How good a job are schools doing on transitioning students with learning disabilities from high school to college?
This is a complex question. Since only approximately 20% of students with LD go to college, and a large portion of that 20% fails to graduate, it’s clear we’re not doing a good enough job in this area. Parents and teachers alike need to have high expectations of youth with LD and convey the belief that students in this population can and should continue their learning beyond the high school years. In order to be ready to move on to continued learning after high school, students with LD need to know how they learn best, be aware of the circumstances under which they do not learn well (e.g., in noisy environments), and be familiar with the compensatory learning strategies, accommodations, and modifications that make it possible for them to succeed in a classroom. They need to understand the college is very different than high school in terms of structure, demands, and entitlements and be familiar with their legal rights and responsibilities (e.g., to self-identify and provide documentati
