of the subject instead of the degree of disability. Good accommodations aren’t unfair; they level the playing field.
To receive accommodations, students in the College must forward appropriate documentation to the Local Disability Resource Coordinator in Learning Assistance Services. Disability documentation must be certified by a licensed physician, psychologist, audiologist, speech pathologist, rehabilitation counselor, physical therapist, occupational therapist, or other professional health care provider. Documentation must reflect the student’s present level of functioning with respect to the major life activity affected by the disability.
The diagnostic report should
include, where appropriate, specific recommendations for accommodations as well
as an explanation as to why each accommodation is recommended. In some circumstances, the University may
request that a student obtain additional documentation to further support
specific test results or clinical observations.
In documenting a learning disability, individuals should follow the
guidelines as set forth by the Association on Higher Education and Disability
(AHEAD). These guidelines are readily available at www.rochester.edu:80/ada/sa_guideline.html
or upon request at LAS.
The cost of obtaining professional documentation is borne by the student. If the initial assessment provided by the student is deemed incomplete or inadequate, the University has the discretion of requiring a supplemental assessment. The cost of the supplemental assessment is also borne by the student. In the event of the need for a second professional opinion other than the supplemental assessment described above, the University will bear any cost not covered by a third party. In circumstances in which the cost of providing documentation of a disability increases the student’s cost of obtaining an education, the University will consider such expenses in the student’s financial package.
Requests for Further Review
If a student is dissatisfied with a decision concerning accommodations, both informal and formal processes are available for further review. The initial review consists of an informal analysis of all relevant materials by the Local Disability Resource Coordinator, in consultation with the appropriate committees. The purpose of this local review is to mediate and resolve differences.
If a student is dissatisfied with the decision made at the
informal level, the student may formally
request that the decision be reviewed by the Dean or Director of the school or
by his or her designee. The Dean or Director
may request a report and recommendations from the University Disability
Resource Coordinator and, when appropriate, the Eligibility Assessment
Team. A final appeal may be made to the
Provost who may accept or reject the appeal or, at his or her discretion,
assign it to a designee.
Campus Resources
University Disabilities Resource Coordinator (UDRC)
The UDRC chairs the University Disability Resources Advisory Committee and coordinates the activities of the Eligibility Team. The team is convened by the UDRC on an as-needed basis to review documentation to determine eligibility for accommodations, to provide advice about accommodations, to assist Local Disability Resource Coordinators and members of their schools in understanding how to accommodate a student’s disability.
Contact person: Kathy Sweetland, UDRC
ksweet@admin.rochester.edu
Wallis Hall 24
585/275-9125 voice
585/765-0165 fax
Learning Assistance Services
Learning Assistance Services reviews the documentation of students in the College who arrive on campus with previous assessments. The director of LAS serves as the Local Disability Resource Coordinator for the College. Counselors are available to help students plan any needed accommodations and to offer learning support throughout their years here at the University. LAS can also provide preliminary learning disability screening, as well as referrals off campus for in-depth testing. This program also assists with academic accommodations, e.g., hiring notetakers and scribes, providing assistance with alternative examinations, and other services where needed.
Contact persons:
Vicki Roth Pamela Spallacci
Assistant Dean Disability Support Coordinator
Local Disability Resource Coordinator for the College
for the College pspallac@mail.rochester.edu
vrth@mail.rochester.edu Lattimore 107
Lattimore 107
585/275-9049 voice
585/275-9048 tty
585/273-1116 fax
Other Local Disability Resource Coordinators
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Lisa Norwood 585/275-4155
Eastman
School of Music
Phyllis Wade 585/274-1200
Simon School of Business
Donna Lampen-Smith 585/275-8177
Warner School of Education
Brenda Grosswirth 585/275-1009
School of Medicine and Dentistry
Brenda Lee 585/275-4537
(Medical Students)
Linda Lipani 585/275-7288
(M.A. and Ph.D. Students)
School
of Nursing
Deborah Boyd 585/27-2717
Office of the Dean of Students
Jody Asbury
Morey 310 585/275-4085
The College Center for Academic Support
Suzanne O’Brien
Lattimore 312 585/275-0969
University Counseling Center
Karen Platt
Towne House, Suite 161-12 585/275-3113
Dewey 4-160 585/275-2361