1. Nashoba Regional High School (Lancaster, Bolton and Stow)
SEPAC Bolton, MA
Presents:
Transitioning to College for Students with Learning Differences
March 15th, 2018
Cheryl Gallaugher

2. Workshop Goals Meet the Presenter Transition Planning
Course Selections at the High School
College Supports and Accommodations
Visiting Colleges: What to look for
Self-Determination
College Readiness
Career Exploration
Q & A

3. Meet the Presenter
20th year teaching at Nashoba Regional High School in the Special Education Department
Parent of two sons who graduated from Nashoba (2010 and 2015)
Recent Graduate Student at UMass Boston in the Transition Leadership Program
Registered with disability services
Fall 2016 Sabbatical visiting Colleges, Universities and former students around the U.S.
21 states
42+ Campuses
Passions include working with adolescents and young adults, hiking, traveling, and learning

4. Transition Planning
Transition is happening all the time from early on when a preschooler steps into their very first classroom to when you are moving your elderly relative into assisted living
Transition Planning is the process of gathering resources and knowledge to best prepare for the upcoming transition. This can include:
Reviewing strengths and challenges
Understanding what skills to work on in preparation
Meeting with the personnel that will assist with the transition
Working on goals to create relatively seamless transition

5. Class Selection and Team Participation at the High School
An important part of transition is looking ahead to a student’s future vision and aligning their curriculum to guide that path and having the student drive these decisions
Beginning at age 14, students are expected to participate in their Team meetings
Prior to the team, students should be familiar with their IEP, know about their disability
Class selections will not look the same for every student
State Requirements vs. NRSD requirements vs. College application requirements
Review the Program of Studies found on the Guidance Department site (High school web page under ‘Staff Directory’)
Work with your student and their team to choose the best course selections

6. College Supports and Accommodations
Accommodated Disabilities:
ADHD
ASD
Asthma
Chronic Illness
Dietary needs
Dyslexia
Eating Disorders
Hearing Impairment
Learning Disabilities (e.g. speech, verbal, writing, reading, auditory)
Mental Health (e.g. anxiety, depression, etc.)
Physical or Mobility Impairments
Vision Impairment
Food/Environmental Allergies

7. College Supports and Accommodations
Colleges all legally have to offer reasonable accommodations for students who disclose they have a disability and have proper documentation.
Services will vary college to college
Some colleges have programs for a fee that include assigned advisors, study skills classes, and more intensive support
All colleges require students to self-report they have a disability
Colleges vary on who will contact the professors about accommodations

8. Common Accommodations
Priority Registration
Alternate format for texts
Note takers
Separate location for tests in distraction free environment (largely different from the high school separate setting students are use to)
Extended time for tests and assignments
Assistive Technology
Housing and Mobility accommodations

9. Next Steps:
Create a list of potential colleges (research online, talk to parents of college students, meet with guidance counselors)
Visit College campuses and request visits with accessibility services: April break and long weekends in the Fall are perfect times to visit, and look online for open house dates *Upcoming fair in Woburn, flyers available
Bring questions to ask (see handout)
Look into SAT/ACT testing accommodations and which colleges are looking for these scores
Students should be narrowing down 2 – 3 teachers to ask for academic recommendations from by spring of Junior year

10. Self-Determination
a concept reflecting the belief that all individuals have the right to direct their own lives. Students who have self-determination skills have a stronger chance of being successful in making the transition to adulthood, including employment and independence (Wehmeyer & Schwartz, 1997)
Does your child have a trusted adult at school that s/he can go to if they're having a problem with homework, a teacher, etc.?
How independent is your student in making their own decisions? Practice is key (Restaurants, clothes shopping, vacation activities, etc.)
Does your child have the ability to set goals and measure progress towards them?

11. College Readiness: Skills for Success
Independently reading (assigned and free reads)
Has a system for taking notes and studying for exams
Uses a calendar for inputting assignments, appointments and upcoming assessments
Has developed coping strategies for overcoming challenges
Possesses intrinsic motivation to get through menial tasks

12. Career Exploration
Starts early (interests, activities, volunteer and paid opportunities)
Interest inventories: Mass CIS, O*NET online, Naviance (Guidance Seminars)
One Stop Career Center (Leominster, Worcester) *good for helping finding summer jobs too!
Mass Rehab Commission

13. Got Questions?
Thank you!!