Higher Education and Students with ASDs
C. S. Wyatt
http://theautisticme.blogspot. com/
http://theautisticme.blogspot.
The following is an outline I use when speaking to faculty, students, and parents about autism spectrum disorders and the legal rights of students within the university. My last post on university access and students with ASDs resulted in a conversation more about diagnoses than services, so I hope this helps clarify the nature of the university experience.
I will expand and edit this post if necessary and as information changes. I would rather update this post than have "outdated" information online in the future.
These are presentation notes, not an essay or academic article. Still, the information should be helpful.
Scope of the Challenge
There are many students entering our colleges and universities with appropriate documentation of autism spectrum disorders. Proper documentation legally qualifies a student to some supports from the school.
- Post-secondary students with disabilities represent 11 percent of enrollment (GAO, 2009).
- High-functioning, college-capable individuals with autism represent 40 percent of ASD diagnoses.
- From 0.8 to 1.1 percent of U.S. children are estimated to meet the criteria for ASD diagnoses.
- Could represent 25 percent of legally disabled university students within 20 years.
- Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADA) of 2008; Section 202/Title II: Accessibility of Technologies.
- Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 added new provisions to the Higher Education Act of 1965.
- Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Sections 504 and 508 extended by courts beyond data access to course access in 2005, 2007.
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004; applies only if any K–12 students have dual-enrollment at the institution.
While schools are required to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified students and bear the costs, schools are not required to provide accommodations that would fundamentally alter the nature of a program, lower or waive essential academic requirements, or result in undue financial or administrative burdens. — Milani, 1996, p. 4Autism is a Legally Recognized Disability There is no question, according to longstanding federal laws, that autism is a recognized disability. Autism is mentioned specifically in the following education-related laws:
- The Children’s Health Act of 2000
- The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004
- Combating Autism Act of 2005
- Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008
Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 ADA was updated in 2008 in ways that might directly affect a student with communication impairments.
- Updated the ADA of 1990 in an attempt to clarify definitions and mandates.
- Disability is “a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person’s major life activities.”
Title II (Section 202) of the ADA requires universities make their facilities, programs, services, and activities accessible to the disabled. The ADA interprets information technology and related communication as part of the aids and services that must be reasonably accommodated for the needs of disabled students. — Bradbard and Peters 2010, p. 12The complication for parents and students is understanding that a university does not have to offer the same level of supports K12 schools typically offer. This is because IDEA and similar legislation applies only to K12 and disabled students, up to age 21, receiving services from K12 schools.
- States, individual universities, and the courts define “reasonable” on a case-by-case basis.
- Financial constraints, available personnel, and other factors can be considered by the university in declining services.
- Court cases have tended to favor colleges and universities under the doctrine of “manner and nature.”
- A degree must represent equal accomplishment and consistent basic knowledge among all students receiving the diploma.
- ADA was passed as a “clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.”
- Finding: Based on ADA Title II, public entities are prohibited from discriminating against “qualified” persons with disabilities in the provision of a public service, program, or activity.
- Sections define accommodations clearly and with specific examples.
- Section 508 includes computer access and design considerations mandated by federal usability regulations.
- Similar to international Web standards for accessibility.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires a balance between “the need to give effect to the statutory objectives and the desire to keep section 504 within manageable bounds.” — USDC Alexander v. Choate (1985)Laws and regulations normally apply to an employer, not necessarily employees. For example, a waiter cannot be sued for not accommodating a blind diner, but the restaurant could be sued. However, and this is important, the rights of disabled students are protected by regulations that mention instructors specifically. A professor at a university is considered responsible for his or her classroom. This now includes online courses.
Section 508 could be interpreted as applying to individual faculty members who are an integral part of such [publicly funded] universities. Thus, individual faculty members could be held liable (or responsible) for complying with the legal mandates of Web accessibility for the individual Web sites they create and use for instructional purposes. — Bradbard and Peters 2010, p. 2-3Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act FERPA, and some state laws, limit the sharing of information between disability services, instructors, and parents. As a professor, I cannot discuss a student’s disability with another professor without a clear and necessary purpose. I also cannot discuss an adult student with his or her parents. There are all manner of complications with FERPA, including a struggle to determine when it is necessary to violate confidentiality to ensure safety.
- Federal law limits access to grades, finances, and discipline records.
- Federal website is up-to-date: http://www.parent.umn.edu/ferpa.html
- “FERPA requires that access to a college student’s records must be granted by approval of the student.”
- Disability specialists do not disclose specific conditions.
- FERPA rights apply to the disabled; no university employee may discuss or disclose the disability to other employees or students.
- No matter what the law is, a student can give any information to his or her family.
- There is a “safety of student and/or others” exemption for disclosure.
- Regulatory agencies, including the Dept. of Education, use the DSM-IV to define disabilities.
- DSM-V updates “Autism Spectrum Disorders” — potentially expanding the number of individuals diagnosed.
- Universities must accept DSM-V criteria to receive federal funding.
Disclosure Requirements The Department of Education regulators and several court rulings have suggested that a disabled student can only claim discrimination or bias if faculty were made aware of a disability. This means the student must be a self-advocate and establish that he or she qualifies, legally, for accommodations.
- Faculty can only be expected to recognize “obvious” physical disabilities.
- Students with “non-obvious” disabilities must disclose to a designated disabilities specialist at a college or university to qualify for the protections available.
- Failure to disclose forfeits some legal rights and protections at universities.
Eligibility for Services
A student receiving services in the K12 setting is not qualified automatically for similar services at a college or university. Universities are allowed to challenge eligibility and require new evidence of qualification for services.
A school plan such as an IEP (individualized educational plan) or a 504 plan is insufficient documentation in and of itself but can be included as part of a more comprehensive evaluative report. — Student Disability Services, University of San FranciscoUniversities typically offer no assistance at all when a student needs to re-qualify for services. Why would a university require re-evaluation? Isn’t a school psychologist’s letter sufficient? It turns out, a “school psychologist” is not the same as a “psychologist” in many states.
School psychologists’ training does include study in education and special education, but compared to clinical psychology, there will likely be less emphasis on psychopathology and long-term therapy. Most states will only license private practice at the doctoral level, while most states credential school psychologists at the specialist level (60 graduate semester credit master’s degree). — National Association of School Psychologists, 2011 (http://www.nasponline.org/)The testing for eligibility can be expensive and is rarely available via insurance. Many insurance policies that do cover testing and diagnoses of disabilities will not cover a non-essential test that is only for the purposes of college accommodations. If a teen was diagnosed four years ago, the admitting college can still demand newer diagnostic results. Most insurance will not cover this.
A student requesting reasonable accommodations must provide appropriate documentation and then participate in an assessment interview. The guidelines for documentation of physical and learning disabilities will be provided in the interest of ensuring that evaluation reports are appropriate to document eligibility and support requests for reasonable accommodations. Staff from Disabled Student Services are available to consult with students and evaluators regarding these guidelines.
The University does not provide nor pay for services rendered to meet the above documentation requirements. In order to ensure that services and accommodations are matched to the student's changing needs, students must provide documentation that is no more than three years old. This may require that students undergo reevaluations if their previous evaluation was more than three years ago. Comprehensive testing is not required for a reevaluation. A student need only be retested for his/her previously diagnosed physical or learning disability. The issue of what specific retesting is required is left to the discretion of the student's physician or other qualified evaluator. — Robert Morris University, PAThis policy is roughly the same at most institutions of higher learning. However, the written policy can be waived. For example, RMU often allows a letter from a physician to substitute for re-evaluation if the original testing is within five years of university admissions. Schools are flexible — never assume they will not work with a student and his or her family.
Self-Advocacy is Legally Mandated The federal government reminds universities that disclosure is the responsibility of each student. In a 2009 report, the Government Accountability Office issued the following statement:
[It] is the responsibility of post-secondary students to identify themselves as having a disability, provide documentation of their disability, and request accommodations and services. — GAO, 2009, p. 5Only as an example, RMU, like most institutions of higher education, reminds students of this legal responsibility in the student handbook and on the RMU Student Services website:
It is the student's responsibility to distribute the accommodation sheets to the appropriate instructors as soon as possible. Failure to distribute accommodation sheets may cause delay in the provision of services. The student must also keep a copy of the accommodation sheet for his/her records and deliver a copy of this form to his/her academic advisor. — Robert Morris University, PABasic Services of a Disability Specialist If a disabled student has to be a self-advocate, what does a disability specialist do? The DS expert helps students navigate the requirements of the institution — and every college or university is different.
- Provides letters or e-mail to faculty to document notification, though specific diagnoses are not disclosed.
- Determines which accommodations are essential and proper to meet student needs.
- Schedules special testing, study, or research accommodations, including adaptive technology access.
Proactive Planning Students, their parents, and their high school counselors should be proactive when considering a college or university. Obtain current documentation of any disability:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Learning disabilities, often co-morbid with ASDs
- Physical limitations, such as seizure disorders commonly co-morbid with ASDs.
The more you know about the campus, the better, too. Never assume a campus that claims to be accommodating and proactive actually is. Research the institution as much as you can.
ASD Specialists
I advise students to ask if the disability office on campus has a dedicated ASD expert.
- The presence of autism spectrum specialists within departments and in disability services is an encouraging sign.
- Learn where these individuals are, and consider contacting them before you accept admissions to a university.
- Most experts will meet with you and offer a candid assessment of the campus.
- You should know how a university deals with conflicts or “disruption” charges.
- Student-led CR unlikely to appreciate the nature of autism spectrum disorders.
- Mediation that circumvents disability service personnel can be problematic.
- Some systems fail to provide an advocate for students with special needs.
2 comments:
Thanks. We're just starting to look into the transition process now, and I'll be keeping a copy of this for reference. It's a bit overwhelming, and I appreciate having the information, even if it takes a while to face and process.
A very good information about autism spectrum disorders(ASD. It will encourage many students to get Access to University Courses. Students with ASD can also choose to go for Study In Australia.
Post a Comment