Disability Services

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Advising Tips

When working with Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities may experience increased risks related to academic performance and overall ability to succeed in college than many other students. Disabling conditions may contribute to these problems in both obvious and invisible ways, impairing the student's general coping abilities. To reduce complications and stress for the student, it is helpful for all of us to work together to provide advising that incorporates tips about information and resources that can lead to success. These might include the following ideas:

• Review the term deadlines, e.g. full refund; schedule changes, pointing out where they are listed in the catalog / schedule; use a highlighter pen to make them visible to the student for future reference.
• Support ways to reduce heavy homework courseloads that can exaccerbate disability-related stress or reduce endurance. This may involve reducing credits or may involve taking 1-2 classes that are less academically rigorous, or exercise the brain in different ways (e.g. PE, Music, or Drawing... to balance out a term with math and history courses).
• Encourage students to meet with Disability Services staff and utilize accommodations. If you sense there is a problem, or if the student seems confused about his/her eligibility or accommodations, contact a DS advisor to facilitate a resolution.
• Contact Disability Services to arrange collaborative meetings or student staffings to better understand the particular issues of concern and success strategies for a particular student.
• Encourage students to meet with an advisor / counselor in their major area each term to assure they are registering for appropriate classes as indicated by placement test scores.
• Remind students of the Financial Aid standards that will affect their status (Good Standing, Probation, Suspension).
• Determine appropriate referrals for academic support, based on placement tests and disability issues (ABSE, College Core, ALS, etc.)
• Utilize other campus resources, such as TRiO, Tutoring, Health Center, Counseling & Advising, etc.
• Questions? Contact Disability Services at 463-5150 or drop by 1/218.

Disability Services : Student Services building (#1), room 218
(541) 463-5150 voice, (541) 463-3079 TTY only, (541) 463-4739 FAX