I’ll be paid for 20 hrs/ week to provide services for LD students at the local, fairly small community college. This is in addition to the standard “disabilities services” — though I don’t think there’s been much beyond the legal minimum of accommodations for LD students. Of course I’ve got ideas of my own… but I’m interested in others’ input as well — what has really helped you, what would you like to see?
Re: What services would you want in a community college?
Well, I would give anything to have the Kurzweil program for accomodation for students with reading difficulties/blind/esl. Secondly a person that knows what teachers work best with LD students….
Re: What services would you want in a community college?
I had a friend who taped lectures so he could review the material later. One of his professors absolutely refused to have anyone tape the lectures. (Reasoning unknown.) He missed graduating by that one class. Now, with ADA I suppose the dean or someone in administration could have forced the case, but then what the professor said went. Of course there must still be similar dinosaurs and it would surely help to have some sort of automatic intervention to allow reasonable accomodations.
Some services might be providing a place where students with testing accommodations can come to take tests with extra time, a reader or use of assistive technology; assisting with arrangements for tutors, note-taking services and readers; setting up a computor lab providing access to or instruction in the use of reading technology (e.g. Kurzweil, Wynn), or voice activated writing software (e.g. Dragon Naturally Speaking, ViaVoice); having a list of sign language interpreters that can be called upon as needed; having a list of reputable and reasonably priced professionals who can provide diagnostic testing services that may be needed to document LDs and recommend appropriate accommodations; standardizing the means by which accommodations are approved, documented and communicated to instructors; orienting instructors to their obligations in cooperating with LD accommodations; helping to organize a support group for LD students; providing study and organizational skills courses.