A. Study
Skills: Ask your high school
teachers for help with developing study skills. Higher education is more
demanding and will require more work and better organizational skills than high
school.
B. Time
Management Skills: Practice taking care of your
own needs while still in high school. Do not rely on your parents to wake you in
the morning or remind you of your schedule for the day. Be responsible for
gathering all the papers and materials you will need for the day.
C. Financial
Skills: Practice managing your money and planning a budget
while you are still at home so that you can take care of your finances later.
D. Medical
Provisions: If you have special medical needs and plan to
live away from home, find the resources in your new community and establish
yourself with them before you need them.
E. Personal
Assistant: If you need an assistant and plan to live
away from home, be aware that institutions do not provide people to assist with
your personal needs. Program and physical access are mandated and may include
such things as elevators, curb cuts, automatic doors, scribes, note takers, and
sign language interpreters, but access does not include personal assistance
such as getting around the campus on your own or scribing your homework.
A. Be
able to describe your disability clearly.
This
is especially important if you have a hidden disability such as a learning
disability, ADHD, or a psychological disability. You will need to be able to
discuss your abilities as well as your disabilities with your service provider.
It is often helpful to address these issues with your individual instructors at
the beginning of the semester, although it is certainly not required.
B. Be
able to clearly communicate what accommodations you will need. Ask your current school or rehabilitation counselor to help you
with this task. Technology is rapidly progressing, and you may want to become
familiar with the newest equipment and software available.
C. Work
out your accommodations with your college professors/instructors at the
beginning of the term to avoid problems and conflict later. Remember that professors and instructors are trained in their
content area, but they are not disability experts. Helping them to understand
how you learn and what accommodations you need will allow the best possible
relationship and enable your college teachers to work with you most
effectively.
D.
Know your rights under the law. Become
familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, Section 504 (often just called “504”).
This is an important part of self-advocacy.
Table of
Contents Back xii Next