Table Of ContentSuccess for College Students with
Learning Disabilities
Susan A. Vogel Pamela B. Adelman
Editors
Success for
College Students with
Learning Disabilities
With a Foreword by Janet W. Lerner
With 21 Illustrations
Springer-Verlag
New York Berlin Heidelberg London Paris
Tokyo Hong Kong Barcelona Budapest
Susan A. Vogel, Ph.D.
Northern lllinois University
Department of Educational Psychology,
Counseling and Special Education
DeKalb, IL 60015-2854
USA
Pamela B. Adelman, Ph.D.
Department of Education
Barat College
Lake Forest, IL 60045
USA
ISBN-13: 978-1-4684-6418-4 e-ISBN-\3: 978-1-4684-6416-0
001: 10. \007/978-1-4684-6416-0
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Success for college students with learning disabilities/Susan A.
Vogel, Pamela Adelman, eds.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Learning disabled-Education (Higher)-United States.
2. Learning disabled-Services for-United States. I. Vogel, Susan
Ann. II. Adelman, Pamela.
LC4704.75.S83 1992
371.9'0474-dc20 91-41399
Printed on acid-free paper.
© 1993 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover I st edition 1993
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9 8 7 6 5 432
This book is dedicated to our husbands, Manfred and
Steven. and sons, Evan, Henry, David, and Robert.
No matter how busy and immersed in our work we
became, we could always count on their love and
understanding.
Foreword
JANET W. LERNER
This timely volume explores issues pertinent to the emerging subject of
college education for adults with learning disabilities. The inspiration for
the book was a conference held at Barat College in Lake Forest Illinois
on April 7, 1990, entitled College Students with Learning Disabilities:
Reviewing the '80s and Planning for the '90s. The occasion was the
celebration of the tenth anniversary of Barat College's program for
college students with learning disabilities. Papers presented at this con-
ference, plus several additional invited chapters, and those of the co-
editors are included in this much needed publication.
Only a few years ago, college was out of the question for most adults
with learning disabilities. It is heartening to note that this situation has
changed substantially over the last 15 or so years, with great strides in
opportunities for adults with learning disabilities to acquire a college level
education. From a slow beginning with programs such as the one at Barat
College, there are today programs and support services in a variety of
settings at a growing number of colleges and universities. Many indi-
viduals with learning disabilities can look forward to experiencing college
and better preparing themselves for the future. The collection of papers
in this book offers a comprehensive review of this exciting and challenging
field.
The 13 chapters in this publication are divided into four parts: Part I,
Introduction; Part II, Making the Transition to College; Part III, Meeting
the Needs of College Students with Learning Disabilities; and Part IV,
Research on the Cutting Edge. Selected chapters include a case study on
a specific student that exemplifies the program, setting, policies, inter-
vention approach, and/or accommodations.
Part I, Introduction, consists of two chapters. In Chapter I, Susan A.
Vogel, who originated the Barat College program, reviews the historical
development of college programs during the 1980s. Vogel analyzes the
nature of learning disabilities in adults and identifies the major concerns
of college and university faculty, staff, and administrators. Suggested
teaching and evaluation modifications and accommodations are described
vii
viii Foreword
as well as a proposed support services and research agenda for the decade
of the 1990s.
In Chapter II, Laura F. Rothstein explores the legal requirements and
interpretation of the law as they relate to students with learning dis-
abilities. Rothstein examines the implications of the U.S. Constitution,
federal statutes (especially Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
and the Americans with Disabilities Act), regulations of the law, and
judicial interpretation. Important precedent cases of the law are dis-
cussed relative to higher education's requirements for individuals with
disabilities.
Part II, Making the Transition to College, also has two chapters. In
Chapter III, Sara Cowen considers the importance of the high school
years in making the transition to college. During the high school years,
students with learning disabilities should (1) understand the nature of
their problem, (2) get appropriate counseling, (3) give thought to career
options, (4) develop independence, and (5) select the college or uni-
versity setting that will best serve their needs. The transition process
requires a team consisting of the student, parents, and secondary school
personnel. Cowen also outlines transition activities for the four years of
high school. It is important for the student and parents, if appropriate, to
visit the campus of the selected colleges prior to applying. An extremely
valuable part of this chapter is a listing and description of college guides
for students with learning disabilities.
Chapter IV, by Connie Dalke, expands the discussion of transition by
describing the high school to college transition program at the University
of Wisconsin - Whitewater. Entering college students with learning dis-
abilities need an orientation to become aware of new behaviors that are
needed in college. Major differences between high school and college are:
(1) less student-teacher contact, (2) long range assignments and infre-
quent evaluation rather than day-to-day monitoring that occurs in high
school, (3) lack of the support network of family and friends that was
available during high school, (4) more unstructured time to manage, (5)
the need for self-advocacy, (6) an expansive physical environment with
classes in different buildings, and (7) adjustment to roommates and to the
eating and sleeping patterns of life in the dormitories. This chapter offers
a detailed account of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's summer
program, which is designed to provide transition activities before the
student enrolls in the university. The five components of this summer
transition program cover college study skills, campus and community
awareness, psychosocial skills enhancement, fall course advisement and
registration, and career awareness exploration. Students who participated
in this transition program made better grades, they stayed in the college
program longer, and they judged the program to be beneficial.
Part III, Meeting the Needs of LD College Students, is the most ex-
tensive section of the book, consisting of seven chapters. In Chapter V,
Foreword ix
Susan A. Vogel examines the diverse array of responses of colleges and
universities to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act for students with
learning disabilities. Although the federal law mandates accessibility to
postsecondary education for students with disabilities, colleges and uni-
versities differ in their responses to the requirements of this law. Vogel
conceptualizes the wide spectrum of responses of institutions in terms of a
continuum, from a minimum level of response to a maximum level. The
colleges are judged on compliance with Section 504 in terms of several
factors: availability of information about services, the petition process,
faculty and staff awareness, the application and admission process,
eligibility for services, support services available, staff training, the
student-staff ratio, the availability of diagnostic services, and curriculum
modification. To illustrate, a college that provides a maximum response
would have a student-staff ratio of 12 or 15: 1, while a college with a
minimum response would have a student-staff ratio of 100 or more to
one.
In Chapter VI, Doris J. Johnson discusses the professional preparation
of specialists to work in postsecondary LD programs. Competencies
recommended for personnel include a Master's Degree in Learning Dis-
abilities with certification at the secondary level, an understanding of
the characteristics of adolescents and adults with learning disabilities,
proficiency with the diagnostic/assessment procedures for this population,
understanding the principles of remediation and teaching needs of college
students, competencies in counseling, advising, and guidance, knowledge
of the college rules and regulations, and skills in helping students make
the transition to the world of work.
In Chapter VII, Ernest Rose highlights the need to educate faculty.
One of the greatest challenges faced by college students is gaining and
maintaining the acceptance and cooperation of the academic faculty. The
research shows that faculty members are often not supportive of the
concept of providing accommodations for students with learning dis-
abilities. In-service programs are needed to help faculty understand the
needs of students with learning disabilities and to become familiar with
accommodations that can be made. Rose discusses questions that are
typically asked by faculty such as: the nature of learning disabilities,
the college's responsibilities under the law, and methods of providing
reasonable accommodations. Several instruments to survey and evaluate
the faculty attitude, knowledge, and needs are included in this chapter.
In Chapter VIII, Margaret M. Policastro discusses assessing and devel-
oping metacognitive attitudes in college students with learning disabilities.
Her concern is helping students develop a strong metacognitive awareness
base and become responsible for their own learning. Policastro first
describes the Learning and Support Services Program at Roosevelt Uni-
versity (located in a large urban center), then she discusses metacognition
in individuals with learning disabilities in terms of history, reading,
x Foreword
writing, social/emotional functioning, and assessment. Finally, she links
the two by discussing the procedures used at Roosevelt University to
teach metacognitive skills to college students with learning disabilities.
Chapter IX, by William D. Bursuck and Madhavi Jayanthi, analyzes
programming for independent study skills usage. The purpose of this
chapter is to present a technology for teaching study skills that
draws from the learning strategies literature. The goal is to maximize
independence in study skills. Training for independence is discussed
within the context of four major aspects of the instructional process:
assessment, curriculum design, skill acquisition and fluency, and skill
generalization.
Chapter X, by Pamela B. Adelman, Jody O'Connell, Dee Konrad, and
Susan A. Vogel, discusses methods of integrating remediation and
subject-matter tutoring. The goal is to use students' course work to help
them acquire skills that help them succeed in current situations and
generalize to new learning situations. The authors note that for some
individuals, college is the most appropriate time in their education to
receive remediation. The impact of the challenge of college courses and
motivation to succeed, combined with the increased emotional, social,
and cognitive growth often leads to a more receptive attitude. This
chapter focuses on the integration of remediation and subject-matter
tutoring as the primary type of support. It contains several sections: a
review of research on cognitive abilities and achievement levels of college
students with learning disabilities; key components for developing an
individualized education plan for the student; and instructional approaches
that integrate remediation and subject-matter tutoring.
Chapter XI, by Marshall H. Raskind and Neil G. Scott, reports on the
use of technology for college students with learning disabilities. The
authors (1) examine technologies available to help college students with
learning disabilities achieve academic success, (2) provide criteria for
selecting and evaluating technology, and (3) offer guidelines for instruct-
ing with technology. The Learning Disability Program and Computer
Access Lab of the Office of Disabled Student Services at California
State University at Northridge have been using technology with college
students with LDs for the past four years. The technologies (and the skills
area) which are described in this chapter include word processing (written
language); spell-checkers (written language); proofreading programs
(written language); outlining/"brainstorming" (written language); ab-
breviation expanders (written language); speech recognition (written
language); speech synthesis/screen review (written language/reading);
optical character recognition systems/speech synthesis (reading); personal
data managers (organization, memory); free-form databases (organ-
ization, memory); variable speech control tape recorders (listening,
memory, reading); listening aids (listening); and talking calculators
Foreword xi
(math). A valuable resource is a Technology Product Resource List,
which shows products that have been successfully used with college
students with LDs.
Part IV, Research on the Cutting Edge, consists of 2 chapters. Chapter
XII, by Leonore Ganschow and Richard Sparks, deals with the topic
of "foreign" language learning disabilities. For certain students, their
learning disability is most troublesome in the college foreign language
class. Ganschow and Sparks, who have been studying foreign language
learning disabilities, report on the nature of such a disability, provide a
historical review of this problem, review the research, and offer an
analysis of the factors related to a foreign language learning disability. In
particular, the chapter examines the hypothesis of a linguistic decoding
deficit, methods of assessment and evaluation, and teaching methodology.
Other important issues are waivers and substitutions for foreign language
courses and accommodations that can be made in the foreign language
classroom.
The subject of the last chapter, Chapter XIII, by Pamela B. Adelman
and Susan A. Vogel, is program evaluation. The authors specify two
different approaches to evaluating programs. The first is an objective-
oriented approach, the purpose of which is to assess accomplishments
of general program goals. The second approach is a naturalistic and
participant-oriented approach to evaluation, the purpose of which is to
assess the perspectives and reactions of various program participants. To
measure outcomes, the chapter reviews the evaluation of academic per-
formance, improvement of basic skills, social-emotional adjustments,
and career attainments. To assess a program in terms of participant
evaluation, the measurement should include the perspectives of students,
faculty, administrators, and service providers. The authors present
examples of measures designed to evaluate program services and needs.
Results of student and faculty evaluations are presented to exemplify how
program goals can be validated and ongoing support for the program
and/or services can be ensured.
Acknowledgments. Acknowledgments for this useful collection of
papers on college students with learning disabilities are due to Barat
College for holding the conference which provided the impetus for this
publication, to the editors, Susan A. Vogel and Pamela B. Adelman, for
conceptualizing this conference and supplementing the original collection
with many additional worthwhile chapters, and to the authors who con-
tributed to this publication. The book will be of particular benefit
for several groups. For college facuity who are starting or expanding
programs or preparing professionals to work with college students with
LDs, it will serve as a practical guide. For researchers, the comprehensive
xii Foreword
reviews of literature and research agenda will be thought provoking. The
discussions of the law, teaching methodology, and program evaluation will
prove useful to all readers, but especially so for university administrators,
service providers, and faculty.
Janet W. Lerner
Northeastern Illinois University
