Children with special needs have experienced more frustration and
academic failure than most other children. Yet, some of them become
successful college students who graduate with a specialty in a chosen
field.
Sadly, most do not. Only about 57 percent of students with
disabilities graduate from high school, and only about 10 to 15 percent
of those graduating attend college.
What are some reasons students succeed in college? How can parents
help their child be among those who accomplish this challenging
undertaking?
Parental expectations are a key factor
Children
who are raised with the belief that they have the skills to be
successful at the college of their choice, if they desire to pursue a
college education, have a great advantage! They prepare all of their
lives for the experience of college. All through their school years
they make powerful decisions that lay the foundation for college
success.
Students who believe they will be
successful college students study more, they have higher grades, and
they seek the guidance of mentors who can guide them to develop strong
skills. They “play full out” in school, taking challenging classes and
honing their academic skills.
The type of mentoring children receive from their parents is the
genesis of the personal coping beliefs and habits that ensure college
success. Parents lay the foundation of academic achievement from the
moment their child is born. Parents who mentor and support their child
all through their lives to believe in their innate intelligence and
skill encourage the kind of decisions good students face every day as
they pursue their path through the huge array of facts, procedures,
skills and habits that support the ultimate acquisition of academic
literacy.
When mentored to know he or she will be successful, a student
develops personal attributes that support success. Research by the
Frostig Center in Pasadena, California provides some insight into these
qualities.
Personal qualities that support academic success
Students who have the following personal qualities are much more likely
to thrive in college. You can read more detailed descriptions of the
qualities that insure college success here.
• Self-awareness and self-acceptance
• Proactivity as opposed to reactivity
• Perseverance
• Skill in setting short and long-range goals
• Use of effective support systems
• Strong emotional coping strategies
Taking specific action increases the likelihood of succeeding in college
Students need to be aware of specific action steps they should take to
increase the probability they will be admitted to and graduate from the
college of their choice.
Ideally, parents and children should begin to take specific action
steps by the time the student reaches 8th grade. For the student, this
involves taking the most challenging classes available, while
maintaining strong grades and a great attitude toward academics.
Completing extra or optional assignments in classes to stretch his or
her knowledge, and pursuing activities about which the student is
passionate such as sports, artistic, and/or volunteer experiences
builds the self-confidence, proactive mindset and time management
skills that characterize highly successful students.
Parents should encourage their child to learn from successful adults
who are rich sources of information about the nature of their careers,
the training they completed, and the strategies they use to be
successful. Family friends, teachers, coaches, and neighbors are
valuable allies to a student who is eager to learn about the kinds of
opportunities available to them as adults.
Students should explore the world of work through paid jobs,
internships, and volunteering. They will learn about the working
conditions of specific jobs, develop the perseverance needed to commit
to a challenging endeavor, and learn valuable interpersonal skills such
as cooperation and functioning within an environment that requires
meeting high expectations.
It is necessary for students to take a proactive role in their
school careers. They should learn how to communicate their strengths
and needs to adults. They should attend their IEP meetings and advocate
on their own behalf.
Transition planning
Students who qualify under
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act are entitled to receive
support services that help them make a transition from high school to
postsecondary activities. These services may include coursework,
related services, community experiences, development of
results-oriented employment and/or adult living objectives in their
IEPs, and a functional living skills assessment, when warranted.
Beginning when the student is 14 years of age, the IEP team must
consider services that are designed to facilitate the student’s
transition to adult living. At the age of 16, the IEP team is required
to include results-oriented objectives, matched to a student’s
postsecondary goals, that provide support to transition to adult living.
Parents should work with their school’s special education
coordinator to determine the range of services available, and express
their opinions about services and experiences they would like to have
provided for their child.
Summary of performance
Students who are
eligible to receive special education services are legally entitled to
receive a Summary of Performance (SOP) during their final year in high
school. The school district is required by federal law (Individual with
Disabilities Education Act of 2004) to provide to high school seniors
who will be graduating with a regular diploma, a summary of their
academic achievement and functional performance. This information will
be used by colleges as a basis to determine accommodations granted to a
student.
The school district may use their own format to document a student’s
strengths and needs. It is very advantageous to a parent to have a
template that illustrates the kind of information a complete SOP should
contain. It is advantageous to have a history of specific
accommodations that were provided in high school and to include these
in the SOP. Parents can download a copy prepared by a national
coalition of disability rights organizations here.
