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On This PageRefer a Student to DSPSType of Disabilities

Dear Glendale College Faculty,

Thank you for taking the time to peruse our web site. We feel very fortunate to be working with dedicated professionals such as yourself: individuals who are invested in the academic success of all of their students.

It is hoped that the information found on these pages will be useful to you in your efforts to understand and educate students with disabilities. However, each student is unique and can present particular challenges to you as an educator. We invite you to contact any one of us at any time, to map out a strategy for working with a specific student. Although we have an obligation to protect the confidentiality of our students, we can obtain the student's permission to speak with you candidly.

We very much look forward to collaborating with you on the success of our shared students.

The DSPS Staff

How to Refer a Student to DSPS

Oftentimes as instructors increase their disability awareness, they begin to recognize some of the more common characteristics of a disability in their students. They may feel a student in one of their classes could stand to benefit from the services that DSPS provides.  And yet, they are hesitant to approach the student about this. 

One cause of this discomfort is due to the stigma brought on by a lack of knowledge about disabilities.  Many students do not have a clear understanding of what a learning disability is. They may equate it with being stupid, or unable to learn. No one wants to be viewed as different, much less disabled. Acceptance of disabilities is also influenced by culture. 

Another factor that makes it somewhat tricky approaching a student about services is the reluctance to breech a student’s right to privacy and confidentiality.  The instructor can’t just come out and ask a student if he has ever had Special Education services.

The key lies in your understanding of, and acceptance of disabilities. Your attitude as the instructor is contagious and will infect your students.  When you accept students with disabilities as just one subset on the continuum of learners, your students are likely to follow suit. The more comfortable you are, the more comfortable they will be.

When speaking privately with an individual student whom you suspect of having a learning disability, try the following:

  • Give specific examples of the reason for your concerns.
  • Ask the student to describe his educational history. Listen to determine if the difficulties are long-standing or situational.
  • Ask what she is doing, or would be willing to do, to improve her academic performance.
  • Inform the student that there are services available that address learning difficulties, helping students to be more successful (specialized tutoring, learning strategies and techniques, extended time to take tests, etc.)
  • Share the document Invitation to Explore a Learning Assessment with the student.
  • Offer to help the student get an appointment with a DSPS counselor.

Thank you for your commitment to the academic success of all your students.

Here we are providing a quick list of the most important points to keep in mind when accommodating students with disabilities.  For more detailed information, please peruse the other sections of our faculty resource guide.

PLEASE DO:

  • be assured that students who are receiving services from DSPS have submitted professional documentation verifying their disabilities.  It's been approved by DSPS and accommodations are authorized based upon the educational limitations resulting from the disability;
  • include and refer to the Senate adopted syllabus statement regarding students with disabilities;
  • respect the student’s right to privacy;
  • respect the student’s right to reasonable accommodations.  If you object to an authorized accommodation, do follow Administrative Regulation 5140 to resolve the issue; 
  • recognize that students can be easily intimidated if they sense you disapprove of an accommodation.  Oftentimes students will relinquish their civil rights to accommodation, rather than risk antagonizing the instructor;
  • assume we are taking the security of your tests seriously, and are monitoring the students at least as closely as you could in the classroom, if not more closely;
  • remember that DSPS faculty and staff are here to help, so don’t hesitate to contact us at extension 5905 if you have questions or concerns.

 PLEASE DON'T:

  • discuss the student’s disability-related issues in front of others; 
  • ask what their disability is or why they need an accommodation.  Their right to confidentiality is protected by law;
  • single out students who require accommodations;
  • tell a student you object to an accommodation.  Do speak to whomever approved the accommodation instead; 
  • alter, or allow the student to alter the approved accommodations without consulting with whomever signed the authorization;
  • assume you can provide an appropriate testing situation by proctoring the student yourself.  Extended time is only one reason we authorize test proctoring.  There are also a number of educational limitations that are accommodated by providing a distraction reduced proctoring room;
  • make comments to the class regarding your personal views on the use of accommodations;
  • make a blanket statement that audio recording is prohibited – recording is a reasonable accommodation for many students with disabilities.

The use of extended time and/or a quiet room to take course exams is a highly used, highly effective accommodation for students with so many different disabilities.

What to do

Test proctoring by DSPS is done in in the ARC (Accommodations Resource Center) which is through the large electronic doors on the first floor of San Gabriel, SG 108 and 110.

What not to do

A student’s right to confidentiality is protected by law.  Please don’t ask them what their disability is or why they need accommodations.  Be assured we have done that and we are abiding by the law.

If there is something you want to change about the arrangements the specialist has listed on the form, please talk to the specialist, not the student.

Don’t tell the student you can accommodate him in the classroom.  You don’t know that.  You don’t want to insist on an arrangement that would have negative consequences for the student.  Talk to the specialist.

How students benefit from test proctoring accommodations

Students with learning disabilities may need extra time for a myriad of reasons.  They may be slow to process what they read or slow to retrieve information from memory, or slow to retrieve expressive vocabulary.  They may need the extra time to proofread their work for visual errors, like reading a + as a x sign.

Students with physical impairments may need the extended time to utilize adaptive technology or for breaks.

Students with chronic illness or psychiatric disorder may be heavily medicated, and need time to work through the brain fog. 

Students with clinical anxiety disorder use the time and a quiet room to calm themselves. 

Students with attention deficit disorder or Autism may need extra time and a quiet room to focus their attention on the task. 

Is it an unfair advantage

It has been falsely asserted that any student would score higher, given more time.  What is true about course material is that either you know it or you don’t, and if you don’t know it, no amount of extra time will help. 

At Glendale College, we typically authorize double the amount of time given to the rest of the class. 

Test accommodations allow students with disabilities the opportunity to access the information they do know, so that you can fairly grade their mastery of your course material.

We have never met a student who liked having a disability.  They may appreciate using DSPS services, but every one of them would prefer not having to use them.

Obtaining accurate and comprehensive lecture notes is imperative for success in many college courses.  Because there are a number of physical and cognitive challenges that hinder note-taking abilities for many students with disabilities, the provision of note-taking assistance is an essential service provided by DSPS.  These services come in two forms:

Note-taker or shared notes

Students with this approved accommodation present a signed letter from DSPS to their instructors, requesting that the instructor ask the class for a volunteer to share his or her notes.  Note takers are provided two-part carbonless copy paper, with which they can write their notes and provide copies to the students with disabilities. They are rewarded with a stipend in the form of a bookstore voucher.

If you are presented with such a letter, please allow the student his/her right to confidentiality.  Do not address the student directly in front of the rest of the class.

Electronic Recorders

Glendale College recognizes the use of electronic devises for the recording of class lectures as a reasonable accommodation, as stated in Administrative Regulation 5500, Part C, #22.  Electronic devises that may be used include the following:

  • Digital recorders
  • Smart phones
  • Smartpens
  • Personal notepads or computers with recording apps such as Sonocent, AudioNote, Evernote and OneNote

Instructors who are uncomfortable with having their lectures recorded may ask the student to obtain and sign a contract from DSPS that includes the following stipulations:

The student will not:

  • sell or distribute the recordings in any form;
  • utilize them in any way that would hinder the instructor’s ability to copyright, or defame or dishonor the instructor
  • record any classroom discussion that is personal in nature.

Every otherwise qualified student with a documented disability has the following rights:

  • equal access to courses, programs, services, jobs, activities, and facilities available through the college;
  • reasonable and appropriate accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids determined by the CSD on a case-by-case and/or course-by-course basis;
  • appropriate confidentiality of all information pertaining to the disability with the choice of to whom to disclose the disability, except as required by law;
  • information reasonably available in accessible formats.

Every otherwise qualified student with a disability has the responsibility to:

  • meet the requisite qualifications and essential technical standards, both academic and institutional;
  • identify him/herself in a timely manner as an individual with a disability when requesting an accommodation from the appropriate service provider;
  • provide documentation from a qualified source that verifies the nature of the disability, functional limitations, and the need for specific accommodations;
  • follow specific procedures for obtaining reasonable and appropriate accommodations, academic adjustments and services.
  • adhere to the Glendale College Student Code of Conduct.

There are two important reasons for faculty to be aware of their rights and responsibilities in regard to students with disabilities:

  1. to increase your effectiveness as an educator in meeting the learning needs of all of your students;
  2. to avoid potential litigation resulting from an infringement on the civil rights of a student with disabilities.

Responsibilities and Courtesies
Be specific about necessary reading materials and have this information available at least a month before the start of the class. Many students may need alternate media, such as Braille or etext; these formats take considerable time to create. Allow these students the opportunity to access your reading materials on the first day of class.

Make yourself approachable to students with disabilities. During the first class and in the course syllabus, announce that you are willing to work with DSPS to accommodate qualified students.  GCC's Academic Senate adopted the following statement for instructors to include on their syllabi:  "All students with disabilities requiring accommodations are responsible for making arrangements in a timely manner through the Center for Students with Disabilities." 

Respect the student's right to confidentiality. Do not discuss the student's needs with the class or in front of the class.

If a student brings you an authorized request for accommodation, please honor it. Don't tell a student she will be better off taking the test in class.  That student may have special considerations about which you are unaware, so that taking the test in the class would put her at a disadvantage.  If you don't agree with an accommodation, or wish to modify it in any way, please contact the DSPS professional who approved it.

Give an outline of the course and explain course requirements clearly. As with all students, those with disabilities benefit from a well-organized approach to course material.

Providing Academic Adjustments for Students with Disabilities
"Students with disabilities have the right to receive reasonable academic adjustments in order to create an educational environment where they have equal access to instruction without fundamentally altering any course, educational program or degree.” (GCC Board Policy 5140)

What is a "qualified student with a disability?"

  • One who has provided the CSD valid documentation of a disability;
  • One who can meet the prerequisite academic and technical standards of the course;
  • One who, with accommodation, can perform the essential tasks of the course.

What is a "reasonable academic adjustment?"

  • One that is based on documented individual needs; 
  • allows the most integrated experience possible; 
  • does not compromise the essential requirements of a course; 
  • does not pose a threat to personal or public safety; 
  • does not impose undue financial or administrative burden;
  • is not of a personal nature.

It is a service of the CSD to determine who is a qualified student with a disability and what is a reasonable academic adjustment. We accept the responsibility of adhering to established professional guidelines in making these determinations, so that our faculty can trust our judgments to be ethically and legally sound.

You have the right to expect the same quality of work from a student with disabilities as you do from your other students. You are not doing them a favor by accepting inferior work, by assigning mercy grades, or by passing a student who has not mastered the course material.

You have the right to question an unauthorized accommodation. If a student requests an accommodation without authorization from DSPS, instruct the student to first get the approval of his counselor or specialist.  If you are unsure about the request, please contact us.

You have the right to expect the same standard of behavior from students with disabilities as from other students. All students need to adhere to the GCC Student Code of Conduct.

You have the right to preserve the principles of academic freedom and maintain the highest level of academic standards. However, you must do so without impinging on the basic civil rights of students with disabilities.

In order to achieve this, examine each course you teach and determine essential content and procedures. Ask yourself such questions as,

  • What is the purpose of the course?
  • What are the skills or competencies needed in the field after graduation?
  • What methods of instruction and assessment are absolutely necessary?
  • What are acceptable levels of performance on these measures?

Program requirements outside of these parameters would then be considered for reasonable accommodation to otherwise qualified students on a case-by-case basis. Here's an example. Most instructors would agree that it's important for students to attend class. You may have an attendance requirement that students must meet to pass your class. What if a student with a medical or psychological disability enrolled in your class and was unable to meet that requirement? He may, for instance, be having difficulty regulating medications. If this student demonstrates to you that he has mastered the course material, and meets all the other requirements of the class, then it would not be correct to fail this student simply because they failed to meet the attendance requirement.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states that:

"No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States. . . shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity provided by an institution receiving federal financial assistance."

In 1977, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare established guidelines for implementing Section 504. Case law has continued to contribute to guidelines for considering accommodation requests. These regulations include the following points:

  • Services provided to individuals with disabilities should be as effective as those provided to others.
  • There is no obligation to ensure identical results or levels of achievement.
  • They must be given equal opportunity to gain the same results or levels of achievement.
  • Postsecondary institutions are not required to compromise on requirements that are essential to the program or course of instruction or that are directly related to licensing requirements.
  • If there is content or a process that is not essential to the evaluation of mastery of a course, the postsecondary institution must alter methods of evaluation in order to best ensure that test results reflect student achievement rather than areas of disability.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990

The ADA was passed in order to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities. It is civil rights legislation that affects some 43,000,000 Americans with disabilities

Provisions of the ADA

Title I. Title I covers nondiscrimination in employment activities

Title II. Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits state and local governments from discriminating on the basis of disability. It is divided into two subparts. Subpart A requires that state and local government entities and programs be made accessible to persons with disabilities. Subpart B requires that public transportation systems be made fully accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities.

Title III. Title III covers the accessibility and availability of programs, goods, and services provided to the public by private entities.

Title IV. Title IV requires that telecommunication services be made accessible to persons with hearing and speech impairments and has specific reference to the development of telecommunications relay systems and closed-captioning technology.

Title V. Title V of the ADA contains miscellaneous provisions that apply to all of the other titles as well.

Facility Access

The ADA requires existing facilities of Title II entities to be accessible to the extent that access is not an undue burden. All Title II entities must have a Transition Plan which lists, specifically, when and how existing architectural barriers will be removed. For new construction or renovations, the college must be in compliance with Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) or the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG), without the elevator exemption. The choice of standards must be consistent within a single building.

Application to Higher Education

Unlike Section 504, The ADA applies to all institutions of higher education regardless of receipt of Federal funds. The U.S. Department of Education enforces Title II in public colleges and universities.

Types of Disabilities

Disabilities and Methodologies

Every student is unique; each has a particular blend of educational strengths as well as challenges. As with the rest of the GCC student population, students with disabilities can be found along the entire spectrum of cognitive abilities and academic potential.

Of course they don't all fit neatly into the categories listed here; comorbidity of more than one disability is not uncommon. Please use this information as a starting point in building or advancing your understanding of the nature of the various disabilities.

We have included methodologies for your consideration in working with students with disabilities in your classrooms. Many of the ideas are just plain good pedagogy, and would be beneficial to all your students in increasing access to course content.

Our lists are not exhaustive. We welcome contributions from our faculty of techniques that have worked favorably in your classrooms.

Visual Impairments

Students with visual disabilities are at a great disadvantage academically. Though they can hear lectures and discussions, students with visual disabilities are often frustrated by class syllabi, textbooks, chalkboard diagrams, overhead projections, films, maps, videos, printed exams, Scantron answer sheets, laboratory demonstrations, and Internet websites designed to be navigated by clicking on images.

Students with visual disabilities vary considerably. Some have no vision, others are able to see large shapes, and still others can read standard print if magnified. Visual disabilities are so varied that it is often difficult to detect such a student in the classroom or on the campus. The student may appear to get around without assistance, read texts, and/or even take notes from the chalkboard. However, in most cases some form of assistance is needed.

Depending on their disabilities, they use a variety of accommodations, equipment, and compensatory strategies. Most students with visual disabilities take advantage of assistive technology. Computers can enlarge print; convert printed material to Braille; read the text on a computer screen aloud; or scan books, articles, and other printed materials and then read their text. Some students also use audiotape recorders, portable note-taking devices, or talking calculators.

It takes a considerable amount of time to produce textbooks in an alternate format. Therefore, it is vitally important that instructors select their textbooks and make this information known well before the start of a class.

Some students use aids such as guide dogs. These dogs are trained to move at the direction of their masters and are well-disciplined to function in group settings. It is important to note that guide dogs are not to be petted or distracted in any way while they are on duty. Guide dogs are allowed by law in all college buildings, including laboratories, food services areas, classrooms and administrative offices.

Other students may use white canes, and a few use special electronic sensing devices to enhance mobility. Special considerations may be needed for the student who is visually impaired when a class is moved to a new location, when a group goes on a field trip, or when the furnishings in a room are moved for a special program.

Working with Students with Visual Impairments

  • Provide reading lists or syllabi in advance to allow time for arrangements to be made, such as  etext or Brailling of texts and handouts.
  • Allow the student to use note-taking devices such as Braille-writers and note-taking services provided by CSD.
  • Allow audio recording of lectures and class discussions.
  • Team the student with a sighted classmate or lab partner.
  • Reserve front seats for low-vision students. Make sure seats are not near or facing windows.
  • Glare from the light can make it hard for a student to see the instructor or the board.
  • Verbalize the content printed on transparencies, on the chalkboard, or when using computer projections such as PowerPoint.
  • Face the class when speaking.
  • Provide large print copies of classroom materials by enlarging them on a photo copier.
  • Be flexible with assignment deadlines, especially if library research is requested.
  • If a specific task is impossible for a student to carry out, consider an alternative assignment.
  • Arrange with High Tech Center to provide alternative testing formats (e.g. oral, large print, bold print, Braille or recorded).
  • Allow extended time for tests when recommended by DSPS.
  • Other adaptations suited to specific situations (such as tactile materials in presenting graphs or illustrations, or "real-time" interpretation of video or stage presentations) may be helpful.

Hard of Hearing and Deaf

Hard of hearing is defined as an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a student's educational performance. Deafness is defined as a hearing impairment that is so severe that the student is hindered in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification. Thus, deafness may be viewed as a condition that prevents an individual from receiving sound in all or most of its forms.

A vital aspect of working with deaf and hard of hearing students is obvious, but often forgotten: no two deaf people are alike. As with hearing people, they are individuals who possess unique learning styles. The ways in which a deaf person learns are dependent on several factors:

1. Type of Deafness

  • Conductive Loss - generally treatable by a physician and accounting for 5% to 10% of all hearing loss
  • Sensorineural Hearing Loss - damage to the nerves of the inner ear. Cannot usually be "fixed."
  • Mixed Loss - mixture of both sensorineural and conductive losses
  • Progressive Hearing Loss - worsens over the course of time

2. Time of Onset

  • Prelingual Deafness - deafness that occurs before the child has the opportunity to learn and begin speaking
  • Postlingual Deafness - deafness that occurs after the child has learned the parents' native spoken language

3. Familial Communication System

  • Over 90% of children who are deaf have parents who do not learn sign language. Consequently, most children who are deaf do not have any formal communication system when they start school.
  • Oralism (lip reading) is sometimes used. However, only 30% of the English language can be read on the lips and the reader must already be familiar with the word to read it on the lips.
  • American Sign Language is the preferred language of adults who are deaf/hard of hearing. Children from deaf families who learn ASL as their primary language typically perform commensurate with their hearing peers in school.

Working with Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

  • Reserve front row seat(s) if possible. Seats should be away from windows as sunlight may cause glare making it difficult to see you and/or the interpreter. In general when speaking to a DHH person, make sure that the light source is behind the DHH person.
  • Try to be sure there is an interpreter chair (without arms if possible) available in front of the classroom, facing the DHH student.
  • Face the class when lecturing whenever possible. DHH students prefer to alternate between watching the interpreter and watching the instructor.
  • The student may take some notes, but a note taker will also be provided in the classroom.
  • If recommended by the CSD, the student may make arrangements with you to take class tests in the Instructional Assistance Center or the High Tech Center.
  • Use visual cues whenever possible.
  • Allow the student access to new concepts or vocabulary before introduction or discussion in class.
  • When addressing the student, or during class discussions, remember to allow time for your question or comment to be interpreted to the student as well as allowing time for the student to process what has been communicated.
  • Some long verbalizations can be signed in a very short time while other short verbalizations may seem long in their interpretation. This happens because of the syntactical and semantic components of sign language. There is not a one-to-one correlation between an English word and American Sign Language sign.
  • Speak directly to the student. Do not ask the interpreter to “tell him/her.”
  • A small number of DHH students, who do not use sign language as their primary communication tool, use a Real Time Captioner (RTC) in the classroom. In this instance, the RTC types everything that is said in the classroom via laptop, and the student reads it in real time on the screen. In this case, the student and the RTC must sit next to each other, and the RTC will require electrical outlets for the equipment. Again, the student needs to sit in the front of the classroom and away from glare.
  • Some students rely on lip reading to help them understand what is being said. Lip reading is an aptitude that is NOT dependent on the level of hearing loss. Some profoundly deaf people are excellent lip readers while some hard of hearing people with a good deal of residual hearing are not as skilled. Also, a word that is not in the receiver’s vocabulary cannot be lip read. If a student prefers to lip read, please speak at a normal rate and volume. Do not exaggerate movements. If you notice the student is not understanding you, it is more beneficial to re-phrase the communication rather than repeat what has already been said.
  • In using interpreters in the classroom please remember:
    • They are there to provide a fluid and uninterrupted flow of information. The interpreter is not only facilitating communication for the DHH student; they are also facilitating communication for you.
    • They should not be asked to pass out papers, turn off lights or any other classroom activity. It is simply not their job.
    • They will interpret EVERYTHING you say. Do not say to the interpreter, “Don’t interpret this.” They are required to interpret everything that is said in your classroom.
    • Do not engage the interpreter in private conversations even if the class is busy with an assignment.
    • Do not ask the interpreter to monitor the class during a test or assignment so that you can leave the classroom.

What is a Learning Disability?

There are a number of definitions of a learning disability. We use the definition that is given in Title V of the California Code of Regulations. All of the California Community Colleges utilize this same definition. We follow the guidelines set forth by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

A more accurate term is learning difference. The brain has many functions, including processing information that comes to it through the senses, focusing on it, working with it, memorizing and recalling it. Everyone’s brain develops differently, giving us unique strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes there are very significant differences in a person’s abilities, so that the brain works very well at some tasks, but others cause great difficulties. When these difficulties are so great that they have a negative impact on academic achievement, we call this a learning disability.

To qualify as having a learning disability, a student must display the following attributes:

  • Average or above intelligence
  • Educational background necessary for college level work
  • A significant discrepancy in the ways information is processed
  • A significant difference between cognitive ability and academic achievement in at least one area.

Some of the More Common Characteristics

Every learning disability is unique. These are just some examples of typical difficulties:

  • It takes you forever to read an assignment. You have to start a paragraph over several times. You’ll read for awhile, and then realize you haven’t been taking any of it in and have to start all over. It takes you twice as long to read an assignment as it does everybody else.
  • Your spelling is terrible. Perhaps you get the beginning and ending of the word spelled correctly, but the middle is a mess. You can’t remember whether to use their, they’re or there. Sometimes it’s the little words that you confuse, like was and saw, or then and than.
  • You have great thoughts, but you don’t know how to put them on paper in an organized form so they make sense to your instructor.
  • You find it difficult to take good notes. You can’t write and listen at the same time. The instructor goes too fast. It takes too long to copy things from the board.
  • You are often late for class. You probably forgot to bring something. You write notes all over the place, and then can’t find where you wrote them. If you have a 3-ring binder, you probably don’t put your papers in it, separated by subjects or filed by dates.
  • You can’t trust your memory. You know something one day, and then it’s gone the next. You study hard, and then forget everything when you go to take the test.
  • If you have to take a timed test, you’re doomed. You don’t think well under pressure, get distracted by the other people in the room, and run out of time before you can get your thoughts down.
  • You just don’t get math. You make careless errors, like adding instead of subtracting. You don’t know all of your multiplication tables. Algebra is beyond you.
  • You have difficulty with directions. Either you don’t read them correctly, get confused when they are too long, or forget what you were supposed to do.

Not everyone who experiences these difficulties has a learning disability. And not everyone with a learning disability experiences all of these difficulties. This list gives you an idea of how a cognitive processing problem can affect a student’s academic achievement.

Working with Students with Learning Disabilities

  • Provide a detailed course syllabus. Make it available before the beginning of the semester.
  • Go over your syllabus at the first class meeting. Clearly spell out expectations: grading, attendance, materials to be covered, due dates, and participation. Stick to your syllabus.
  • Include a statement in your syllabus such as the following: All students with disabilities requiring accommodations are responsible for making arrangements in a timely manner through the Center for Students with Disabilities.
  • Respect the students' rights to confidentiality and fair treatment. Do not discuss their disability in front of other students, nor take any action that could single them out or embarrass them.
  • Many students with learning disabilities dislike reading out loud in class. If this is a standard practice, let the student know ahead of time what you will be asking them to read, giving them a chance to practice.
  • If students are afraid of being called on in class, they will miss much of what is being said. In private, arrange to use a cue such as standing directly in front of students right before you are about to call on them. This will allow them to relax the rest of the time and pay attention.
  • Only call on students when you are relatively sure they know the answer. This gives them the chance to experience success and be a part of the class.
  • Give students ample time to answer the question. Remember, they need time to process the question first, before they begin to formulate an answer.
  • Do not expect that, because you said something once, the student caught, or understands what you said. Be redundant about important information, and provide plenty of opportunities for questions. Give clear assignments and directions both orally and in written form.
  • Try to avoid expressing annoyance when a student asks a question that you just answered.
  • Be aware of the classroom environment. Ask the student to sit close to you, and away from windows and doors. Keep the doors closed if possible. Be sure there is adequate ventilation and lighting. Allow the student to wear earplugs during tests.
  • Speak in a clear voice, and don't go too quickly. If you have an accent, make sure your students can understand you. Avoid talking while writing on the board. Provide enough time for students to take notes. Give several examples of key points.
  • Provide information through a multi-sensory approach. Provide handouts of key information that are typed in black ink, with plenty of space for writing notes.
  • Make your organization overt. Start each class with a review of previous material. Outline on the board what you will be covering. End with a summary of important points.
  • If a student has difficulty taking notes, allow them to use a tape recorder.
  • Distribute samples of finished papers or well-written essay exams as examples, or post a model at the front of the class.
  • Provide study questions for exams that demonstrate the format as well as the content of the test. Explain what constitutes a good answer and why.
  • Provide opportunities for peer study or exam review groups.
  • Provide opportunities for review sessions before each exam.
  • Allow a student to preview or review material presented on overhead transparencies/slides/PowerPoint either before or after class.
  • Provide frequent feedback opportunities. Make sure students know how they are doing in your class.
  • Encourage students to use campus support services.

Psychological Disabilities

People with severe psychological disabilities have some structural and biochemical characteristics in their brains that are different from those of people who are not mentally ill. With appropriate treatment, the vast majority of psychological disorders are effectively controlled, and for some individuals, the psychological condition is only temporary or situational. Treatment, which often combines medications and therapy, can effectively address a person’s symptoms and return them to be functioning members of society.

Problems related to providing educational support services to students with a history of mental illness are founded in the misconceptions and stigmas about the illness. Common myths about psychological disabilities often cause college faculty and staff to be reluctant to approach students realistically because of fears that the students are very fragile or could be violent. In reality, people with mental illness do not commit more violent crimes than the rest of the population. Although comparatively few students with psychological disabilities may react to stress by becoming agitated or even threatening, faculty who are aware of this kind of disability report that incidents of disruptive behavior by individual students can often be predicted, and, therefore, prevented.

Working with Students with Psychological Disabilities

The CSD staff may help students with psychological disabilities to identify and explain their functional classroom limitations, such as difficulty with oral presentations, or the need to accommodate side effects of medications (e.g. excessive thirst, skin irritations, agitation, frequent bathroom visits, etc.).

  • Referral to campus mental health services for personal counseling
  • Extended time for exams or a distraction-reduced exam environment
  • Note-takers, readers, recorders
  • Modification in seating arrangements
  • Incomplete or late withdrawals, rather than failures, in the event of prolonged illness-related absences or crises
  • Time management and study skills assistance.

Acquired Brain Injury / ABI

Brain injury can occur in two ways:

  1. a result of external events, such as a head trauma resulting from a severe blow, motor vehicle accident, or
  2. a result of internal events, such as cerebral vascular accident, strokes or tumors.

The consequences of brain injury are many and complex. The structures of the brain and their role in thinking and doing may be the most complex puzzle in science. For our educational purposes, understanding how the brain functions differently after injury has much greater importance than knowing the cause or type of the injury.

There is great variation in the possible effects of a head injury on an individual. Injuries may result in some degree of impairment in the following functions:

  • Memory - Memory difficulties are probably the most common characteristic of students with brain injuries, and present the greatest challenge for learning. The primary problem is a decreased ability to store information and recall it at a later time. The storage and retrieval of pre-injury memories or previously acquired knowledge may be surprisingly intact.
  • Distractibility – Poor attention and concentration, often caused by poor filtering or processing of sensory information, may reduce the ability to focus long enough for learning to take place.
  • Speed of Thinking –New information may take longer to process effectively.
  • Communication-Language functions such as writing, reading, speaking, listening, and "pragmatics" may be impaired. Communication pragmatics problems are interrupting, talking out of turn, dominating discussions, speaking too loudly or rudely, or standing too closely to the listener.
  • Spatial Reasoning refers to the ability to recognize shapes of objects, judge distances accurately, navigate, read a map, visualize images, comprehend mechanical functions, or recognize position in space. Mathematic abilities are linked to spatial reasoning.
  • Conceptualization – Deficits of this type may reduce the ability to categorize, sequence, abstract, prioritize, and/or generalize information.
  • Executive Functions - The ability to set goals, plan, and work methodically toward a goal, especially with any mental flexibility, may be impaired. The difficulty may show as disorganization and poor problem solving and judgment especially with time and money.
  • Psychosocial - Some common types of psychosocial disabilities may appear as depression or withdrawal, poor insight, poor reality orientation, low frustration tolerance, heightened irritability, restlessness, anxiety, emotional instability, impulsiveness, poor social judgment, euphoria, apathy, fatigue, and/or poor personal hygiene.
  • Movement, Vision, Hearing, and Physical Disabilities - Specific somatic impairments may be present after an injury.

Students with Orthopedic / Mobility Impairments

A variety of mobility-related disabilities result from neuro-muscular and orthopedic impairments. These disabilities may be congenital or they may be the result of an accident or illness. They may include conditions such as spinal cord injury, paralysis, cerebral palsy, severe forms of arthritis, polio/post polio, spina bifida, orthopedic injury, amputation, cardiac conditions, cystic fibrosis, later stages of AIDS, stroke, and muscular dystrophy. Although many muscular and mobility impairments are visible, many are not.

The degree of severity of the disability and resulting limitations varies with each condition. Some are such that the person experiences pain or lack of coordination. In other conditions, there are intermittent flare-ups and periods of remission, when the student seems to have no impairment of function.

A number of students who use wheelchairs are able to stand but not walk any distance. Some can walk short distances with the aid of mobility equipment, such as canes, crutches, braces, or walkers. Access to facilities is a major concern for students who use wheelchairs or other mobility equipment.

Working with Students with Mobility Disabilities

  • Many of these students will need note takers, recorders in class, and/or adjustable height desks or tables. The CSD can help with these accommodations.
  • Some students will need extended time and/or special arrangements for test-taking (e.g., word processor, scribe, audio-taping answers or oral exams) which can be arranged through the CSD.
  • If you intend to hold a class in a new location or go on a field trip, check to be sure that the new site is accessible. If the college provides transportation for field trips, it is required to provide accessible transportation for the student with mobility issues as well.
  • Some students will require help manipulating tools and/or laboratory equipment. An assistant or lab partner, who functions as the student’s hands or legs, also may be needed.
  • When speaking with a student who is a wheelchair user for any extended period of time, you may want to sit down.
  • Talk to the student and/or the student’s counselor about whether the disability affects his/her ability to do activities needed for your course and about particular accommodations.

Other Disabilities

A number of students on campus who are registered with the CSD have illnesses or medical conditions that do not fit into any of the major disability groups previously outlined. Their illnesses or conditions may affect their energy level, memory, mobility, speech, vision, and/or muscular control. In some cases, the degree of impairment may even vary from one day to the next because of the nature of the medical condition, medication received, or therapy. Illnesses may not follow a set course or may be progressively debilitating, which can cause emotional issues for the student.

Some of these disabilities may include HIV/AIDS, allergies, arthritis, burns, cancer, cerebral palsy, chronic pain, diabetes, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, heart disease, hemophilia, lupus, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, renal-kidney disease, respiratory disorders, sickle-cell anemia, stroke, Tourette’s Syndrome, among many others.