What Accommodations Can Students With LD Ask for at College?

This post was co-authored by Dr. Miranda Melcher.

As explained in our previous blog, college disability services are very different from the ones high-schoolers (and their parents) previously experienced. Colleges tend to offer different types of support, and the process of requesting and receiving accommodations in college is not the same as in high school. That’s why it’s important to learn as much as you can about disability services in college prior to choosing where to go to school.

It’s also important to know what kinds of accommodations you might need in order to succeed at college. We recommend spending time thinking through what accommodations have helped in high school and whether those might also be useful in college, as well as thinking about new challenges that might come up in college that would require support.

Students cannot be denied admission because of a disability.

Students who are neurodiverse and/or have learning differences cannot be denied admission because of a disability. While they do not have to tell the school about their disability, the student will have to register with the disability office and self-disclose if they want accommodations. The school may require you to provide documentation of your disability in order to get accommodations (see our previous blog). Accommodations and any other adjustments are made depending on your disability and needs. The school does not have to lower or change basic requirements, services, programs, or activities, although substitutions can sometimes be arranged.

The websites Understand.org and Get in the Flow offer suggestions for accommodations to consider and summarize the potential services into three tiers of availability as follows:

Commonly available accommodations

Class Lectures

• Permission to record lectures
• Permission to make audio recordings of classes for later reference and playback (some schools may loan out smart pens for this purpose). This can help with memory challenges, auditory processing needs, and difficulty handwriting or typing notes quickly.
• Lecture videos (with subtitles!)
• Priority registration for courses
• Copies of notes from a classmate
• Access to audiobooks
• Access to text-to-speech programs for written tasks

Course materials

• Early access to lesson plans and other materials
• Availability of digital and/or physical copies of materials
• Video materials and resources (with subtitles and transcripts!)
• Written materials compatible with accessibility tools like screen-readers

Learning environment

• Permission to use (quiet) fidget toys
• Ability to use laptops, tablets, or other devices where otherwise not permitted
• Reserved or priority seating (i.e., priority seating near the front of the room, breaks as needed, etc.)

Test-taking

• Options for extended time to take exams
• Quiet, distraction-free space to take tests
• Online exam options (even for in-person classes)
• Extended time on exams with breaks as needed, test taking in a quiet environment, or test proctoring
• Use of laptops for tests and exams instead of handwriting
• Use of calculators for tests and exams instead of mental math

Modifications

Modifications differ from accommodations in that they may actually alter course materials or even the path to completion for a degree program.

• Course substitutions
• Reduced course load without forfeiting full-time status
• Adjusted deadlines, including breaking up assignments

Accommodations that may be more difficult to get

• Extended deadlines for papers and projects. This is typically not given on an ongoing basis but rather as situations arise—such as for students with acute medical or psychological episodes. There is usually a standard process to follow to request an extension; students should research it in advance to make sure that they have the required documentation that might be needed (such as a formal diagnosis) and materials easily accessible in case of need. Students can also work with their college’s disability services office in advance of needing an extension to go through the request process to make sure the student understands how and when to use it.
• Course waivers and substitutions: for example, exempting dyslexic students from language requirement courses. Colleges may choose to give these but are not required to, so as mentioned in our previous blog, students should research these requirements when choosing colleges.
• Alternative exam formats, such as oral rather than written exams. This is usually a decision left up to the professor or head of the class and must be requested as far in advance as possible.

Other services that may be available

• Training in adaptive and assistive technologies: for example, screen readers, dictation software, notes or organizational platforms, etc. These may be organized through the disability services office but also may be available via the college’s librarians, so that is another area to look into.
• Help with study skills and time management. This may be provided through disability services or through resources available to a wider range of students: for example, a study skills center or a writing center.
• Learning specialists (may cost extra).
• Mentoring programs and student support groups. These may be provided through disability services or through resources available to a wider range of students, for example, a mentoring program linking younger with older students. Wider programs may not have a disability or learning difference focus or awareness, but they can still be helpful for students to adjust to the college environment. Students in college also often have the opportunity to create student groups; for example, if there is not one for neurodiverse students, there is likely potential to create one!

Education Essential Reads

The Power of Entrepreneurship Education on Student Ambitions

Why So Many Students Are Not Learning

What can you do if the college isn’t providing the promised accommodations?

Students may not be able to obtain a requested accommodation in college, even if it was granted to them in high school. Institutions receiving funds from the federal government are required by the Americans with Disabilities Act to provide “reasonable accommodations” for disabled students in order that they may have “equal access” to postsecondary education. Nevertheless, a college is empowered to decide whether a student’s requested accommodation is “reasonable.” This is why researching what support is provided by the school in advance is so important (see previous blog). In addition, as stated in our blog on self-advocacy, making sure your rights are respected becomes the student’s responsibility. However, self-advocacy doesn’t mean they have to do everything by themselves. Counselors, family, and friends can offer support, and many schools also have independent disabled student groups.

Colleges also have the right to refuse to grant an accommodation if they believe that it will “fundamentally alter” the mission of the school or the way that it operates. Policies are established at each institution to govern their decisions, and these can vary considerably from school to school. If a faculty member is unwilling to implement a student’s accommodation plan (Kravets & Wax, 2010), offer some steps a student can take:

• Try to work it out with the faculty member directly.
• Seek advocacy help from someone in the disabled-student services office.
• Go to the dean’s office of the faculty person’s department and seek support.
• Most colleges have some kind of grievance procedure. Find out what it is and initiate the process. If all else fails and the situation cannot be resolved amicably and cooperatively, the student has the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice through the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. This should only be done as a last resort, though. It is much faster and easier if you can work things out with your school.

Dr. Miranda Melcher is an expert on neurodiverse inclusive education and co-author of the book NVLD and Developmental Visual-Spatial Disorder in Children.