Information for parents and students

TRANSITION TO POST-SECONDARY STUDIES Information for parents and students

differences • Different educational system – post-secondary is adult-centered • Students no longer “exceptional”; they are “disabled” • Different criteria for services – must prove a disability to receive services • Different services and accommodations • Different expectations of students, parents, professors and counsellors (e.g. often no resource room)

A few Differences • Secondary School • Exceptionality • Right to service based on Education Act • Services based on educational needs • Modifications may be permitted • Post- Secondary • Disability • Right to service based on Human Rights Code • Services based on compensating for effects of disability • No modifications in program allowed

exceptionality • Not a post-secondary category • Behaviour • Communication (autism, language impairment, speech impairment, learning disability) • Intellectual (giftedness, mild intellectual disability) • Physical (blind, low vision, mobility) • Multiple

Post-secondary disability categories • Acquired brain injury • Autism spectrum disorder/ Asperger’s • Attention deficit disorder • Chronic illness/systemic/medical • Deaf, deafened, hard of hearing • Learning disability • Low vision, blind • Mobility/functional • Psychiatric • Other (communication disorders, mild intellectual disability)

Human rights and college policy Student’s Responsibility: • Notify the college of need for service • Provide documentation of disability • Meet the published learning outcomes of courses College’s Responsibility: • Abide by the Human Rights Code • Make education accessible to the student • Respect the student’s privacy and dignity Students must self-advocate!

Documentation • Medical , physical or psychiatric: Letter or medical form from physician or qualified practitioner • ADHD: Letter or medical form from physician or psychiatrist or assessment from psychologist • Hearing Loss: Audiology report • Learning Disability: Assessment report from psychologist ; IPRC statement • Other: Letter or medical form from qualified practitioner (speech pathologist)

DOCUMENTATION FOR LD • 3 levels of documentation for students with learning disabilities • Access to services and accommodations may vary, depending on the level of documentation

Documentation – level 1 • IEP where there is no clear diagnosis • Educational assessments with evidence of academic difficulty • Partial report

Documentation • Possible Accommodations for Level 1 Documentation: • Peer note sharing • Extra time for tests and exams • Reduced course load (60% for OSAP purposes) • Access to computer lab with adaptive technology • Peer tutoring

Documentation – level 2 • Diagnosis of learning disability, but needs updating • Eligible for all level 1 accommodations, as well as: • Access to Bursary for Students with Disabilities • Can receive textbooks in alternate formats from publishers • Possible extended accommodations for tests • Reduced course load (40% for OSAP purposes) • Tuition cap • Note taking services, coaching, external tutoring

Documentation – Level 3 • Level 3 • Current and full assessment, which meets all diagnostic criteria • Eligible for all preceding accommodations plus • Testing accommodations for provincial licensing bodies (College of Nurses etc.)

Bursary for students with disabilities • Bursary can be used for services and equipment • Must qualify for OSAP to be eligible • Must work with Accessibility staff to apply • Must indicate a permanent disability on the OSAP application form • Equipment received through the bursary belongs to the student

Preparing for post-secondary • Encourage students to think about: • Their learning strengths and needs • Their interests, hobbies and extracurricular activities • Program requirements and demands • Amount and kinds of support available at the school • Financial issues; student loans, scholarships, bursaries • Campus location and size • What the community offers

Preparing for post secondary • Students should: • Assemble their documentation before leaving secondary school • Be able to explain their disability, their strengths and their needs • Self-identify to Accessibility Services as soon as they accept an offer of admission – cannot identify on college application • Check early to see if their documentation will be accepted by the college or university of their choice

A word about transitions • Remember that making a transition can be challenging and confusing • Take an active role in your son’s or daughter’s transition planning • Do not assume that you know what your teen needs • Encourage your teen to take an active role in making decisions, planning and researching

Thanks! Questions, comments? Contact us – we want to help! Accessibility Services Fanshawe College Room F2010 519-452-4282 success@fanshawec.ca

Information for parents and students