<p>My son is a junior with a 3.9 weighted GPA. Took the SAT in Jan. got a 1900, took it again in May, but don't know the score yet. He plans to apply to the Cornell Hotel School early. I am in the midst of preparing a parent assessment for the school counselor and she will use the information I put in the assessment for the counselor recommendation. My dilemma is: should I disclose his central auditory processing disorder?</p>
<p>His father is a Cornell alum with a long history of giving. My son is also on the varsity soccer team, involved in community service and will have a summer job at a prestigious hotel chain over the summer. </p>
<p>Some say that it will benefit him that he has a disability but rarely took advantage of the accomodations that were offered to him. However a part of me thinks it opens a can of worms and may be the reason not to accept him. Need advice.</p>
<p>“Some say that it will benefit him that he has a disability but rarely took advantage of the accomodations that were offered to him”
Why? this line of reasoning makes no sense to me. CAP does not make him a more “desirable” applicant! As a mom of a son with CAP, I never thought it would help to disclose his disability when he was applying to colleges. Say nothing. The time to mention CAP is after he has been accepted, if you wish to find out which, if any, accomodations he can expect or ask for. But if has has received none in HS , then don’t expect help with CAP in college. The disability office at my son’s large U didn’t even “get” what CAP is-a disorder of the brain, not the ears, and assigned him someone who works with deaf students…sheesh.
CAP is a relatively unknown disorder, though this recent article about it in the NYTimes will hopefully open many educators eyes and increase their understanding of it’s effect on how students learn[ or don’t learn] .</p>
<p>Yes, you are so right. When I try to explain CAPD people think he can’t hear well which is part of the problem in a noisy environment, but it is not the crux of the problem. There are implications in reading, speech and writing. My son worked with a speech therapist for a while which helped.</p>
<p>I would be up front about your son’s condition AFTER your son has been accepted. Please refer to the Cornell University Student Disability Services page. I took a quick look and it outlines how and when you are to notify Cornell about your child’s condition. There are certain requirements you must meet in order for you to REQUEST accommodations. </p>
<p>In our case, our youngest son has ADHD and Touretts. He has a 34 on his ACT and is a Commended NMSF. We have managed to get through his Junior year in HS without an IEP but have decided to request accommodations when he is accepted to college. Our son’s tics change all the time. This year we requested a separate testing room for his April ACT. This made a huge difference. His score improved 3 points. Our biggest concern was that if his audible tics became a distraction, our son could have been removed from testing and receive a “no score” for his time. </p>
<p>I wish you well on your situation. There is no shame for being different. : )</p>
<p>Just be certain that any accommodations you request are in place in HIGH SCHOOL. Many colleges will require documentation that these accommodations were necessary for your student. Recent evaluations and support for these accommodations will likely be needed to be provided to the school IF your child even wants to be considered for accommodations. Some schools won’t grant accommodations if a student hasn’t already USED them (note…not just recommended…but USED…) in other learning settings. Get your ducks lined up NOW.</p>
<p>Re: disclosure…I would also suggest that your CHILD do this once he has been accepted. His CAPD really is not something that will make him a more desirable applicant. It’s what he’s DONE that will make him a desirable applicant. (Disclaimer…I know a lot about CAPD…I’m a speech pathologist). </p>
<p>And remember…in college, it’s not like high school. The STUDENT will be responsible for dealing with the accommodations. This student will need to learn to advocate for himself…a very important skill.</p>
<p>Since he was diagnosed in 6th grade, he has learned to be an advocate for himself. He was taught how to use different color markers (because he is a visual learner), how to leave notes for himself so as not to forget things, etc. Through the years, he has learned to be meticulous and organized, which is unusual for a boy. He keeps a monthly calendar on his desk, with all assignments written on it and he crosses them out as he completes them. I am very proud of how he has learned to deal his CAPD. </p>
<p>Of course, there are times when he is overwhelmed. He had to take an intensive 4 week algebra 2 course over the summer. Teacher gave up to hundred problems a night and son stayed up until 1am, sometimes, 2am to finish his homework. When he is focused about something, I am amazed at how he buckles down and gets the work done.</p>
<p>Snake, kudos to you and your son in getting the needed help, and in compensating for this so beautifully.
I am wondering, however, about his choice of profession in light of this diagnosis. Is he aware of the conditions under which the managers of hotels and restaurants work? There may be lots of reasons to be overwhelmed under such circumstances, in addition to many spoken interactions in settings with every type of ambient noise.
I hope that the summer job places him in a realistic enough setting to give him a good sense of what he is getting into! But if he were my son, I would encourage him to examine some other potential careers and consider them in light of his condition before entering a program in hotel and restaurant management.</p>
<p>"Yes, you are so right. When I try to explain CAPD people think he can’t hear well which is part of the problem in a noisy environment, but it is not the crux of the problem. There are implications in reading, speech and writing. My son worked with a speech therapist for a while which helped. "</p>
<p>My CAPD affects me primarily in my ability to understand words spoken to me in certain situations, and I have had luck describing it as an inability or a delay in the ability to translate sound into word. I can hear the sound just as loudly as anyone else, but it isn’t a word to me as instantly as it is to some people. Maybe that might help in the future.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t disclose unless the CAPD affected his grades or test scores in a way that he needs to explain. If he is a strong applicant without disclosing I wouldn’t. I did disclose a different disorder and had nothing but positive outcomes from my disclosure, but if there’s no reason for it there just isn’t any reason. After acceptance, though, it is very wise to disclose and get as far in arranging accommodations as humanly possible before putting down the deposit.</p>
<p>my initial response was also that your S shld not disclose. At the same time, it might be helpful if his teachers or counselor emphasize in their recommendations the strong academic qualities and learning techniques that he has developed and that have contributed to his academic performance - as a result of his disability (with yr and yr S’s permission of course)</p>
<p>He is drawn to the hotel school because of their minor in real estate which is his ultimate interest. He is very visual and loves beautiful buildings and interiors, but he is not interested in architecture. He doesn’t see himself in hotel management but rather in new property development. The hotel internship fulfills two needs: 1. hotel school wants to see work experience, preferably in the hospitality industry and 2. to see if he might like to work in a hotel. Of course, we are also looking at other business schools that don’t have the hotel angle. Thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>Finally! A student that has a learning disability that is using his other abilities to overcome his weakness. I like that in a student and in a person.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t mention the disability, but I would mention his techniques for studying if he can work it into his essay. It indicates how he takes studying seriously and that he has well developed study skills. It will show that he is above-average in many of the skills needed to be successful for college and in life.</p>
<p>That is a difficult question to answer. It really depends on what the disability is. Sometimes it can be a big plus factor as it shows that the student has overcome a handicap. Also some situations are so part of the person, that not mentioning it is difficult, if the student is blind, paralyzed, on a vent, is an amputee, deaf…you get what I mean. But when you start mentioning all of the sensory, learning, aspergers, issues…well, I just don’t know. I think it should be mentioned if it is something that may come up and needs to be explained. In that case, perhaps the guidance counselor can mention it. </p>
<p>None of my sons’ peers who had issues that allowed for extended time on the SATs mentioned their reasons for the extra time. Or for the learning or behavioral disability. By high school, most of them were not getting any points, sympathy or accomodations beyond extra testing time and other very specific things for those issues. No one really cared, and there are some people who downright resent it. </p>
<p>Also in a discipline like the hotel school administration, one of the things that is scrutinized his how the person interfaces with others. I don’t know what CAP disorder is, but I would be concerned how that would affect someone’s ability to deal with others in a managerial capacity. I can tell you that the interview is very important in this process for this school. In my opinion, no quarter is going to be given for processing disabilities.</p>
<p>My daughter wrote about her struggle to read in her Common App essay. It was a great story about how she went from being unable to hear the differences in vowels and being stuck in the reading room to being a top student who devours books and writes well. She will be going to Rochester this fall, her top choice.</p>
<p>My daughter’s story isn’t really a “disclosure” issue, but you can see how it can matter.</p>
<p>CAPD is an auditory processing issue…it is not hearing acuity but rather interpretation of what is heard. This can manifest itself in many different ways…and dependent on the environment…it can be managed more easily or less easily by the student. For example, some CAPD kiddos have difficulty in situations where there is background noise (vent fans, flourescent light noise, outside noise, louder learning environments, etc). Others have information or sound discrimination difficulties. </p>
<p>The problem <em>I</em> see (from a speech pathologist’s point of view) is that the learning and studying environments at the college are unknown right now. For example, some kids with CAPD would have a terrible time listening to a lecture in a large lecture hall where there is not amplification. Some kids would have difficulty in a noisier learning situation (anyplace where there are multiple “discussions” going on…a lab, for example). Some would have difficulty with information retention, or stamina for listening. This could cause fatigue too. Some need to have visual supports to help them navigate a lecture format. Some don’t. </p>
<p>The specific accommodations for CAPD are SPECIFIC to each child’s needs…they are not generic accommodations that work for all. AND what works in one listening environment might NOT work in another.</p>
<p>So…this OP needs to know what the specific implications of their kiddo’s CAPD are…and to be honest, I think the kid should hook up with student support services…AFTER acceptance. If the student needs help and there is no information on file with student support services…time will be ticking by while this documentation and information is assembled. Personally, I would be proactive.</p>
<p>I have known students with CAPD who have been successful college students. It may just be my circle of friends, but in ALL cases, the students enrolled at smaller colleges, not large universities, where there was an excellent student support system already in place for students who wished to access it.</p>
<p>One of the reasons we like the hotel school at cornell is because it is a small school in the environment of a larger university. there are less than 200 entering freshman.</p>
<p>we visited ucla and were concerned about the LARGE freshman classes of possibly 500 kids. If you don’t make it into the main lecture hall, you have to go to the overflow room and watch class from a screen.</p>
<p>He has said the chirping of the crickets outside his bedroom window bother him. He has been known to wear headphones to keep certain noises “out.” Of course, he has always been a sensitive kid, but when he makes a statement like that I know it’s the CAPD.</p>
<p>On top of it all, when he was younger, none of his teachers suspected anything, but I had my suspicions. CAPD is very hard to detect. If he had not gotten tested, I would have thought “oh, he is just a boy and not a good listener.” But self advocacy is so important and I have stressed it from day one. His teachers have always commented that he has no problems asking for clarification, etc.</p>
<p>He wants to go to a school where he can feel comfortable going to the professors. We visited the school and he had the opportunity to meet with the real estate professor. I think he really enjoyed that.</p>
<p>Welcome to cc, snake65. I agree that I would not yet address the CAPD. Wait til you see how the test scores are from the recent SAT retake. In almost all cases it is better to wait until they are admitted to address disability issues, withthe occasional exception of needing to explain a weak score or significant improvement somewhere.</p>