I have one for a math disability, but want to teach elementary education but do not know how realistic that is.
Of course you can! My advice would be to do your best in high school and use all available resources to help you do so. I am not sure what your year is in high school or which colleges you are considering, but look at schools with strong resources for students with learning disabilities and a supportive environment. Look for schools with higher percentage graduation rates so you know that they support their students and they want them to succeed. If you are interested in elementary education then I think your state flagship or other state schools may be best especially for certification.
There are lots of students with an IEP in high school who are very successful in college. Don’t hesitate to utilize all resources available to you, as suggested by @magnetnh. Consider attending a school like the University of Arizona which offers the SALT program for students with learning differences, or a small college where you can receive personalized attention and support.
Of course you can go to college! Many colleges have services for students with disabilities that can provide accommodations. As a former elementary ed major, I confirm that state schools are usually the best option. They almost always have programs that lead to certification, and private schools tend to leave new teachers with unreasonable amounts of debt. Back to your question, though, don’t let a disability stop you from achieving your goals! (P.S. Teachers with learning disabilities are sometimes better able to help students with learning disabilities because they “get it.”) Good luck!
My daughter is in the same boat. She wants to either be an elementary school teacher or special ed teacher and has a documented math disability. One of the criteria we had when she was looking at schools (she is a sophomore now) was one with minimal math requirements. As far as I know, having a math disability doesn’t get you out of math in the same way having a language-based disability may help in working around a school’s foreign language requirement.
She tried one math course last year and was unable to keep up and dropped it. She is trying statistics this semester, and I’m hoping for the best. She also has to take two teacher math classes, but I’m hoping they will be more on the elementary level.
One other stumbling block may be the PRAXIS test, unless your math score on the SAT or ACT was high enough to place out of taking that teacher test.
That said, it’s definitely worth giving college a try. Community college is a possibility, but they may make you take remedial math courses before you can get to the required ones.
Where do you live? I can give you a list of some of the colleges we considered.
But keep in mind that there are requirements you must have for certain majors. Let’s say you want to get a K-5 degree…but you can’t do math at the level that is required to teach 5th graders. Then this might not be the major for you. But if you could get through algebra but not much further but have no big issues with grade school math, then you would be okay.
Of course you can! You are blessed to come of an age in a time where LDs are much better understood and accommodated.
Have confidence - you will find the right path for you.
Many schools have academic support centers that offer free assistance to all students. In addition, you will want to talk to the disability services office at colleges you are considering to see if the types of accommodations you receive on your high school IEP will be available in college. You may need an updated evaluation or other new paperwork. If so, be sure to take care of this as part of getting ready for college.