Establishing Learning Disability Support Services with Minimal Resources.

Abstract

Increasing numbers of students with disabilities (LD) are attending institutions of higher education resulting in an unprecedented demand for services. As a result, many colleges are faced with the prospect of developing additional institutional supports at a time when budgets are being cut. This article is designed to assist postsecondary service providers who are in the process of developing support services with minimal resources. Practical suggestions are offered on how to define service eligibility, provide accommodations, establish diagnostic testing procedures, maximize existing ancillary services on campus, and measure program effectiveness. Several publications have recently appeared in the literature profiling model disability (LD) programs at a variety of 2-and 4-year institutions (Adelman,1988; Mangrum & Strichart, 1988; McGuire, 1988). Each year, more colleges and universities are developing support services for students with disabilities (Lazarus, 1989; Vogel, 1982). The number of college students with disabilities has increased tenfold in the last decade (Learning Disability Update, 1986). A national survey conducted by the American Council on Education (Hippolitus, 1987) indicated that students with disabilities now make up 1.1 % of the total freshman class. With an increased demand for services, colleges are often faced with the prospect of developing additional institutional support services at a time when budgets are being cut and offices are already under-staffed. Given this climate of austerity in higher education, many colleges and universities want to develop a core of support services for students with disabilities rather than a comprehensive program. The luxury of offering a comprehensive program is often not possible due to funding limitations, inadequate space, or a lack of institutional commitment. When administrators are faced with the prospect of developing services from scratch, they often find a staff person who has already shown an interest in disabilities. Individuals who inherit the responsibility for providing support services often come from a variety of fields, such as: psychology, special education, counseling, social work, curriculum and instruction, rehabilitation, or developmental education (Blosser,1984; Shaw & Norlander, 1986). Frequently, their current job duties are expanded to encompass serving college students with disabilities. Within a year or two, part-time duties evolve into fulltime learning specialist positions. During this rapid growth of support services, the newly appointed learning specialist looks for additional resources and contact people who can assist in the development and refinement of support services. This article is designed to assist this expanding group of postsecondary service providers who are in the process of developing support services on their campuses. The title of learning specialist will be used to refer to an individual with specific training in disabilities and assessment. The title of LD service provider will be used to refer to an individual with a broader counseling or support services background who may not have specific training in the area of disabilities. The suggestions made are designed to be relatively inexpensive and within the scope of implementation by one fulltime individual. With minimal resources and a dedicated staff person, it is possible to provide adequate support services to the many capable students with disabilities who might otherwise not be successful in higher education. Guidelines For Service Eligibility Before services are offered, it is important that guidelines for service eligibility be established. These guidelines should fall within the scope of Section 504 of the The Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Federal Register, 1980, May 9) which states that any public or private institution that receives federal monies shall not discriminate on the basis of handicap. The intent of the law is not to grant students access because of the handicap, but simply to prevent exclusion because of it (Mangrum & Strichart,1988). College students with disabilities are clearly protected under Section 504 (Rothstein,1986) and must be granted an opportunity to compete with their non-disabled peers. Furthermore, these students may expect to be provided modifications or reasonable that will assist them in compensating for their disability. However, Rothstein (1986) noted that problems often arise in determining whether a student actually does have a disability. The relevance of diagnostic data varies according to its recency. Information gathered at the elementary or middle school level may have questionable value as it pertains to postsecondary accommodations. Issues of eligibility become even more complicated in cases where students have been diagnosed by private consultants and psychologists (Brinckerhoff, Shaw, & McGuire, in press). Clearly there is a need to establish eligibility criteria at the postsecondary level that can be tailored to individual postsecondary contexts (Mellard,1990). Scott (1990) pointed out that the spirit of the law is to mandate that professionals in higher education apply informed judgment in admitting, accommodating, and educating students with disabilities. Once these essential program components are established and validated, individual abilities and accommodations can

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