Once a student is admitted to a college or university, there are definite advantages to disclosing a learning disability.

• Disclosure provides your student with legal protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Without discloser, he is unprotected, despite that fact that he has a diagnosed disability.
• Students who are coming from a supportive high school environment with lower expectations and a lighter workload will likely have some difficulty navigating the college system without some guidance. Students who remain “independent” in the first semester frequently struggle and end up with less than satisfactory grades. Disclosure makes your student eligible for accommodations such as extra time, a note-taker, and a distraction-free testing environment. The identification and use of these accommodations will increase the likelihood of his academic success.
• Disclosure may give your student the opportunity to enroll in fewer classes while still being considered a full-time student for insurance purposes. If you suspect your student may not be able to handle a full course load, and the psycho-educational testing supports this, your student may be able to add “Reduced Course Load” to his list of accommodations.

Deciding whether or not to disclosing a learning disability is just the beginning of a series of challenges your student will face as he  matures. Remember to weigh the options and their consequences carefully, and remember, meeting this challenge is part of becoming a successful and independent adult.
Heather Creech
Educational Consultant for Students with Learning Challenges

Yesterday, I provided some information that can help you sort out if self-disclosure is necessary. Today, I’ll review some  reasons why some students opt not to disclose their learning disabilities on the initial application.
Generally speaking, students who choose not diclose the presence of a learning difference is because they do not want to give a college any reason to generate preconceived notions about them. Unfortunately, most people do not understand the varied range of learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, processing disorders or ADHD. To make it even more confusing, learning issues are invisible so the behavior of students with learning differences is often misinterpreted. Some students simply do not want to risk the possibility that an uninformed individual will review their applications.  Your student may want to disclose a disability, however, if he meets the following criteria:

• He did not take all of the high school classes that a college requires for admission, such as a foreign language, and the college is willing to waive those requirements for LD students.
• Your student’s grades were consistently lower as a result of his learning disability.
• His learning disability was identified later in his high school career, and his grades noticeably improved after it was identified.
• Your student’s learning disability contributed to the classes and activities he pursued in high school. An explanation of the classes will help an admissions officer better understand him as a student.

If you’re hesitant to disclose your learning difference on initial applications, be sure to weigh the pros and cons because the ramifications of your decision can results in dire consequences.  Tomorrow, I’ll discuss some advantages to disclosing a learning disability.
Heather Creech
LD Educational Consultant
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