Four questions to ask at the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities

If you have a learning disability and want to go to college, you should consider personally visiting each college you hope to attend to see how they fit your needs. Colleges are required by law to accommodate students with learning disabilities; making a visit to the disability services office is key during your college search. Here are some questions to ask to ensure your needs are properly accommodated:

How many students use these services?

One of the first questions to ask the disability services department is how many students are using their offerings. While they can’t tell you what the particular disabilities of the students are, they should be able to give you an exact number of how many are being assessed by the office. This is important to know because that number will often indicate how many resources are available to students. Offerings will vary widely from school to school, so it’s a good idea to find out how much support already exists before you sign up.

What accommodations are offered?

Second, you should ask what kinds of accommodations will be provided if you attend that school. Some examples would be proctored exams, vision assistance, sign language assistance, note-taking services, and memory assistance. Be sure to ask what is being done to help with your particular learning disability so you know what to expect. If accommodations for your disability are not offered, ask what will be done to make sure you have the help you need.

How are exams handled?

Many students with learning disabilities have difficulty taking tests. Because of this, universities will give students the opportunity to use the services of a proctor when taking an exam. The proctor may assist the student by reading the test to the student or providing other accommodations that the department deems necessary. If you need a proctor, you will be asked to work with the instructor to schedule a time for you to take the exam. She will need to take the exam separately from the rest of the class, so she will need to reserve a room in advance.

Are your graduates successful?

You should also ask about the success rate of graduates who used the college’s disability services office. They should be able to give you the graduation rate for these students, as well as a breakdown of the various degrees they have earned. This can give you an idea of ​​how helpful college was for these students who had to deal with learning disabilities. If you have a good feeling about those results, it can help influence your decision one way or another.

Visiting colleges is the perfect way to discover what resources are available to your students. Stopping in and talking to the head of the disability services department and some of the counselors can be a helpful way to make a final decision about your choice of college.