When assessing, planning instruction,
and making transition plans
in this area,
remember that “Post” means after and
“secondary” means high school.
Simply put, this area comprises
any kind of education and training
after high school.
Postsecondary is not exclusively college.
All students,
regardless of academic and functional skills
or additional disabilities
should be encouraged
to pursue education or training
after high school.
This can include on-the-job training,
Adult Basic Education,
vocational or occupational training,
short-term skills training classes,
Work Force Center workshops,
military training, or college.
Keep in mind, too,
that college is not just
a 4-year degree.
There are shorter certificate
and diploma programs available
through community and technical colleges,
such as a Certified Nursing Assistant.
I often tell my students
that college is just
a formal kind of job training.
Students who are aiming for college
should start planning early,
freshman year at least.
It’s critical that
high school class selections ensure
students have the necessary academic skills
and required coursework to apply
and be accepted into higher education.
The importance of understanding
one’s disability, accommodations,
and disability law cannot be understated.
Students must be prepared to request
the accommodations they need, in advance,
and follow up to ensure
the accommodations are in place.
Many high school students
are used to accommodations being given.
IDEA is an entitlement law and
students are not required to ask for help.
We just give it.
However, ADA, which governs college
and post-HS settings,
is not an entitlement law.
It is a law of access,
to allow access
to what a disability prevents.
For example, ramps or elevators
for physical disabilities and
sign language interpreters/captionists
for hearing loss.
People are used to deaf students
having accommodations that are obvious,
interpreters or captionists,
but hard of hearing students
may not have used such accommodations
in high school and
think they will not need them in college.
In reality, many students
who are hard of hearing
may benefit from captioning,
FM systems, or other accommodations.
Students need to be open
with the disability services counselor
and ask what is available.
Even if something has not
been used in the past,
it may be helpful in the future.
Students and families need to know
that some services from high school
simply won’t be accepted
at the college level.
Accommodations under ADA
must be reasonable.
Modifications: changing rigor,
content, expectations, etc., do not occur.
If a student cannot participate and
complete the necessary work
with reasonable accommodations,
college may not be the right setting.
A student should be aware early on
in transition planning
if their academic skills
are on target to meet the rigor
of a post-secondary setting.
Including deaf/hard of hearing students
in discussions about tuition, fees,
and expenses for college is important.
An appropriate transition activity or goal
for a college-bound student
could include working with the family
to complete the FAFSA.
There are four additional documents
in this section of the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Transition Guide.
First is the
PostSecondary Competency Skills checklist.
It’s not necessary to rate every box.
Decide which items make
the most sense to the student.
Some might become goals or objectives
or activities on an IEP.
Next is the Accommodation Resource List.
If students and parents want to know
acceptable accommodations in college,
this is a great resource.
Unlike a K-12 setting
where the school
is in charge of
services and accommodations,
after high school
it is the student’s responsibility
to self-identify,
seek assistance and utilize services
from disability services
or an access center.
This Resource List includes
many accommodations
that may be available
in a post-secondary setting
and could be used to compare
what is available at various colleges.
Third is a document called
Talking to Professors.
Again, the shift from high school
to postsecondary is huge
in terms of responsibility,
advocacy,and especially,
as in this case, disclosure.
Students have a choice
about whether or not
to disclose their disability
to instructors and professors.
Unlike in high school,
when many teachers are used
to special education services
and accommodate for students’ needs
without students asking,
college professors may have not
previously worked with any
students with disabilities and
will need the student to be very clear
about the needs and approved accommodations
which will be determined
through disability services.
Disability services will not automatically
notify professors about
a student with a disability,
so it is up to the student
to explain the disability and its impact,
as well as the accommodations to the professor.
Finally is a brief outline
of high school vs college.
As we know, the expectations, rigor,
grading, studying, and content in college
are much different than in high school.
This is a very short guide,
drawing contrasts in ten different areas
about how high school and college differ.
Share this document early
with students and their parents
to help them understand
the different educational environment
the student is transitioning to.
It will also help the IEP team
begin scaling back
on the level of academic assistance and
modification a student is receiving,
so that by the time they graduate,
their student skills
more closely model a college student.