Self-Advocacy

A Positive Choice

15/Oct/2011 12:07 PM

The stress is increasing and the stakes are high. Colleges say they are looking for well-rounded students, with good academics in a challenging curriculum, extracurricular activities that support their passions, and volunteer experiences in their local and global communities. In addition to taking challenging curriculums, such as IB programs, AP courses, and pre-college post-secondary programs, many students are finding other ways to enhance their high school transcripts. Some participate in summer internships, volunteer in global service projects, or travel abroad to gain experience in the world, while others do it all.
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Self-Advocacy Opens Doors

04/Sep/2010 11:59 AM

More and more students with learning disabilities are attending college; however many of these students are not performing as well as their non-disabled peers. Why? According to the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2, completed in 2009, fifty-five percent of postsecondary students who were identified by their secondary schools as having a disability did not consider themselves to have a disability by the time they transitioned to postsecondary school. Thirty-seven percent of postsecondary students with disabilities identified themselves as having a disability and informed their postsecondary schools of their disability. Twenty-four percent of postsecondary students who were identified as having a disability by their secondary schools were reported to receive accommodations or supports from their postsecondary schools because of their disability. In contrast, when these postsecondary students were in high school, 84 percent received some type of accommodation or support because of a disability.

What happened here? Why are students thinking they no longer have a disability, when it has impacted their education all through school? Read More...

A New Year Ahead

04/Aug/2010 08:15 PM

Labor Day is almost here and school is about to begin again. A clean slate and a whole new year of challenges, excitement, and anticipation lies ahead. Most of us recall wanting to return to school that first month to reconnect with friends that we missed over the summer, to hear about the upcoming school events, and feel like we had a new start. For the student with learning disabilities, ADHD, or any other school struggles, this first month is also filled with feelings of trepidation. Will her new teachers understand her? Will her classmates accept her? Will she be able to keep up with the work? Read More...

Assistive Technology Offers Increased Independence

05/Jun/2010 06:37 PM

How tech-savvy is your high school student? He may use various devices to text, play games, listen to the latest beat, and even write school papers. But is he able to use those same devices to enhance his learning? Are you familiar with the term “assistive technology”? A formal definition states that Assistive Technology (AT) is technology that enables people with disabilities to perform tasks that were formerly difficult or impossible to accomplish. In today’s technological world, AT aids in breaking barriers, creating greater independence, and reducing the stigma of learning differently.Read More...