Program Title

1. Program Title From Modification to Accommodation: High School to College Transition Issues for Students With Learning Disabilities Annette Albrecht Robert R. Erk Dennis G. Jones

2. Role of School Counselor in Transition Process Robert Erk The University of Tennessee at Martin

3. Four Components For Effective College Transition Planning (For more information; see e.g., Milson and Harley, 2005) 1. Knowledge of Disability: School counselors play an important role in career/college readiness planning with their students. They are often the key school personnel in helping students prepare for making the successful transition from high school to college (Roberts, Bouknight, & Karan, 2010).

4. Milsom (2007) proposed there are important transitions that students with disabilities encounter: transitioning from elementary to middle school and transitioning from secondary school to postsecondary activities. School counselors are often in the forefront of addressing the needs of these students.

5. While school counselors are often not experts on disability (e.g., learning disabilities); special educators are trained in this area. Collaborating with special education teachers can often be the most effective method of helping students with learning disabilities to increase awareness and understanding of their own disabilities (Milsom & Hartley, 2005).

6. Special educators can be encouraged to help students who have learning disabilities to examine their disabilities and their educational histories, including successes and challenges. School counselors can then follow-up with individual and small group counseling sessions during which they help students with learning disabilities explore the relationship between their skills and abilities and potential future careers (Milsom & Harley, 2005).

7. 2. Knowledge of Postsecondary Support Services: In addition to providing basic information to students with learning disabilities about common types of postsecondary support services, school counselors can serve as liaisons to postsecondary institutions, helping students with learning disabilities connect with personnel who can more thoroughly discuss admission requirements and availability of disability services.

8. Moreover, providing students with learning disabilities a list of important questions to ask (e.g., “What documentation do I need to obtain services?” “How do I apply for these services?” “What types of services might I expect to receive?”) is crucial. The answers provide needed structure for students with learning disabilities and ensures they obtain enough information to help them make informed decisions (Milsom & Hartley, 2005).

9. 3. Knowledge of Disability Legislation: Through collaboration and coordination with special educators, school counselors can help students with learning disabilities to acquire information on disability legislation or laws (e.g., at the state and federal level).

10. In addition to providing this information to students with learning disabilities in a small group format, school counselors can invite disabilities services personnel (e.g., from their local school district, college and universities) to talk with students and their parents. In this way, school counselors can promote a collaborative effort and ensure the information they have is current (Milsom & Hartley, 2005).

11. 4. Ability to Self-Advocate: Once students with learning disabilities possess disability awareness, knowledge of disability services available in college, and an understanding of their rights and responsibilities, they must develop skills to successfully “advocate” on their own behalf (Milsom & Hartley, 2005). For these students, possessing self-advocacy skills when they arrive at the college level cannot be overstated.

12. Essentially, self-advocacy involves a student possessing an awareness of his/her needs and the ability to effectively communicate those needs to others. Again, school counselors can collaborate with special educators to provide opportunities for students with learning disabilities to learn and practice self-advocacy.

13. For example, skill instruction followed by role-play and then supervised practice with special education teachers can allow for students to gradually develop skills for self-advocacy. The same skill instruction and role-play can be encouraged and set-up with their regular education teachers as well.

14. An experiential component can follow in which students with learning disabilities first watch school counselors and teachers model the skills, then the students role-play, and finally they practice their skills with regular education teachers (Milsom & Hartley, 2005). The point is: Students with learning disabilities are best served when they feel confident in relying on themselves to advocate and communicate their needs.

15. Concluding Remarks Many students with LD have the potential to be successful in college; however, not without support and encouragement. By proactively addressing their needs and designing a high school to college transition program, school counselors demonstrate a belief in these students and become advocates for their potential. Moreover, this means school counselors must be highly attentive to students with learning disabilities in any career and college planning activities, and to provide

16. information to parents that anticipates concerns and questions regarding what it means for a student with learning disabilities to attend and succeed in college (Milsom & Hartley, 2005).

17. The challenge for school counselors is a paradigm shift has taken place in disability counseling; this includes, for example, counseling students with learning disabilities. The shift is from a “within child” deficit paradigm to an “eco-behavioral” perspective (National Association of School Psychologists, 2006). This encompasses a greater emphasis on instructional intervention and the close

18. monitoring of progress prior to special education referral. This new paradigm can mean an expanded role for school counselors in the development of students with learning disabilities; it is likely this new paradigm can enhance as well the preparation of students with learning disabilities for their transition to college.

19. References Milsom, A. and Hartley, M. T. (2005). Assisting students with learning disabilities transitioning to college: What school counselors should know. Professional School Counseling, 8, 436-441. Milsom, A. (2007). Interventions to assist students with disabilities through school transitions. Professional School Counseling, 10, 273-278. Roberts, L. A., Bouknight, T. M., & Karan, O. C. (2010). The school counselor’s role on behalf of college bound special education students. Retrieved from http://counselingoutfitters.com/vistas/vistas10/Article_79.pdf

20. National Association of School Psychologists (2006). Problem solving and Response to Interventions RTI: New roles for school psychologists by Andrea Canter, Communique, 34, (5), insert 2006. Available from http://www.nasponline.org Dr. Robert Erk-Web Page http://www.utm.edu/departments/adhd/