Tips & Resources | Special Needs

• Explore this resource for students with learning disabilities who are in the college search process. This link is an excellent compilation of programs that go beyond the standard support offered by most colleges.
• For students with learning disabilities heading to college, explore this resource, and for those exploring college options, read more here.
• Students with learning disabilities may apply to the SALT program at the University of Arizona as early as August. Read more here.
• If you are a student with learning disabilities heading to college next year, be sure to contact your college learning center early. Send all of your pertinent documentation so that they can determine what kinds of support you will need. Now that you are in college, self-advocacy will be essential, and the sooner you establish a relationship with this office, the better your experience will be. More tips.
• Students with Learning Disabilities: If you are a student with a learning disability, it is important that you research the support services available at the colleges on your list. More important than the standard tour of the campus should be a visit to the Support Services department. While you are researching colleges, go to the website for the Learning Support Center and call or make an appointment with them to begin the process of self-advocating. Schools vary in their standards and program options, so make sure to look at the options on an individual basis. At larger schools, students may have to be assertive enough to get what is needed in a larger system. When you call or visit campus, talk to the people in the learning support office and ask these important questions:
• Do they use student interns or professionals?
• What kinds of support do they have?
• Is it hard to get an appointment?
• Where do students take tests, and do they have access to books on tape?
• More questions to ask during the college search are listed here.
• More information on documenting learning disabilities can be found here. See also:
  • Learning Outside The Lines: Two Ivy League Students With Learning Disabilities And ADHD Give You The Tools For Academic Success and Educational Revolution, by Jonathan Mooney, David Cole.
• Students with Disabilities: Tools for self-advocacy can be found here.