| More and more of today's high school students | | | | when at college. In high school, the law demands |
| who struggle with a learning disability are not | | | | that the school identify and help LD students, but |
| letting that keep them back, but are heading off | | | | not so in college.Students with learning disabilities |
| to college in spite of their disability. There are | | | | need to make special preparation for the |
| several steps of preparation that students who | | | | transition into collage life. Students need to be |
| have learning disabilities can take to make the | | | | aware of the options they have for college. Some |
| transition from high school to college as smooth | | | | colleges have open admission policies, which allow |
| as possible. These preparations start in high | | | | anyone with a high school diploma to enter the |
| school.First, students who have learning disabilities | | | | college. Others have selective criteria and may |
| need to work on developing self knowledge while | | | | only accept students with a certain GPA or test |
| in high school. They need to understand what | | | | score. There are also two types of colleges |
| learning style works best for them. They need to | | | | based on the length of the education. Two-year |
| have an arsenal of learning strategies in hand that | | | | colleges usually have open admissions policies and |
| they know will allow them to achieve success in | | | | allow the student to earn an Associates Degree. |
| school. Such strategies might include asking for | | | | These are sometimes referred to as Community |
| extra time to take tests, listening to books read | | | | Colleges. Four-year colleges or universities are |
| out loud instead of reading them, or making up | | | | often more selective in their admissions |
| acronyms to help them remember important | | | | acceptance and offer more specialized degrees. |
| material.Next, the learning disabled student needs | | | | Some colleges have programs designed for |
| to understand the legal rights that he or she is | | | | students with learning disabilities. Those with |
| entitled to. The Individuals with Disabilities Act | | | | severe learning disabilities should seek one of |
| (IDEA), which was passed in 1990, protects the | | | | these institutions.Just because a student has a |
| confidentiality of records, so colleges do not have | | | | learning disability does not mean that he or she |
| access to any disability records. Because of | | | | cannot and should not pursue higher education. |
| Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the | | | | The law demands reasonable accommodation for |
| Americans with Disabilities Act, colleges cannot | | | | those with LD at colleges and universities. LD |
| discriminate in accepting students with learning | | | | students who are planning to go to college need |
| disabilities. Students with learning disabilities have to | | | | to have a good understanding of their own |
| be allowed reasonable modifications in order to | | | | learning strategies and what helps them learn best. |
| complete their education, such as extra time for | | | | By doing some research and planning well for the |
| tests, alternate test forms and other things. One | | | | transition, even students with learning disabilities |
| difference at college over high school is the | | | | can succeed and even thrive in the college setting. |
| student must take the initiative to request help | | | | |