Just signed up today…long time lurker at CC. My son is a hs senior with 2 invisible disabilities-Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosed at age 14 and Ulcerative Colitis diagnosed this past summer. He applied to 2 schools and accepted at both. Both good options. We feel that living arrangement accommodations are important as well as other academic supports. I really feel that a single room/bathroom or limited number using the bathroom is important…not a community bathroom situation. We have toured both schools, but did not go to disability services while touring. We have an appointment with one of the disability offices next week and are in contact with the other through email.
Do we do paperwork at both schools to determine which is preferred or get idea of student housing/academic accommodations, make a decision based on that and then only do paperwork with one school?
Do we let each school know that it is between them and another school and could depend on which accommodations are better or talk to each school as if they are the only school being considered?
Will we be able to get a firm commitment on the type of housing he will qualify for before officially deciding to go to that school?
Any suggestions on starting the process is appreciated. I have already gathered some medical documentation, but both schools will also want some of their own forms to be completed. I want to have accommodations in place to feel confident about moving forward. Then, when he chooses a school, does he put a deposit down on housing, sign up for orientation to show which school he plans to attend? Does he let the other school know that he will not be attending?
Call the offices to discuss. To be honest, you may have trouble getting the commitment before he enrolls. You can’t be double deposited as of May 1, either.
But I think you need to talk to the disability office at each school. You might have to call housing to see what housing is possible with a medical exception, too. The single sounds fairly feasible. An en suite bathroom for a single might not exist at some schools.
You will need a medical note from a doctor saying he requires a private room and private bathroom. If the school requires dorm rooms for Freshmen, you should be able to get that waived if the housing office can’t meet the student’s needs.
Do remember that for each item that you ask for, there must be medical documentation that these items are necessary.
Do not tell the school disability offices that their services are in competition with another school. It won’t make a bit of difference to the accommodations offered, and it may do damage to the student’s relationship with this office. Remember that the Disability Office is there to fulfill a federal mandate – these are not services that are negotiated.
Do have a sit down conference (or, if not feasible, have a phone conference) with the student, you and the disability officer (if possible, the lead officer) in order to discuss what the student’s accomodations package may look like. Do this at each school, and choose the one that gives you more satisfying responses.
Do ask if there is any additional cost for any autism specific services (sometimes there is an autism program with an extra charge.)
My Background: I have two college age children with disabilities, both in college, and I created and ran a disability service (an autism program) at a major university.
Thanks for all the responses.
Intparent-would you suggest I let both schools know that we are looking at another school as well? By enrolling, does that mean putting a deposit down on housing? So, talk to and start paperwork at both schools? Do you think the disability services/housing will be able to give likely housing options to help us make a decision? I was thinking a suite situation could work…with him in a single and shared bathroom with 2 others. I think both schools have that kind of set up, but one school shows it as only an option for upperclassmen so wondering if they make exceptions.
roycroftmom-son originally suggested off campus housing, but dad and I feel being on campus would be better for convenience to campus/cafeteria, esp his first years.
CCtoAlaska-I think cafeteria food should be okay as there is a lot of variety. The cafeteria environment could trigger some ASD sensory issues which is why I like the idea of a single room to retreat to if overwhelmed. I was also thinking that there might be an option to pick up a bag lunch if he doesn’t want to eat in the cafeteria. The UC diagnosis is new, and right now doing okay other than some low hemoglobin, but if he has a flare up, access to the bathroom is critical.
thank you psycholing…great advice and great credentials. Would you suggest waiting to submit any paperwork until talking to each school and deciding first which one sounds better, or start the paperwork with both schools while making the decision?
I can’t help you with your main question but do want want to comment about off campus housing if the school can’t accommodate a single or suite set up. At my dd’s college, all the close in to campus apartments are already taken. Most students sign their leases in early Fall for the following school year so I wouldn’t count on your son being able to find something off campus.
Hopefully these schools will make reasonable accommodations that will work for your son.
@1lotus You will need to submit the paperwork first in order to have a meaningful sit down where the disability officer will give you a sense of what the student’s accomodations would look like. There can be really large differences across universities, so don’t take anything for granted. Also, once you collect everything you need for one school, there is really very little additional effort involved with forwarding it to a second school.
For one of my kid’s, we not only got a private room with a kitchen, but we also got cost reduction for that private room since he needed that as a medical accommodation. In other words, we paid the price. of a double but got a single.
@mos-that is what I was thinking about off campus housing…thanks for confirming my suspicion.
@psycholing-thank you so nice to have input from someone who has been there. Do you feel that you had to advocate a lot to get the needed accommodations or did it all fall into place with required documentation?
@1lotus. With my kiddo who has autism + additional medical issues, it was pretty bumpy the first year. Once he was hospitalized for the medical side, they realized that his issues were significant and everything became easy.
With kid number 2, medical only, we did have problems during the first year when he had new, unanticipated symptoms owing to side effects from some of his meds (basically he lost use of his hands for a while, and we did not foresee that). It took several months to get new accomodations in place.
A friend’s daughter also needed a single for autism and other medical conditions, but it meant she couldn’t live on the wing of her learning community. She was able to live in the same dorm but on a different floor. I think it did make her experience a ‘little less’ than what it could have been if she’d been in the thick of things with the rest of the group.
Compare not only the physical set up but the social one too.
Have a list of questions for the schools. Which dorms are possibilities? What facilities are available (buses to campus, kitchens, bathrooms, rec facilities)? Any special programs that wouldn’t be available? Are freshmen in these dorms or just upperclassmen? At my daughter’s school, 90% of freshmen lived in the freshmen village. They were all suites with 4 students sharing a kitchenette and a double bathroom (tub/toilet, double sink, shower/toilet); each student had a single room in the suite. A few of the other freshmen lived in a more traditional dorm with a variety of room/bath choices including single rooms with private baths. Very few freshmen lived in the other dorms but I’m sure with a medical condition it would have been possible, but very lonely.
You don’t have to mention other schools, but you could say something like “Before Son enrolls, he needs to know the accommodations that can be provided to see if they meet his needs.”
Thank you all for the great information. I am interested in hearing of anyone’s experiences with housing/academic accommodations. Do we go ahead and put deposits on both schools while we are submitting paperwork and sorting through what would be the best situation…then before May 1, cancel one? When does he become officially enrolled at one school? @twoinanddone-the socialization is something I considered. He has been in a rather isolated situation (online school from home, little interaction with peers) throughout most of high school and he seems to prefer to be alone, but I think if he found the right understanding friend group, he could enjoy a social life. Think Sheldon Cooper from “The Big Bang Theory”- and although son’s interests are different from that character, the essence of Sheldon would give you an idea of what my son is like. @bopper-I’m writing that phrase down…sounds like a reasonable thing to say and I don’t want to say something to offend the people at the Disability Services office.
Did he receive any disability services in high school? I copied all the medical records and the high school 504 plan and sent it all to disability services, but my dd had already chosen her school and signed up for the ADA dorm. In your case I would do a letter stating the diagnoses and ask what disability services are available for him and enclose all the medical and school records for proof of disability. Depending on the number of stalls, a floor bathroom may be just fine for him since it is less likely that all the stalls would be occupied at the same time.
@GloriaVaughn-online school IEP-a few check-ins and extended time on tests including ACT/PSAT, so much of his specialized services were me monitoring him and trying to keep him on track. The flexible scheduling helped a lot. I have collected original ASD diagnosis (2016), original IEP (2016), current IEP, documentation of UC, getting letter from gastroenterologist, one school seems to prefer pediatrician fill out form, the other therapist and I will plan to get supporting documentation from other. Meeting with one school on Monday and I will ask what kinds of services are possible and use bopper’s statement “Before Son enrolls, he needs to know the accommodations that can be provided to see if they meet his needs.” @roycroftmom-yes, I do have concerns in this new environment and want to set up the best possible scenario. We know that it may not be enough for him to succeed, but want to try. Schools are 1 hour and 3 hours away. How does one take out tuition insurance? Sounds like something to look into.
I suggest that instead of finding out all the accommodations they might possibly offer, you make a list of the accommodations your child needs, and see if they offer those accommodations. Ideally, you have a letter from a medical professional outlining the testing and diagnoses done, the accommodations, and the rationale for each of them. In your son’s case, you’ll probably need one letter for the ulcerative colitis and a second for the various autism spectrum issues.
That’s what we got for our son. Here are some examples of the kind of list I mean:
He needs to use a keyboard for written exams because the following tests show he has dysgraphia…
He needs a private or semi-private bathroom because .
There might be different ways to achieve some of the accommodations, but start with what he wants. If they can’t offer a single dorm room, see if they will waive any residence requirement for freshmen.
Google tuition insurance and you will find the 3 companies that provide it through colleges. You may consider looking into summer bridge programs at a place like landmark college, due to your student’s lack of peer interaction and issues.
@cf-I made a list exactly like that, although not specifically citing the specific testing. He sees a therapist occasionally, pediatrician only every 6 months, IEP counselor when she reaches him by phone, gastroenterologist less often now that he is not in a flare up situation, so I am the one who observes him the most and am providing that list to the professionals as well when they complete forms/letters to help them remember his issues and what accommodations could be of use. Thanks for the advice!
@roycroftmom-I will look into the tuition insurance and summer bridge programs-thanks!
so nice to have input from someone who has been there. Do you feel that you had to advocate a lot to get the needed accommodations or did it all fall into place with required documentation?