What if a student with a disability is often absent?
Talk with the student to discuss your concerns that absences are affecting class performance. Remind him or her of your policy on class absences. Determine with the student whether the missed work can be made up and make arrangements with the student to do so. Refer the student to Counseling and Disability Services if too much class work has been missed. Some students qualify for “flexibility in attendance” due to a chronic illness or other extenuating circumstance. This will be an academic accommodation listed on the student’s Letter of Accommodation. Circumstances may vary for each student who receives the “flexibility in attendance” accommodation. If the student experiences an exacerbation of illness during the semester, s/he is encouraged to stay in touch with each professor in order to keep them informed of their progress and to stay current with assignments as appropriate.
Talk with the student to discuss your concerns that absences are affecting class performance. Students with disabilities are expected to comply with class attendance policies. However, there are times when students are approved to have instructors relax class attendance policies for disability-related absences. If so, this will be documented in the student’s DSS memo with specific information for instructors. If the student is missing too much class, the instructor should contact DSS and refer the student.
Talk with the student to discuss your concerns that absences are affecting class performance. Remind him or her of your policy on class absences. Determine with the student whether the missed work can be made up and make arrangements with the student to do so. Refer the student to Student Disability Services if too much class work has been missed.
Related Questions
- What do I do when a student with a disability asks me to provide extra time for her examinations or to arrange for a separate, quiet room in which to take them?
- How can a student with a health impairment maintain participation in classroom discussions when he is frequently absent?
- What if a student with a disability is often absent?
