Tips for Students with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorders, and Related Disabilities
Many students with disabilities such as learning difficulties or
attention-based disorders may not require specific classroom
accommodations. For example, such students may be registered for a
course that does not have any in-class exams so the student will not
require extended exam time. It may still be helpful to work with the
instructor to discuss strategies to improve learning and mastery of
course content. While these are not formal accommodations mandated by
law, they are beneficial steps that can help students achieve academic
success.
- Ask the instructor to discuss your progress and any questions or concerns about course content or assignments.
- Ask the instructor to clarify instructions on assignments/projects to ensure that you understand what is required.
- Ask
the instructor to assist you with developing a time frame for
completing projects. Try to get a general idea of the average time for
completing specific projects.
- Ask the instructor
to help you break large projects into smaller segments. This will help
you understand the various steps that will lead to overall completion
of the project.
Remind the
instructors a week or so before each exam if you have testing
accommodations, such as extended time. This will avoid any last-minute
confusion.
Tips for Talking with Instructors
Approach instructors with a sense of confidence that your
accommodation needs are important and that the instructor is there to
help you.
Find out your instructor’s office hours
and make an appointment as soon as possible. If it is not possible to
meet an instructor during office hours, approach the instructor after
class (it is not a good idea to approach an instructor at the start of
class, as this is a very busy time and you may not receive the full
attention you need). Introduce yourself and let the instructor know you
would like to talk to him or her about an important and confidential
matter.
An example of what you might say to initiate this meeting is:
“Hello,
my name is _____ and I am in your class. I am wondering if I can meet
with you privately to discuss some important issues related to my
participation in your class.”
If you are comfortable enough and/or if there are no other students around, you can say:
“Hello,
my name is_____. I have a disability and am going to require some
academic accommodations in your class. I met with the director of
disability services and we developed a letter for you that outlines my
needs. Is there a good time to meet to go over these accommodations?”
If
you are comfortable sharing the nature of your disability, you may do
so. However, you are not required to disclose the nature of your
disability; only your academic requests. Be sure to remind the
instructor that this is information you would like to keep between the
two of you. Keep in mind that you may be the first person with a
particular disability that an instructor has had in their class. This
can be an important educational experience for an instructor.
If
you are not comfortable sharing the nature of your disability and the
instructor wants to know what your disability is, you can say:
“I
am not comfortable sharing that specific information with you. But I am
willing to talk about the accommodations and how they will be provided.”
If
an instructor informs you that he/she is not willing or able to provide
a specific accommodation or all of the accommodations you requested,
let the Student Disability Services office know as soon as possible.
Get
in the habit of reminding your instructors a week or so before each
exam if you have testing accommodations such as extra time. This will
help ensure that proper accommodations are provided
