1 / 12

DISABILITY SERVICES: what every advisor needs to know

DISABILITY SERVICES: what every advisor needs to know. Paul Harwell, Accommodations Counselor paulh@disability.tamu.edu Stephanie Bullick, Accommodations Counselor stephanieb@disability.tamu.edu. Mission.

hiroko
Download Presentation

DISABILITY SERVICES: what every advisor needs to know

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. DISABILITY SERVICES:what every advisor needs to know Paul Harwell, Accommodations Counselor paulh@disability.tamu.edu Stephanie Bullick, Accommodations Counselor stephanieb@disability.tamu.edu

  2. Mission • Disability Services promotes an inclusive environment at Texas A&M University by facilitating appropriate accommodations, empowering students to be self-advocates, and educating the campus community. • Disability Services staff members interact and collaborate with students, faculty and staff, and provide appropriate referrals to achieve equal access for students with disabilities. 

  3. Examples of Disabilities • Orthopedic Impairments • Traumatic Brain Injury • Speech Impairments • Autism Spectrum Disorders • Learning Disabilities • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder • Psychiatric Disorders • Health Impairments • Visual Impairments/Blind

  4. Students Registered With DS Fall 2012 Spring 2013 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder 637628 Learning Disabilities 523496 Psychiatric Disorders 318327 Health Impairments 228232 Orthopedic Impairments 60 53 Visual Impairments/Blind 4658 Hearing Impairments/Deaf 5341 Traumatic Brain Injury 2929 Temporary Disabling Conditions 1933 Autism 2022 Speech Impairments 2220 Total Students with Disabilities *1244*1262 (* Note some students have more than one diagnosis)

  5. Students We Serve • Students from every college including Health Science Center • Every facet of student life is represented: Corps of Cadets, Student-Athletes, Greeks, International Students, Honor Students, and Undergraduates and Graduates • Students with lifelong disabilities, acquired disabilities, and temporary disabilities

  6. Services • Testing Accommodations • Extended time • Reduced distraction testing environment • Readers • Scribes • Use of a computer and/or specialized hardware/software • Classroom Accommodations • Note-taking assistance • Recording lectures • FM System (assistive listening system) • Preferential seating (at the front or back of classroom)

  7. Services • Sign Language Interpreting/Transcription • Classroom interpreting/transcription • Interpreting/transcription also provided for S.I. sessions, field trips, internships, study abroad • Consultation for other entities needing an interpreter/transcriptionist (e.g., Student Health Services, academic conferences & workshops, employee, etc.) • Adaptive Technology Services (ATS) • Adaptive hardware and software in DS • Adaptive Technology (AT) assessments • Alternative format production and scanning • Ensuring access in campus computer labs (Open Access labs and department labs) • Consulting on website accessibility

  8. Services • Physical Accessibility • Housing (consult with Residence Life) • Consultation on accessibility of classrooms, offices, programs, etc. • Braille signage for buildings • ADA Compliance Committee (represent student needs)

  9. Tips for Advising Students with disabilities • Disability information is strictly confidential • It is okay to ask general questions if the student discloses their disability to you. • Are they working with DS? (If not, make a referral and follow-up.) • Understand course load for students with difficulty in reading, writing, or math • Serious psychiatric issues should be referred to Student Counseling Services • Returning Veterans may be more reluctant to register with Disability Services • Refer to Veteran Resource and Support Center

  10. Tips for Advising Students with disabilities • Become familiar with the difficulties imposed by a particular disability: • If the student is taking medication, are there certain times of the day when the student is less alert? This could have important implications when developing a class schedule. • Be aware of the campus: • Awareness of the campus could prevent enrolling a student who uses a wheelchair in a class that can only be accessed by a stairway. • Depending upon the amount of time allowed to pass from one class to another, any student with a mobility issue might have difficulty with classes scheduled back to back in different buildings.

  11. Tips for Advising Students with disabilities • Know the rules and regulations of Texas A&M University: • Financial aid and course substitutions are two examples of areas that can be used to a student's advantage. As well as early registration. • A student with a disability can receive some forms of financial aid even though the student is enrolled in less than twelve hours, if their disability warrants it. • Other students may qualify for a course substitution. Advisors need to know the procedures on their campus for such things as obtaining a course substitution if they hope to assist students who qualify. • Develop a collaborative relationship with the Department of Disability Services (DS): • DS is responsible for establishing eligibility for accommodations, determining the nature of the accommodations needed by a particular student and helping to insure that the student receives the accommodations for which they are eligible.

  12. QUESTIONS?

More Related