University of Louisville Autism Center at Kosair Charities 1405 E. Burnett Avenue Louisville, KY 40217 Office:502-852-4631 Toll free:800-334-8635 ext. 502-852-4631 Website: www.louisville.edu/education/kyautismtraining College and Autism Steps to Success Advocate Before applying to college, students need to become familiar with services that have worked well for them in high school in order to discuss the need to have similar accommodations in college classes. It is important for a student to be able to clearly communicate in their interview and/or on their application with the disability resource center the connection between a specific barrier and how a requested accommodation would provide access. Apply to College Students with disabilities can receive accommodations on the ACT and SAT college board tests. The ACT and SAT both have documentation requirements to obtain accommodations. Contact each organization to learn about their specific requirements. Also, some colleges may require a placement test. Contact the college disability resource center to inquire about accommoda- tions on entrance tests and also pre-college counseling services. Contact the college disability resource center Students need to be familiar with the documentation requirements of the college disability resource center and set up an appointment to review their documenta- tion and arrange accommodations before the semester begins. Also, student’s need to know how often they need to meet with the disability office to arrange accommodations. Stay Informed If the college disability resource center has a newsletter, listserv email, Facebook, Twitter, Google + or any other social media accounts students should subscribe to sign up to receive messages from the center to stay informed about campus activities, oppor- tunities and changes. Relax Remember to enjoy this exciting time in a student’s life and the opportunity it brings to enhance knowledge and personal growth! Kentucky Autism Training Center Accommodations What types of accommodations do colleges provide for students with disabilities? College accommodations are tailored to individual student needs based on their disability and many other factors including requests made by the student. Accom- modations are used to provide equal access to education for students with disabilities. Some examples of types of services offered by colleges to assist students with disabilities may be: . Distraction-Free Test Environ- ment . Extended Test Time . Note Takers . Audio Textbooks . Audio Recorded Lectures . Sign Language Interpreters . Academic Tutoring . Academic Advising These are examples of typical academic services provided by college disability resource centers. However, these are not the only services disabil- ity resource centers offer and they may not be offered by all colleges in Kentucky. Student’s need to work with their college disability resource center to identify services their school offers in which they are also eligible. In addition, accommodations are also offered in campus housing and parking. Accessing Disability Services at Kentucky’s Public Postsecondary Institutions This information was adapted from materials developed by the following sources: Education.gov, the Kentucky Department of Education, Asso- ciation on Higher Education and Disability, CollegeBoard.org (SAT), American College Testing (ACT) and an assessment of all disability resource centers at 4 year public postsecondary institutions in Kentucky and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). Each year many students with autism and Aspergers decide to continue their edu- cation beyond high school and attend two and four year colleges or vocational schools. Although getting into college may seem a daunting experience, staying in college can also become a challenge. Accessing accommodations in college can help students with disabilities defeat these challenges and succeed as college students. Legal Rights Although you may be familiar with student rights under the Individuals with Dis- abilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act from working to receive education services while in high school. Student rights to a free appropriate edu- cation under IDEA end with high school graduation and IDEA laws do not apply to stu- dents with disabilities attending postsecondary institutions. Students at postsecondary institutions are covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 (Subpart E). The purpose of ADA and Section 504 (Subpart E) laws are to ensure that stu- dents with disabilities are not discriminated against or denied access to any program or activity at a public institution. College students are entitled to reasonable accommo- dations at postsecondary institutions; however, they must identify themselves as having a disability. In addition, students must submit the college with documentation of their disability in order to receive accommodations. Identify. Document. Access. Disability Resource Centers The role of the college disability resource center is to administer and oversee student disability services on campus. Students will be asked to submit documentation to the disability resource center and a meeting will be arranged to discuss eligibility and accommodations the center can provide. What to expect? A student may be asked to provide written verification of their disability from a medi- cal practitioner (Doctor, Psychologist, etc). The written documentation must be current and the school may even require it to be written on offi- cial letterhead showing the license number of the medical practitioner. Also, some colleges may require certain tests to be taken to document a specific type of disability. Every college has their own set of standards and some may require more or less information than another. It is im- portant for prospective college students to contact the disability resource center of the college(s) they are applying to and ask for their specific documentation requirements. What is documentation? Documentation provides the college with a written and verified description of a student’s disability. Every college has a different set of standards and requirements for documentation. It is important for a student to familiarize them- selves with these requirements. Documentation provides the college with a range of information about a student’s disability. In general, it de- scribes the nature of the disability, date of the first diagnoses, relevant tests and results, sever- ity of the disability, current method of treatment, recommendations that may help the student in the classroom and any other information that the college may possibly need to document the student’s disability. High School College Identify School district identifies a stu- dent with a dis- ability who is eligible for services Student has to self –identify their disability and need for services Document School district develops a legal document called the Individual- ized Education Program (IEP) that schools must follow Student provides college disability office documen- tation of their disability to request services Access Student needs are identified by the school district in the IEP and school provides services Student must self-advocate and work with the college disability office to identify appropriate services Comparison of High School and College Disability Services Can a students high school Individualized Education Program (IEP) be used in college? Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), 504 Plans or Transition Plans do not provide the appropriate information colleges need to determine and document a disability. Therefore these forms are not accepted as disability documentation; however‚ they may be useful for providing a history of accommodations that were effective in the past to help a student work with the disability resource center in planning their accommoda- tions in college.