Disability Studies DQ 4

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18 | W I N T E R 2 0 0 6 JOURNAL OF COLLEGE ADMISSION W W W. N A C A C N E T. O R G

Hidden Disabilities: Another Diverse Population

By Marybeth Kravets College Counselor

Deerfield High School, IL

Number 152/153 Summer/Fall 1994

Walking into my 3rd grade classroom one would see:

a chalkboard facing the door

12 desks facing the chalkboard

a teacher’s desk with a big

red apple on it

and a reading corner far to

the right past

the teacher’s desk

Walking into my 3rd grade

classroom one would hear:

12 kids talking, laughing

and learning together

12 students learning how

to spell, read and

write

But if one would look

closer, one would see,

1 single child

1 lonely single child not

laughing or talking

1 child just sitting there, in

the middle of the

classroom, with her head

on her desk

That child is me

Deborah

Senior creative writing class

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE:

“I urge students with learning disabilities and

their families to demand the services they need

and to be patient with those of us in the education

establishment as we seek to understand. I also

encourage educators at all levels to be sensitive

to and aware of these individuals as resources and

work diligently with them to provide educational

opportunity to all.”

WINNER 1997

This article is from

the Journal of College

Admission’s Special Diversity

Issue, which in its entirety,

won the 1997 Muir Award.

19WINTER 2006 JOURNAL OF COLLEGE ADMISSION |W W W. N A C A C N E T. O R G

Misconception

Individuals with multiple learning disabilities should not con-

sider college as an option.

Deborah was diagnosed at the age of two with severe mul-

tiple learning disabilities followed by a negative prognosis. All

the professional diagnosticians did not believe that an academic

future would be possible for Deborah; a traditional elementary

or high school experience and college were never discussed with

even a glimmer of hope. Today, Deborah is completing her junior

year in college. She is also on the dean’s list and is researching

graduate school options. Deborah is one of the fortunate students

who had supportive parents, excellent academic assistance and

fine college guidance. Multiple learning disabilities are not a life

sentence to being tracked out of a postsecondary educational

experience. Deborah has come a long way, but the rest of us still

have a long way to go.

I am reminded about a childhood game by Dr. Richard

Lavoie.1 Begin a story about anything and say the first four lines.

Now pretend you are the next person to carry on the story, and

add four more lines. Now it is the third person’s turn, but let’s

change the rules. Continue the story, but you cannot use any

words that contain the letter “N.” You are probably slowly con-

tinuing the story, but the story line has been downgraded to very

short, unimaginative and rather boring words.

This drill requires a compensatory strategy to process words

for the game. For many of us this is not a difficult task and cer-

tainly not too stressful or to frustrating. However, consider the 10

percent of our college-bound population with diagnosed learn-

ing disabilities, many of whom must contend with this type of

language processing deficit on a daily basis. These are students

with learning disabilities, occupying seats in high schools and

colleges all over the country, and competing academically with

peers who are learning-abled. This is a diverse population that

has defied the odds, advocated for services and is just beginning

to emerge as a group seeking higher education.

Misconception

The term “learning disability” is the same as “mental retarda-

tion” or “slower learner.”

We’ve come a long way since 1960 when the term “learning

disabled” was coined. Prior to that time students with hidden

disabilities were often labeled retarded and tracked for options

after high school that did not include college. As a matter of fact,

this is evidence that learning disabilities have been understood

for years:

• Charles Darwin was considered by his masters… “a very ordi-

nary boy, rather below the common standard in intellect”

• Albert Einstein did not speak until [the age of] four or read

until [he was] seven. “His teacher described him as “mentally

slow, unsociable and adrift forever in his foolish dreams”

• Louis Pasteur was only a mediocre pupil in undergraduate

studies and ranked 15th out of 22 in chemistry

• Thomas Edison’s teachers reported that he was too stupid to

learn anything.2

Today, any one of these famous individuals probably would

be diagnosed as having a learning disability.

More than nine percent of today’s college freshmen (more

than 140,000 students) report having a disability, and students

with hidden disabilities (learning, attention deficit disorder and

other health-related disabilities) account for more than half of

all freshmen with disabilities. In 1988 fewer than 20,000 col-

lege students reported having a learning disability, and in 1994

this number rose to close to 50,000.3 The good news is that

professionals are doing a better job of identifying and diagnos-

ing students with learning disabilities. With earlier identification,

students are developing compensatory skills and seeking higher

education in greater numbers than ever before. The bad news is

that the climate for individuals with hidden disabilities appears

to be making a U-turn back to being less sensitive, more skepti-

cal and less agreeable to giving students accommodations. While

more students are being identified and labeled, more eyebrows

are being raised from disbelievers.

Recently a major east coast university made one of the larg-

est U-turns. According to an article in the New York Times, this

university is requiring all enrolled students receiving accommo-

dations for hidden disabilities to provide updated testing, recer-

tifying the disability and specifically listing all required accom-

modations. Previously, documentation had been required upon

enrollment in order to receive services, but now these students

have until the summer of 1996 to provide documentation of their

disability that has been done in the last three years. For those

who do not have current documentation, this could mean paying

from $500–$1500 for retesting. “I was outraged,” said a current

junior, who is receiving accommodations including note-takers,

extended time for tests and the opportunity to take tests in a

Multiple learning

disabilities are not a life

sentence to being tracked

out of a postsecondary

educational experience.

WINNER 1997

20 | W I N T E R 2 0 0 6 JOURNAL OF COLLEGE ADMISSION W W W. N A C A C N E T. O R G

quiet room. “I was born with these disabilities, I’ll die with them,

and it’s inane and unnecessary to ask us to go out and spend

$1,000 to be re-evaluated. They’re not asking blind and deaf

students to get recertification that they still can’t see or hear. It

feels like they’re trying to make us uncomfortable because they

don’t believe learning disabilities are real.”4

What are the laws protecting individuals with learning dis-

abilities? Are all the students who are exhibiting characteristics

of a learning disability being diagnosed? How are colleges han-

dling applications from students who self-disclose a learning dis-

ability or other hidden disabilities? How level is the playing field

for this diverse group of students?

Misconception

Learning disabilities do not exist if they are hidden.

The first formal definition of learning disabilities was written

in 1968 and finally became Public Law 94-142. Ultimately the

definition was revised many times to reflect the continuing aware-

ness of the fact that learning disabilities are lifelong and do not

appear in adulthood. The National Joint Committee on Learning

Disabilities revised the definition in 1988. It states that:

“Learning disabilities” is a general term that refers to a

heterogeneous group of disorders, manifested by significant

difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking,

reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical abilities. These

disorders are intrinsic to the individual, presumed to be due

to central nervous system dysfunction and may occur across

the life span. Problems in self-regulatory behaviors, social

perception and social interaction may exist with learning

disabilities but do not by themselves constitute a learning

disability. Although learning disabilities may occur concom-

itantly with other handicapping conditions (for example,

sensory impairment, mental retardation, serious emotional

disturbance) or with intrinsic influences (such as cultural

differences, insufficient or inappropriate instruction), they

are not the result of those conditions of influences.5

Public Law 94-142 (The Education for all Handicapped

Children Act of 1975) and amended by Public Law 101-476

(The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990-IDEA

and 1991-IDEA) is a federal statute that guarantees that all chil-

dren are entitled to a multidisciplinary evaluation and appropri-

ate assistance for a diagnosed learning disability.

Some of the students not meeting the criteria for services

under PL 94-142 may be covered under Section 504 of the Re-

habilitation Act of 1973. This act is a civil rights act that institu-

tions or organizations receiving federal funding (this includes any

institution receiving more than $2,500 in grants, financial aid or

other federal assistance) may not discriminate against “otherwise

qualified individuals solely on the basis of a disability” and must

address the needs of children who are considered “handicapped.”

“Handicapped” is defined as a person who has physical or men-

tal impairments which substantially limit a “major life activity”

such as walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing and learn-

ing. This definition also includes attention deficit disorder with or

without hyperactivity and learning disabilities.

According to Dr. Susan Vogel of Northern Illinois University,

“the major underlying disorders in basic psychological processes

include difficulties in discrimination (e.g., in perceiving differ-

ences between two similar but unlike sounds, words or symbols),

in retaining what is heard or seen, and in expressing what one

knows either through oral or written language.”6

Misconception

Individuals with attention deficit disorder are not protected by

Section 504.

While the laws require identification, diagnosis and imple-

mentation of an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) for students

In elementary school

and high school the

school district and

parents work as a team,

but in college there are

no parent advocates and

no laws guaranteeing

the right to a college

education. Most

college administrators

and faculty have had

very little experience

with the laws and

accommodations for

learning disabilities.

WINNER 1997

21WINTER 2006 JOURNAL OF COLLEGE ADMISSION |W W W. N A C A C N E T. O R G

in elementary school and high school, the laws are quite differ-

ent in college. In elementary school and high school the school

district and parents work as a team, but in college there are

no parent advocates and no laws guaranteeing the right to a

college education. Most college administrators and faculty have

had very little experience with the laws and accommodations for

learning disabilities. Jeanne Kincaid, an attorney specializing in

this field, explains the law as it applies to colleges and univer-

sities. Section #504 protects individuals with disabilities from

being excluded from participating in any programs or activity

receiving federal financial assistance.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was writ-

ten into law in 1993, provides greater protection to individuals

with disabling conditions. According to Kincaid:

All conditions which entitled a student to receive special

education while attending grade school or high school (e.g.,

mental retardation, learning disability, serious emotional

disturbances, AIDS, cancer, alcohol or drug addiction [so

long as the student is not a current user of unlawful drugs],

environmental illness, attention deficit disorder [ADD/

ADHD], diabetes, asthma, physical disabilities, behavior

disorders, etc.) are examples of disabling conditions and

provide the same entitlement in college.7

Therefore, it appears that Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/

ADHD) is covered by this law.

Misconception

Colleges can ask students about a learning disability on the ap-

plication for admission.

How are colleges dealing with applications from students

with learning disabilities? Colleges generally cannot make pread-

mission inquiries about disabilities. In cases involving the Office

of Civil Rights, colleges have been cited for including questions

on their application for admission that ask applicants if they

have “any disability or handicap” that have adversely affected

their academic record. They have even been cited for requesting

applicants to check a box indicating interest in receiving infor-

mation about disability services. Any question about disabilities

on an application is generally prohibited.

Kincaid points out that “the only legitimate reasons for

colleges to ask about an applicants disability on a college ap-

plication are: 1) if a college has been cited in the past for dis-

criminating against students with disabilities or 2) if a college is

taking action to overcome the effects of not being able to partici-

pate in a federally-assisted program.” However, she warns that

“it is very difficult to separate the legitimate question from an

illegal question.”8 Some colleges have circumvented this situa-

tion by encouraging qualified students with disabilities to apply

for admission and by providing information about how students

can learn about available services. Kincaid suggest that colleges

should avoid checklists or any questions pertaining to disabili-

ties. Colleges can provide information in the college viewbook as

well as in the acceptance letter.

In addition, high school counselors can be very helpful

in guiding students through the search and selection process.

Many colleges require a separate application for a specific I.D.

program. Somehow the existence of these specific services/pro-

grams needs to be conveyed to all students exploring appropriate

postsecondary options. The problem arises when colleges do not

provide information in published materials. This lack of informa-

tion results in many successful college matches not taking place

because students do not know if the college service and/or pro-

grams will match their individual needs, nor are they aware that

special application procedures may be required.

This is somewhat of a double-edged sword. Since students

cannot be prompted on applications to provide information

about their hidden disabilities, they must know to self-disclose

their disability, identify their needs and provide professional

documentation. Yet, thousands of students will not disclose be-

cause of lack of information or fear that disclosure will nega-

tively impact their chances of admission. Legally, institutions

may not deny the student admission because of a self-disclosed

disability if the student meets the academic qualifications for

admission. Students aware of the importance of self-identifica-

tion will want to self-disclose so that colleges may understand

the academic challenges they have successfully navigated. They

will also want to give some explanation of weaker performance

in subject areas that impacted on their areas of deficit. Other di-

verse populations are often actively pursued for inclusion on col-

lege campuses. However, this diverse population of individuals

In cases involving the Office of

Civil Rights, colleges have been

cited for including questions on

their application for admission

that ask applicants if they have

“any disability or handicap” that

have adversely affected their

academic record.

WINNER 1997

22 | W I N T E R 2 0 0 6 JOURNAL OF COLLEGE ADMISSION W W W. N A C A C N E T. O R G

with hidden disabilities is often lacking good information about

services, programs, accommodations and application procedures

at the various colleges.

We have the laws, the providers, the individuals with disabil-

ities, the believers, the converted and the skeptics. So how far

have we really come? What are colleges doing to level the play-

ing field? Among the 3,000 colleges and universities, there are

hundreds of institutions that have special programs for students

with learning disabilities or ADD/ADHD. How do those colleges

determine which applicants to admit without fear of not being in

compliance with the law? How are the applicants being assessed

differently? Can it be true that there are actually colleges and

universities that are comfortable putting their policies in writing

and are actively seeking applicants with learning disabilities to

admit to their institutions?

Misconception

Colleges may deny admission to applicants if they are unable to

effectively accommodate the learning disability.

Students who have taken college admission tests under

non-standardized conditions, (i.e., extended time, reader, taped,

larger print) need to be advised that laws protect them against

decision. Under #504 an institution may not:

• Make a pre-admission inquiry

• Use admission tests or criteria that inadequately measure

academic qualification… because special provisions were

not made

• Use admission standards that have the effect of discriminat-

ing on the basis of the disability

• Limit the number of students with disabilities admitted

• Restrict enrollment into certain colleges of majors based

on disability

• Exclude a student with a disability from a course

• Counsel a student toward a more restrictive career

• Limit financial assistance or discriminate in administering

scholarships, fellowships, internships or assistantships on the

basis of disability

• Measure student achievement using models that adversely

discriminate

• Establish rules and policies that may adversely affect students

with disabilities.

Misconception

All learning disabilities are alike and require the same

accommodations.

Once admitted and enrolled in college, students with learn-

ing disabilities or other hidden disabilities must provide appro-

priate documentation to the director of disability services and the

institution must provide effective accommodations. Documenta-

tion must demonstrate that the disability exists, how it affects

the individual and what specific accommodations are required.

According to Kincaid, examples of reasonable accommodations

that institutions are expected to provide to ensure that the stu-

dent receives an equal opportunity to participate may include:

• Additional time to complete tests, coursework or graduation

• Substitution of non-essential courses for degree requirements

• Adaptation of course instruction

• Tape recordings of classes; modification of test taking/perfor-

mance evaluations.

Institutions of higher education must also provide auxiliary

aids and services such as note takers, readers, taped text and

scribes. According to Kincaid, “Colleges or universities are only

obligated to provide tutorial services to non-disabled students.”

Kincaid points out that both public and private institutions must

provide effective accommodations. However, “they are not re-

quired to provide academic adjustments or auxiliary aids and

services if such provisions would fundamentally alter the nature

of the program or when the academic requirements are essential

to a program of study or to meet licensing prerequisites. An aux-

iliary aid may also be denied when the provision of such would

place an “undue burden” on the institution (significant difficulty

or expense).”9

Misconception

Students with learning disabilities must be dumb or lazy.

Michael Barron, director of admission at the University of

Iowa, said, “Twenty-five years ago when I first became an ad-

mission officer at a medium-sized public university in Texas,

my mentors and colleagues suggested to me that I would en-

counter applicants who had not performed well in high school.

I was told to expect that some of those students would ‘claim’

to have a reading problem and others would actually use the

term dyslexia. It seems that many of my admissions colleagues

were somewhat dubious about the true extent of the disability.

Once admitted and enrolled in college,

students with learning disabilities or other

hidden disabilities must provide appropriate

documentation to the director of disability

services and the institution must provide

effective accommodations.

WINNER 1997

23WINTER 2006 JOURNAL OF COLLEGE ADMISSION |W W W. N A C A C N E T. O R G

It is with horror that I look back on those times when many of

us simply discounted such students as just being lazy, dumb

or underprepared.

We are blessed today by greater knowledge… also by com-

passionate understanding of these individuals who cope with one

or more of the growing list of what we now call learning disabili-

ties. Often these students exhibit superior intellectual capacity

but lack the facility to mark the appropriate bubble or write an

answer on paper in the prescribed time period. They are a re-

source that cannot be overlooked or swept aside by our applica-

tion of some of the more odious and inappropriate labels used

in the past.

…I am pleased to say that now there are many more of my

colleagues who understand these needs and, working carefully

with disabilities specialists and faculty, are developing ways to

provide students with the opportunity for a higher education.

At the University of Iowa, the office of admission has a spe-

cial relationship with the office of services for disabled students

and has operated a very successful program of alternative ad-

mission consideration for such students. A diverse student body

with a variety of talents, interests and backgrounds is necessary

to truly deserve the label “university.” Iowa welcomes applica-

tions from students with documented learning disabilities and/or

attention deficit disorder.”10

Misconception

Colleges must either have a structured program for students with

learning disabilities or services are not provided.

There are hundreds of colleges and universities just like the

University of Iowa that provide “special circumstance admis-

sion.” These colleges do not have structured programs. Most do

not charge a fee for services. However, they do assess applica-

tions from students with disabilities in a flexible manner and, if

admitted, those students are provided guidance and advocacy to

effective accommodations.

There are also colleges that offer specific structured pro-

grams for students with learning disabilities in which the number

of students admitted is limited, additional fees are charged and

often the admitted students sign a contract in order to partici-

pate in the program. These colleges are successful in their en-

deavors to provide a meaningful college experience for students

who have learning disabilities. These programs are staffed by

LD professionals, advisors and tutors. They provide workshops,

equipment, advocacy, faculty in-services, and most importantly,

a philosophy that exudes enthusiasm for these students. In ad-

dition, there are thousands of colleges and universities that do

not have special programs or special admission procedures, but

reflect a concern or belief in the LD label and the basic services

required to meet these students’ needs.

Misconception

Faculty have the option to refuse to provide accommodations if

they feel the request is unwarranted.

In the vast community of colleges and universities, there

still exists those colleges that deny admission when they note a

non-standardized test (even though students with broken arms

can take a non-standardized test). There are also colleges that

deny admission when students self-disclose because they feel

they will be unable to provide the necessary accommodations.

Others deny admission because their faculty will not cooperate

with requested accommodations. There is also the perennial is-

sue of graduation course requirements and whether students

with specific disabilities should be able to request substitutions

for courses that are not an essential part of their program or

major. The Office of Civil Rights suggests applying the following

standard test to this request:

• Did the student document a need for academic modifications?

• Was an academic adjustment necessary?

• Did the college provide an appropriate adjustment?

• Was the adjustment provided effective?

Its not always easy to determine if a course is essential to a

particular degree––all colleges should have a procedure to allow

students to request a waiver or substitution, but do they?

Misconception

Individuals receiving accommodations have an unfair advantage.

How far have we come? The NCAA is under attack for not

having a policy that allows students with learning disabilities to

meet the academic requirements for core courses. Some stu-

dents with learning disabilities begin high school with a course

load that could include some basic courses or even individual-

ized special education courses. What should the policy be for

students who need to take preliminary courses prior to enrolling

in a demanding college preparatory curriculum?

Another situation involving the NCAA revolved around a stu-

dent who was not diagnosed with a learning disability until after

repeating grades one and three. Therefore, this student turned

19 while in high school and was found ineligible to participate

in interscholastic athletics because the age limit is 18. What is

fair in this situation?

Students are requesting extended time on graduation en-

trance exams, bar exams and other certification exams. Some

colleges are willing to grant requests for special accommodations

WINNER 1997

24 | W I N T E R 2 0 0 6 JOURNAL OF COLLEGE ADMISSION W W W. N A C A C N E T. O R G

and others are putting up a fight. “There is mass confusion over

compliance that has resulted in lawsuits brought by students

who claim that the colleges have violated ADA. Some profession-

als feel that rapid response is critical while others feel that most

entrance exams are testing an understanding of information and

not how fast the student can think.”11 The reality is that appro-

priate accommodations allow students with learning disabilities

to compete with their peers on a level field.

There is clearer understanding of how to accommodate indi-

viduals with disabilities that are visible. However, this population

of individuals with hidden disabilities is meeting resistance on

many levels. One of the main reasons for resistance to accommo-

dating these students is the fact that the documentation provided

raises doubts as to its authenticity. Students identified and tested

in elementary, junior high, or high school who receive services

and are re-tested every three years according to the laws are not

the problematic population. However, there are students who are

privately tested, do not participate in services at school prior to

college and are requesting accommodations based on this testing.

There appears to be an underlying concern that some of this test-

ing is “bought” for purposes of receiving special accommodations

especially for taking the ACT/SAT. There are procedures in place

to work with students who present outside testing to verify their

testing results. Yet, with the numbers multiplying for identified or

labeled students, the level of distrust appears to be growing.

The bad news, according to Dr. Noel Gregg at the University

of Georgia, is, “the observation that despite more students be-

ing identified and labeled, individuals with learning disabilities

are significantly underrepresented at colleges or universities.” Ap-

proximately 50 percent of public school students with disabilities

demonstrate a learning disability, and yet, only 25 percent of all

students with disabilities in college indicate a learning disabil-

ity. What happened to the other 25 percent? Perhaps they simply

opted not to go to college. More troubling is the question of what

will happen to the 25 percent currently electing to go on to college

who will be confronted with a changing climate of disbelievers? 12

Misconception

Claiming to have learning disabilities is just an excuse.

The U.S. Department of Education found in 1992 that 46

colleges had violated the rights of students or employees with

disabilities.13 Some college professors still believe that learning

disabilities are just an excuse used by students with little or

no motivation. The lack of knowledge in many educators about

learning disabilities is fueled by the general confusion of scien-

tific proof about what causes learning disabilities.

In another survey released by the Emily Hall Tremaine

Foundation, there is evidence that misinformation about learn-

ing disabilities is causing these individuals to be discriminated

against. The findings indicate that 89 percent of the respon-

dents felt that adults with learning disabilities are humiliated

and full of pain. Between 60 percent and 85 percent of the

respondents questioned and between 61 percent and 91 per-

cent of teachers questioned incorrectly identified mental re-

tardation, blindness and emotional problems as the same as

learning disabilities. Once these respondents were given an ap-

propriate definition of learning disabilities, they understood the

problems of discrimination. The poll was conducted by Roper

Starch Worldwide.14

How far have we come? Never far enough. Individuals with

learning disabilities have legal rights to accommodations in the

workplace, but there is a fear of saying to a potential employer,

“I need to advise you that I will need all instructions in written

form,” and expecting that potential employer to evaluate the ap-

plicant in a fair and equitable way.

“If you thought fear of failure at school was tough, how

about fear of filling out application forms? Young adults with

learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorders need a

well-organized strategy for landing a job, wither as a summer

student or as a full-time worker.”15 There are laws in place

to protect individuals from having to answer any questions

about their learning disability. However, in order to ultimately

get accommodation, they are going to have to know how to be

self-advocates. Once the individual self-discloses a learning

disability, an employer may inquire about effective accom-

modations, but once again, the employer may not ask any

questions about accommodations that are not related to the

job responsibilities.

As educators, our work in assisting individuals with learning

disabilities and other health-related disabilities must continue.

We’ve come a long way, but the road is still filled with hidden

barriers that will require education, advocacy and support. As

Michael Barron stated so eloquently:

“While we are working to educate our colleagues, to modify

our systems to accommodate these students, and to provide

them with the opportunity to obtain the education that they

desire, we also must begin to work as partners with industry.

It will not be enough to provide an environment where an

individual can complete a university degree and yet fail mis-

erably in the world of work because of lack of understanding

and inappropriate job placement procedures.

Our excuse at Iowa is that these students desperately

want to succeed, and they want to stand on merits of their own

achievements. To deny them the opportunity to be an asset at

the highest level of their ability is to squander a valuable human

WINNER 1997

25WINTER 2006 JOURNAL OF COLLEGE ADMISSION |W W W. N A C A C N E T. O R G

resource, creating an unnecessary and unwanted liability for so-

ciety. I urge students with learning disabilities and their families

to demand the services they need and to be patient with those

of us in the education establishment as we seek to understand.

I also encourage educators at all levels to be sensitive to and

aware of these individuals as resources and work diligently with

them to provide educational opportunity to all.”16

Misconception

There are no accommodations that can effectively assist students

who cannot remember, express thoughts, read, stay focused. Un-

derstand social cues, be organized or manage their time.

Students with learning disabilities have both strengths and

weaknesses. While they may learn in unique ways, these differ-

ences do not imply that their capacity to learn is inferior. There-

fore, it is not necessary to dilute the curriculum to assist these

students, but to work with them to identify what accommodations

are necessary to help them be successful. Learning disabilities

are not curable, but there are many instructional interventions

and compensatory strategies that can be used to help those with

disabilities to master the coursework, such as:

• Tape recordings of lectures

• Note takers

• Use of computers

• Carbonless paper

• Multiple forms of presenting materials

• Quiet room for tests

• Share course outlines and notes

• Spell checkers

• Assignments in oral and written form

• Calculators

• Skills classes in note-taking/test-taking

• Tutoring

• Alternative test methods

• Time management classes

• Priority registration

• Course syllabus

• Extended time for tests/class assignments.

It is a very difficult task to cause an attitude adjustment

for those who simply do not want to accept the fact that learn-

ing disabilities are real. Assisting students with learning dis-

abilities on college campuses is a challenge, but not nearly as

much of a challenge as it is for the students themselves to deal

with the attitudes of disbelief they must confront from others.

It is true that these students present cognitive deficits in areas

necessary for college success. However, they are succeeding,

and they are a population deserving encouragement, support,

acceptance, and respect.