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More and more of today's high school students who struggle with a learning disability are not letting that keep them back, but are heading off to college in spite of their disability. There are several steps of preparation that students who have learning disabilities can take to make the transition from high school to college as smooth as possible. These preparations start in high school.

First, students who have learning disabilities need to work on developing self knowledge while in high school. They need to understand what learning style works best for them. They need to have an arsenal of learning strategies in hand that they know will allow them to achieve success in school. Such strategies might include asking for extra time to take tests, listening to books read out loud instead of reading them, or making up acronyms to help them remember important material.

Next, the learning disabled student needs to understand the legal rights that he or she is entitled to. The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), which was passed in 1990, protects the confidentiality of records, so colleges do not have access to any disability records. Because of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, colleges cannot discriminate in accepting students with learning disabilities. Students with learning disabilities have to be allowed reasonable modifications in order to complete their education, such as extra time for tests, alternate test forms and other things. One difference at college over high school is the student must take the initiative to request help when at college. In high school, the law demands that the school identify and help LD students, but not so in college.

Students with learning disabilities need to make special preparation for the transition into collage life. Students need to be aware of the options they have for college. Some colleges have open admission policies, which allow anyone with a high school diploma to enter the college. Others have selective criteria and may only accept students with a certain GPA or test score. There are also two types of colleges based on the length of the education. Two-year colleges usually have open admissions policies and allow the student to earn an Associates Degree. These are sometimes referred to as Community Colleges. Four-year colleges or universities are often more selective in their admissions acceptance and offer more specialized degrees. Some colleges have programs designed for students with learning disabilities. Those with severe learning disabilities should seek one of these institutions.

Just because a student has a learning disability does not mean that he or she cannot and should not pursue higher education. The law demands reasonable accommodation for those with LD at colleges and universities. LD students who are planning to go to college need to have a good understanding of their own learning strategies and what helps them learn best. By doing some research and planning well for the transition, even students with learning disabilities can succeed and even thrive in the college setting.

Article Keywords: Special Education

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Special Education... Is ADD A Learning Disability? Attention Deficit Disorder, in itself, is not a learning disability. The term "learning disability" typically refers to a perceptual disability, such as an auditory or visual processing disorder, like autism or dyslexia. A person with ADD, however, has no problems perceiving or interpreting information. Therefore, it does not qualify as a learning disability. Although it is often jumbled in with the mass of "disabilities", ADD actually does not hinder the process of learning. A child with ADD can intake information, process it accordingly, and preserve it in memory, just like any other person. The problem comes with getting them to pay attention long enough to hear the information in the first place! A child with Attention Deficit Disorder may have difficulties in school and with learning in general, but it is not due to a learning disability. Often, when a child is treated for ADD, their academic performance improves by leaps and bounds. On the other hand, an individual with ADD may not have any difficulty in learning at all; this will vary by person. However, while ADD is not a learning disability, it is often accompanied by one or many. Some children, particularly at the preschool age, may have difficulty interpreting sounds or words and may also have speech issues. Older children may have problems spelling and reading, writing, and arithmetic disorders may arise. Likewise, dyslexia, a reading disorder, is common in children with ADD. However, none of these disabilities is inherent to Attention Deficit Disorder. While some children may have them, many will not. Whereas ADD may cause difficulty in learning, steps may be taken to help the child perform well in spite of the disorder. Most ADD children do better with a...