I Just Received an Accommodation Letter....Help!!! OrHow I Stopped - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

I Just Received an Accommodation Letter....Help!!! Or……How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Trust the Process………

THE LAY OF THE LAND-WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPE  Increase in the number of students with disabilities  Significant increase in the complexity of the disabilities  Increase in the number of students with Mental Health Issues  Increase in the number of students identified as MID  Increase in the number of students identified as ASD

SO, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE ?  Understanding the nature and implementation of requested accommodations ( The Why and the How )  Integrating the student with a disability ( De-stigmatizing )  Promoting Universal Instructional Design ( Inclusivity )  Acclimatizing the student: “ We’re not in High School anymore, Toto “

AND JUST WHY ARE WE DOING THIS ? Counsellors,Faculty and Staff have a duty to educate themselves about disability related issues, to interact with students in a non- discriminatory manner, to engage in the accommodation process and to provide appropriate accommodations to the point of undue hardship ( OHRC )

WHAT ARE OUR ROLES ? COUNSELLOR/FACULTY/STUDENT Counsellor  Counsellor will meet with the student, review the relevant documentation and prepare, in consultation with the student, an accommodation letter that reflects the students’ needs.  Counsellor will inform the student of the need for prompt delivery of the letter to each teacher and what the students’ responsibilities are with regard to the provision of accommodations.  Counsellor will support the student in advocating on their own behalf with faculty and service providers within the college. This may include speaking to or meeting with Faculty

COUNSELLOR….CONTINUED  Counsellor will provide information and support to faculty on an as needed basis and will provide access to online learning guides to assist in the understanding and implementation of accommodations.  Counsellor will continue to monitor and update the letter of accommodation to reflect the situation and needs of the student in response to feedback from the student or the faculty member.  Counsellor will adhere to the academic and essential learning outcomes of the program when working with the student on the provision of accommodations.

FACULTY-SUPPORTS YOU CAN PROVIDE  A well-written course outline available at or before the first scheduled class  A positive first class meeting ( or whenever the opportunity presents itself ). The student may be delayed in receiving their accommodation form so it may not be the first class !  A clear introduction to course concepts ( A little extra time up front will pay dividends later on in the semester )  Supporting the acquisition of a note taker ( Confidentiality is important to remember )

FACULTY SUPPORTS CONTD…YES, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE  Organization and the emphasis of key points  Using a variety of teaching and learning approaches  Being aware of the student’s needs and supporting areas of difficulty

AND THERE’S MORE.…..( FINDING OUT WHAT THEY LEARNED )  Multiple tests or assignments ( rather than one or two long ones )  A variety of assessment methods ( Alternate modes of demonstrating knowledge )  Clear Questions ( KIS )  Practice exam questions ( Familiarity breeds comfort )  Detailed and timely feedback  Clear and appropriate time lines

STUDENT ( THEY MUST BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS )  Student must identify with our office and obtain an accommodation letter as soon as possible (Start-up is a busy time)  Student is expected to present a letter to each Professor as soon as the student receives it from the Counsellor  Students are encouraged to speak with the Professor about their needs and discuss the implementation of the accommodations. ( This may require an office visit to ensure confidentiality and time for discussion )

AND THERE’S MORE…….  Students are encouraged to make use of the Learning Center for tutoring, a Learning Strategist for learning support and an Assistive Technologist who can advise and support them on the use of technology.  Students are encouraged to keep us informed about their progress and to let us know what works and what doesn’t.

WE’RE IN IT TOGETHER…. SO HOW CAN WE HELP ?  If you contact us we will help in any way we can ( You are the best judge of how they are doing )  We are happy to attend staff meetings and answer questions about the accommodation process  Our mission is to help you, individually or collectively, help them and help them to help themselves ( easy for us to say )  It takes a college to graduate a student ( we all need to work together )  Let’s do it together…..