Well, some kids admit their challenges and what a college (including a tippy top) can look for is how this individual “self-advocates.” That’s the kid who is aware of his/her hurdles and, despite them, makes the call, stops by the office, etc. And who repeats, when the first efforts don’t succeed. That’s very different than assuming hand holding is all there has ever been and the kids can’t make it.
Schools with the better supportive services in place are going to be supportive to the extent they can be. Even where the academics are competitive. There really isn’t any generalizing that top kids who needed some form of guidance along the way aren’t bright enough or determined enough to make it through a competitive college. These can be two separate issues, which is what makes it so hard.
I will say, I think you have to be a strong self advocate to succeed with a disability in college. I’m so thankful my mom was such a strong advocate for me and taught me how to advocate for myself.
Hi @CuriousJane ! I don’t know if you remember me from our PM conversations when our kiddos were much younger. We “met” on the Class of 2017 forum. My D actually finished HS early and leaves home in 2 weeks. She went to a small HS and will be attending a small college.
Her HS had a number of kids with a variety of challenges and in THAT school at least, the personal attention and dedication of the teachers was life-altering for some of them. Seeing a couple of ADHD challenged boys turn around completely with this personal attention is what motivated her to major in special ed, in fact.
When we toured colleges, some made a point of mentioning special services, and stated that they’ll go so far as to notify parents if there is a problem, others leave seeking help out to the students. As others have said, you really need to make sure your student seeks out the services nad help when needed, and to ask at each possible school.
D chose a tiny LAC (and an HBCU) partly because on our tour everyone recognized everyone and asked after their interests as we passed. On accepted students weekend, it was clear that the kids are all very close and that’s the HS environment D was leaving, and she is happy to have found the same at a college. While she has no disabilities, she IS young, so we all feel that a place where she won’t be just a cog in a great wheel is a good match. Good luck on your search!
@lostaccount, maybe you missed my point. I agree that being able to “hide” is a bad thing, especially for a student who isn’t a strong advocate for themselves. Of course we all wish our kids would advocate and try to instill that in them, but the bottom line is that some of them aren’t good at it.
@sseamom has a great point. The overall environment of a college can really show how supportive one branch like disability services can be. Personally I had no doubt in my mind that disability services would be supportive because the rest of the college is. It’s very small (~500 undergrads) and they tell you professors will find you if you are not in class. It’s a very nurturing environment. For me, I knew that was key. For some students, even those with disabilities, they might dislike such a small, nurturing environment and perfer a larger university. And that’s fine too