Services
All accommodations are determined on an individual basis and can include the following:
- Note taking via assistive technology (Glean, SmartPen, or digital recorder)
- Text readers/e-text
- Classroom relocation
- Foreign language substitution
- Alternative testing arrangements- extended time and/or distraction-reduced environment, exam readers/scribes, word processor with spell check
- Loan of some equipment
- Enlarged materials
- Additional services can include mobility orientation, special registration, academic advising and other.
Accommodative Services makes every effort to ensure access to academic accommodations. The office will assist students requesting non-academic auxiliary aids or services in locating the appropriate campus offices/resources to address the request. Personal care needs are the responsibility of the student.
Transitioning to College Accommodations
Students rights and responsibilities change from high school to college. Self-Advocacy skills are essential for the transition from high school to college. Students with disabilities are entitled to equal access to the programs at the college as long as it does not compromise the academic integrity of the programs.
| High School | College |
|---|---|
| Services are provided under IDEA or Section 504, Subpart D. IDEA is about success. | Services are provided under ADA and Section 504, Subpart E. The ADA is about access. |
| The IEP is mandated and followed. | The high school IEP ends, and there is no IEP at the college level. |
| The student has the right to an education, paid for by the state. Therefore, special programs are created to meet the student’s needs. | A college education is a privilege instead of a right, and special programs are not required. |
| Parents are actively involved in planning and decisions. | Student is responsible for seeking assistance from the Office of Accommodative Services. |
| Accommodations are provided to ensure the success of the student. | Accommodations are provided to ensure equal access, and success is the responsibility of the student. |
| School districts are responsible for identifying a students disability at no cost to the student or family. | Students must self-identify and provide appropriate and current documentation based on the College’s requirements. The College is not responsible for the payment of evaluations. |
| Parents sign documents for students. | Students sign all documents. |
| High school personnel talk freely with parents. | Students records are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1976 (FERPA). The student may give permission to allow their parent to speak with someone in regards to their performance. |
Academic Differences
| High School | College |
|---|---|
| Fundamental modifications of programs and curricula are required. | No fundamental modifications are required- only academic adjustments. ADAAA specifically exempts academic modifications that fundamentally alter the academic standard. |
| The course load consists of reading short assignments that are then discussed and often re-taught in class. | The course load may require substantial amounts of reading and writing which may not be directly addressed in class. |
| High school personnel have the responsibility to try to modify inappropriate behavior caused by the disability into appropriate behavior. | Students are responsible for their own behavior, and inappropriate behavior is not tolerated. |
| Tests are often modified or shortened, or questions are modified. | Students are expected to take the same tests as all students. |
| Shortened or modified assignments as well as extra time to complete assignments are often given. | Students are expected to do the same work in the same time frame as all students. |
| Teachers are asked to adapt their teaching mode to the student. | Faculty has academic freedom in delivery, course content, requirements, and method of evaluation. |
| Accommodations are given for all subjects and do not have to be supported by diagnostic evaluation. | Accommodations are given only in the area of disability and must be supported by documentation. |
| Students are scheduled to see resource personnel on a regular basis or can go to the resource room on a drop-in basis. | Students must initiate requests for services. Students may submit documentation and provide accommodations at any point during the semester, but any grades already in place or tests taken BEFORE accommodations were granted will not be changed or repeated with accommodations. Not all accommodations can be immediately implemented, and no grades given during the implementation period will be changed. |
| Students study is directed by special education teachers. | Students must have skills to organize, plans, and study independently. |
| Special educators inform instructors about a student’s accommodation needs. | Students talk to their teachers about accommodation needs. |
| Often paraprofessionals are provided if a student needs personal care or behavioral management assistance. | The college is not responsible for providing personal care or behavioral management assistance. |
This chart has been adapted from SUNY GCC.
Students who have already registered for Accommodative Services can find more information HERE.