Los Angeles Southwest College Disabled Students Programs & Services

1. Los Angeles Southwest College Disabled Students Programs & Services “How to Accommodate Students with Learning Disabilities” Darlene Wooten, Coordinator, DSP&S Stephanie Schleicher, Learning Disability Specialist

2. Types of Disabilities • Visual Impairments • Deafness and Hearing Loss • Learning • Attention Deficit Disorder • Psychological • Head Injury • Communication Disorders • Autism • Mobility/Dexterity • Chronic Health Impairments

3. Role of DSPS • Faculty support as well as student support • To preserve the integrity of the curriculum, while keeping the faculty and institution in compliance

4. Verification of Disabilities • The specific disability must be verified, and there must be an educational limitation that precludes the student from fully participating in general education without additional specialized services. • Students need to disclose and provide documentation from a licensed professional stating the nature of their disability and the functional limitations imposed by their disability

5. What is a Learning Disability? A Leaning Disability is defined as a persistent condition of presumed neurological dysfunction which may exist with other disabling conditions. This dysfunction continues despite instruction in standard classroom situations.

6. Learning Disability Definition (cont.) • To be categorized as a learning disabled a student must exhibit: • Average to above intellectual ability; • Severe processing deficit(s); • Severe aptitude-achievement discrepancy(ies); and • Measured achievement in an instructional or employment setting

7. Characteristics of Learning Disabilities • Short attention span • Easily distracted • Disorganized; loses things • Poor reading and/writing ability • Reverse letters or numbers; trouble w/sequencing • Inability to concentrate • Poor memory

8. Assessing Students for LD’s • Achievement must indicate student has the potential to benefit from instruction at the community college • Aptitude or ability component assesses the student’s intellectual capacity to achieve in the community college setting(>85) • Processing Deficit – student’s with LD’s lack the ability to acquire, manipulate, integrate, store, and /or retrieve information in the same manner in which most student’s perform these tasks

9. California CC LD Eligibility Model Six assessment components: • Intake Screening • Measured Achievement • Ability Level • Processing Deficit • Aptitude-Achievement Discrepancy • Eligibility Recommendation

10. Accommodations • Appropriate accommodations established on a case-by-case basis • Test accommodations: extended time, distraction free environment, scribes, readers • Note takers, interpreters, closed caption videos • Franklin Speller/Thesaurus, tape recorders • Specialized adaptive technology (JAWS, Zoom Text, Inspiration) • Courses (LS) designed specifically for students with disabilities

11. Legal Considerations • ADA protects qualified individuals • Elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities • Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 • Students receive approved modifications, appropriate academic adjustments, or auxiliary aids that enable participation and benefit from college’s educational programs & activities

12. Legal Considerations (cont.) • California State Ed Code, Title V Reg • Services or instruction must: • Not duplicate those available to all students • Be directly related to the educational limitations of the verified disabilities of the student • Be directly related to the student’s participation in the educational program • Support participation in educational activities consistent with the mission of the college

13. OCR CasesAccommodations • University of South Florida • State University of New York-Delhi

14. Faculty Responsibilities • Recognize need for universal access • Provide accommodations established by the DSP&S letters students provide • Make referrals when observing students you believe may benefit from assessment • Maintain flexibility to accommodate students with disabilities • Understand the difference between accommodations and modifications

15. Faculty Resources • Darlene Wooten, Coordinator /Counselor- X5481 SS102 wootendm@lasc.edu • DSPS Website: http://www.lasc.edu/dsps/ • Disability Awareness: http://www.lasc.edu/dsps/awareness.html