This guide offers guidance to college instructors about working with students who have communication-related disabilities including speech, language, hearing, emotional, or medical disorders. It offers some general accommodation strategies including a statement in the syllabus encouraging students to discuss any special needs with you, ask the student to share successful strategies with you, select course materials and media early to allow time for procuring alternate formats, and use multiple...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Classroom Communication, Communication...
This paper aims to explain effects of acoustical environments in sound perception of hearing impaired people. Important aspects of sound and hearing impairment are explained. Detrimental factors in acoustic conditions for speech perception are mentioned. Necessary acoustic treatment in classrooms and use of FM systems to eliminate these factors are suggested.
Topics: ERIC Archive, Hearing Impairments, Auditory Perception, Acoustics, Classroom Environment, Assistive...
The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) is a national survey periodically conducted to assess school health policies and practices at the state, district, school, and classroom levels. This brief contains information on asthma relative to health education, physical education and activity, and health services. Included is data on the percentage of states and districts that required provision of asthma-related services and percentage of schools that provided these services....
Topics: ERIC Archive, National Surveys, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Allergy, Educational...
In a new study under the Institute's Changing Dimensions grant from the Ford Foundation, the dilemmas facing policymakers dealing with students with disabilities are examined. As students with disabilities move toward equal opportunities in elementary and secondary education, policymakers have placed greater emphasis on equal access to postsecondary opportunities. This report focuses on the special barriers to equal educational opportunity in higher education faced by students with disabilities...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Higher Education, Disabilities, Educational Policy, Academic Accommodations...
This brief paper provides specific suggestions to help science teachers make the necessary accommodations to include students with disabilities in science instruction. Suggestions are organized under the two broad headings of difficulties in gaining knowledge and difficulties in demonstrating knowledge. Under each category specific student learning difficulties are paired with several possible accommodations. Examples include: student difficulty with taking notes in class because of a mobility...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Disabilities, Elementary Secondary Education,...
This paper provides a review, followed by a critique, of Kenneth M. Coffey and S. John Obringer's article entitled "A Case Study on Autism: School Accommodations and Inclusive Settings." Coffey and Obringer's intriguing and informative article provides new insights regarding the effects of autism socializing disorder (ASD) and its impact on a growing number of school-age children throughout the United States. It consists of an excellent case study from two sets of semi-structured...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Autism, Criticism, Inclusive Schools, Case Studies, Siblings, Academic Accommodations...
It is perhaps unfortunate that enabling technologies do not come with an "ability warning", as they generally require the user to already have acquired a certain level of IT skills, in a similar way that online courses require users to have a certain level of prior IT knowledge. Accessing a computer and making the most of e-learning materials requires support at both the curriculum and technological levels, and some students find it easier to work with computers than others. Dyslexic...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Electronic Learning, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), College Students,...
This guidance provides States with detailed information about how best to use and implement alternate achievement standards. The development of alternate achievement standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities and their use for making adequate yearly progress (AYP) decisions is authorized under a Department regulation (34 C.F.R. Part 200) published on December 9, 2003. Since the publication of this regulation, the Department has announced its intention to issue a...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Disabilities, Accountability, Academic Standards, State Standards, Severe Mental...
In spite of almost 30 years of judicial and federal agency interpretation, the issues facing colleges and universities with respect to students with disabilities have become increasingly complex, in part because of the increasing number of college-ready students with disabilities and the expectations they bring to higher education. Many such students do not understand that educators in K-12 have very different obligations than those in higher education. Colleges only have an obligation to...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), College Students, Compliance (Legal),...
This tipsheet offers suggestions for the instructor who has a student with both a vision and a hearing loss, stressing that the first step is to talk with the student to determine what modifications are necessary. Specific recommendations are offered for the following areas: (1) use of student aids/accommodations (such as interpreters, notetakers, readers, and assistive listening devices); (2) physical classroom accommodations (lighting, seating, etc.); (3) use of handouts/ad hoc materials...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Accessibility (for Disabled), Deaf Blind,...
This publication presents guidelines for parents and educators in making appropriate decisions about participation in the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MACS) tests for students with disabilities, and it describes commonly used test accommodations. State law requires the participation in MCAS of all students who are educated with Massachusetts public funds. During its annual meeting each disabled student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) or "504" Team will...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Disabilities, Elementary Secondary Education,...
Research has shown that both young children with disabilities and their peers benefit from participating together in quality programs and community activities. However, inclusive opportunities for young children with disabilities are often not systematic, comprehensive or necessarily of high quality. Cross-agency dialogue and commitment among multiple federal, state and local early childhood programs and services are necessary for identifying and implementing effective and efficient inclusion...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Early Childhood Education, Agency Cooperation, Academic Accommodations...
Developed a 62-item survey to identify those service components that postsecondary disability practitioners consider essential for assurance of equal educational access for students with disabilities. Found that standards related to policies and procedures and to information dissemination were considered of high importance. Recommended these standards to the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD). (EV)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Disabilities, Educational Policy, Equal...
Since the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997, schools have been committed to working toward inclusion of students with physical, mental, sensory, and emotional challenges in the classroom. Yet even with the best of intentions, barriers to learning science have emerged. These barriers include inadequate equipment, communication difficulties, insufficient numbers of instructional assistants and tools in the classroom, and lack of overall administrative...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Science Education, Scientific Literacy, Inclusive Schools, Disabilities, Federal...
Schools today are faced with an ever-growing number of case law regulating them with regards to students with disabilities. This regulating does not only occur with students with disabilities, but also with their participation in interscholastic sports (Sullivan, 2000). Schools are charged with providing equal education for a variety of students, not just in the classroom but in school programs as well. This article deals with a hypothetical situation that involves a student with a 504 plan....
Topics: ERIC Archive, Extracurricular Activities, Disabilities, Adapted Physical Education, Related...
This paper discusses issues related to testing accommodations for the disabled, focusing on the provision of extra time in testing. Recent research on learning styles and multiple intelligences makes the case for allowing for student individuality in instruction, but considering these theories in designing test accommodations could lead to endless changes. Among the questions that must be considered when state mandated tests are given is whether the student would be hindered in indicating what...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Disabilities, Educational Policy, Elementary...
The evidence, largely anecdotal, suggests that disability support service providers in higher education are serving an increasing number of students with psychiatric disabilities. This paper discusses the responses of college disability support services. Many factor complicate the delivery of services for students with psychiatric disabilities, and the nature of such disabilities makes them challenging to accommodate. Students with current documentation of a psychiatric impairment who request...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), College Students, Disabilities, Emotional...
More and more high school students with disabilities are planning to continue their education in postsecondary schools, including vocational and career schools, two- and four-year colleges, and universities. Students with disabilities need to be well informed about their rights and responsibilities as well as the responsibilities postsecondary schools have toward them. Being well-informed will help ensure that they have a full opportunity to enjoy the benefits of the postsecondary education...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Disabilities, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Postsecondary Education, Civil...
Presents 27 Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) program standards across 9 categories. Discusses myths challenged by these standards and the implications of the standards for the future of disability services in postsecondary education. (EV)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Disabilities, Educational Policy, Equal...
The focus of this issue of "NetNews" is dyscalculia, or math disability. Most of the attention over the years has been on reading and writing difficulties, thus leading to the belief that math difficulties are not very common or serious. However, it has been estimated that about 6% of school-age children experience significant math difficulties. Although this is far less than the estimated 20% incidence rate for reading difficulties, today's world calls for strong mathematical...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Mathematical Aptitude, Numeracy, Mathematics Education, Learning Disabilities,...
This study assessed the learning outcomes of students with disabilities who attended the "New Student Orientation Program" at California State University, Northridge in the fall 2003 semester. Forty-two students completed a locally developed pretest and posttest that contained 25 core questions. These questions covered the content areas of accommodation services provided, student advocacy, office location, and timelines to acquire accommodations. A comparison of the pretest scores to...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Academic Achievement, College Students,...
A language/learning disability (LLD) is a disorder that may affect the comprehension and use of spoken or written language as well as nonverbal language, such as eye contact and tone of speech in both adults and children. Most research, treatment, and support resources emphasize childhood LLD, but the problems do not disappear once a person has reached adulthood. Many people with LLD can use intelligence to cover their difficulties, but other adults need guidance, resources, and professional...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Adults, College Students, Higher Education,...
This article presents a Wisconsin post-secondary guide to disability documentation. The guide will assist organizations to determine their role in understanding needed documentation for students with disabilities transitioning from PK-12 to Wisconsin postsecondary education. This Guide provides the following: (1) Summary of Applicable Laws; (2) Guiding Principles for Disability Documentation; (3) Elements of Proper Documentation of the Disability; (4) Resources; (5) Websites; and (6) Examples...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Educational Legislation, State Legislation,...
The number of students with documented learning disabilities (LD) enrolled in postsecondary settings has increased steadily over the past 20 years. Providing "reasonable" accommodations significantly increases the probability of success for these students. The present study investigated the willingness of postsecondary instructors to provide accommodations and alternative courses. Results indicated that instructor willingness to provide accommodations and their support of course...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Learning Disabilities, College Faculty, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),...
A strong preference within IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) is that children with disabilities are educated in neighborhood schools and general education classrooms (including physical education) whenever appropriate. Consequently, the general physical education class should be considered as the first physical education placement option. This paper discusses some background information of least restrictive environment (LRE) as it applies to physical education, and then...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Disabilities, Physical Education, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),...
Students have long regarded science as a difficult subject because of hard and abstract concepts. Traditional science teaching has been depended mostly on visual instruction. This makes it difficult for visually impaired (VI) or partially sighted students included in regular classrooms to learn the concepts. Blind students on the other hand, have no visual input at all. They need to learn using other senses such as touching and hearing. Classrooms should be adapted and instruction should be...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Visual Impairments, Special Education, Special Needs Students, Science Instruction,...
In order to address the significant gap in the availability of information on postsecondary students with disabilities in Illinois, the Illinois Board of Higher Education funded a three-year project to develop a disability metrics model to improve accountability efforts and strategic policy development. The Metrics on Disability and Postsecondary Education (MDPE) team designed the model to determine the extent to which the needs of students with disabilities were being met throughout their...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Higher Education, Disabilities, College Students, Accountability, Measurement,...
This article, from the "Journal of College Admission's" Special Diversity Issue, which in its entirety has won the 1997 Muir Award, discusses various misconceptions regarding individuals with multiple learning disabilities and whether or not these individuals should consider college as an option. The author contends that students with learning disabilities have both strengths and weaknesses. While they may learn in unique ways, these differences do not imply that their capacity to...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Higher Education, Learning Disabilities, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),...
Presented in a question-and-answer format, this paper discusses educational requirements under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It addresses: (1) eligibility for a 504 accommodation plan; (2) what is meant by reasonable accommodation; (3) what is meant by the "substantially limit a major life activity" standard; (4) the "major life activity" provision; (5) differences between special education and Section 504; (6) the eligibility of some students for Section...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Classroom Environment, Classroom Techniques,...
Surveyed faculty at community colleges in Mississippi about their knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 concerning treatment of individuals with disabilities, modifications to college programs, and academic adjustments. Findings suggest that faculty have very limited knowledge of the ADA's implications for faculty, student, and staff responsibilities or rights. (EV)
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), College Faculty, Community Colleges,...
Epilepsy is a seizure disorder. According to the Epilepsy Foundation of America, a seizure happens when a brief, strong surge of electrical activity affects part or all of the brain. About three million Americans have epilepsy. Of the 200,000 new cases diagnosed each year, nearly 45,000 are children and adolescents. Following a brief story of a child named Jeremy, this fact sheet provides the following information to inform anyone who lives or works with a child having Epilepsy: (1) A...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Epilepsy, Seizures, Children, Adolescents, Incidence, Definitions, Symptoms...
This study explored how students diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) enrolled at public and private universities in southwestern Arkansas survive college. Interviews were held with 10 such students. The resulting theory derived from the information provided by these students includes themes related to student attitudes about their diagnosis, adapting to college, and recommendations for students, college personnel, and parents. The most important recommendation...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Attention Deficit Disorders, College...
Until recently, many students with disabilities were excluded from large-scale assessments, such as those mandated by states. Recent federal and state policy initiatives, including the most recent reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, require that the large majority of students with disabilities be included in statewide assessments used in accountability systems. Most observers agree that educational outcomes for students with disabilities were inadequate before...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Disabilities, Elementary Secondary Education,...
Classroom teachers are assuming more and more responsibility for meeting the needs of students from a larger number of diverse backgrounds and with increasingly diverse special needs. Many practicing teachers identify students with special needs as their greatest concern and challenge, but often one of their greatest rewards. One way of differentiating instruction to provide Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is through WebQuests. WebQuests, inquiry oriented activities in which most of the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teaching Methods, Technology Uses in Education, Educational Technology, Student...
This pamphlet, in Spanish, intended for postsecondary students with disabilities, explains the rights and responsibilities of these students and the obligations of a postsecondary school to provide academic adjustments. The federal legislation on which the information is based is described. Information for students is presented in question and answer form. Topics covered include denial of admission because of disability, academic accommodations, documentation needed to establish disability...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Civil Rights, College Bound Students, College...
This bulletin provides information to Missouri school districts on grading, credits, and graduation for students with disabilities. It reviews the difference between the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and discusses discrimination toward students with disabilities and its prohibition in Section 504. State guidelines are then provided, including: (1) any specific graduation requirements may be waived for a student with a disability...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Credits, Degree Requirements, Disabilities,...
This report discusses the Regular Education Initiative (REI) and how it is currently being implemented in a middle school in Illinois, how it potentially benefits students, and how to promote use of accommodations by all teachers. Accommodations and modification appropriate to the Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) of nine students with learning disabilities, as well as compensatory strategies to promote independent learning, were integrated into the regular education content matter of...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Academic Achievement, Classroom Techniques,...
As the title states, this article is a collection of musings with only modest attempts at establishing an order for them or connections between them. It is not quite "free association," but it is close. This structure or perhaps lack of it reflects the variety of things we do in our work. Many of the things we do have little in common with each other than providing access. Topics discussed include working with Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies, parents of students with disabilities,...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Disabilities, Related Services (Special Education), Vocational Rehabilitation,...
Program evaluation is rapidly becoming the norm in higher education and this includes disability services. Postsecondary institutions increasingly encourage disability service programs to demonstrate accountability specified through appropriate benchmarks. However, professionals in disability service offices typically report that while they understand and value the need to evaluate their programming, they are often too overwhelmed with the daily needs of individual students to find the time to...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Expertise, Program Evaluation, Disabilities, Program Effectiveness, Colleges,...
Different evaluation methods are applied in order to determine and develop the skills used for reading comprehension. Cloze is an informal evaluation method which is used to determine students' current reading knowledge, to develop their focusing skills on contextual cues and to enhance critical reading. Cloze involves evaluating readers' prior knowledge on the subject matter, their comprehension of information provided in the text, linguistic knowledge, and thinking skills. Through this...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Cloze Procedure, Reading Comprehension, Evaluation Methods, Reading Instruction,...
The Federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) both emphasize the need for students with disabilities to have appropriate instructional and statewide assessment accommodations to ensure access to the general curriculum and to be included in school, district, and state accountabilities systems. However, initial research indicates that teams making decisions about instructional and statewide assessment accommodations and teachers...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Personnel, School Districts, State...
This manual is a guide to providing accommodations and modifications for students with disabilities enrolled in vocational and adult general education programs in Florida. The first chapter briefly describes the programs available to students with disabilities, explains the difference between "accommodations" and "modifications," and discusses issues of legal compliance, eligibility, and the decision-making process. The second chapter describes instructional strategies for...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Adult Basic Education, Compliance (Legal),...
Cerebral or cortical visual impairment (CVI) is not the unknown condition it was 50 years ago. Although research had been conducted and papers published, it was not until the 1980s that it really became an issue of concern and much debate for educators. This interest was primarily sparked by the increasing numbers of children who had been diagnosed with the condition and the prolific efforts of many medical and nonmedical individuals and institutions. During that time, wide variations were...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Visual Impairments, Eligibility, Related Services (Special Education), Definitions,...
The process of developing and implementing a 504 plan is different from that of implementing an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). This author has been a teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students under the Special Education Department in Prince William County Schools for 11 years. She had never had a student referred to the team that handles evaluations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973--until Mary. Mary had received special education services for her profound hearing...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Deafness, Partial Hearing, Feedback (Response), Individualized Education Programs,...
Accommodations are an important part of paper and pencil testing. They give students with disabilities and English language learners (ELLs) access to the assessment and provide results that have greater validity for those students. This Brief addresses the need to think carefully about accommodations when moving from paper-based assessments to technology-based assessments. It highlights questions to ask and introduces topics needing clarification by the Consortia. Among the topics are...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Second Language Learning, English (Second Language), Limited English Speaking,...
"Learning Results" legislation clearly articulates that all students will be included in state assessment at the fourth grade, eighth grade, and eleventh grade levels. The Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) has been revised to measure the standards detailed in Maine's "Learning Results." All students in Maine will participate in the state level assessment, the MEA, through one or a combination of three avenues. Students will take the assessment through standard...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Policy, Alternative Assessment, Testing Accommodations, Academic...
Despite the increase of individuals with psychological disabilities (PD) attending college and universities, students with PD are less likely to complete their college programs than their nondisabled peers and peers with other disabilities. This qualitative study examined the perceptions and beliefs of individuals with PD attending a four year university regarding faculty characteristics and behaviors that promote academic achievement, as well as faculty behavior and characteristics that...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Undergraduate Students, Mental Disorders, Disabilities, Academic Achievement,...
This paper describes the process by which Metropolitan State College of Denver (MSCD), Colorado, developed a training program for faculty and staff to inform them about the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The process developed by this college can serve as a model for others. The most important single factor in program success was determined to be the involvement of all levels of the institution. At MSCD, the process began with the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), College Faculty, Higher Education, Program...
LDA (Learning Disabilities Association) of Minnesota receives many calls and emails regarding testing accommodations for large-scale testing programs. Callers include the test-takers themselves, parents, teachers, counselors, advocates, and an occasional attorney. The standardized tests they ask about include the GED, SAT and ACT (for college application), LSAT (for law school entry), MSAT (for medical school entry), or PRAXIS (for teacher licensure). Most express frustration and even...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Testing Accommodations, Testing Programs, Standardized Tests, Measures (Individuals),...
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education is providing the information in this pamphlet to explain the rights and responsibilities of students with disabilities who are preparing to attend postsecondary schools. This pamphlet also explains the obligations of a postsecondary school to provide academic adjustments, including auxiliary aids and services, to ensure that the school does not discriminate on the basis of disability.
Topics: ERIC Archive, Pamphlets, Disabilities, Postsecondary Education, Student Rights, Academic...
