Even more for families.
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If you’re a high school senior with a learning disability, or if you’re struggling in school despite your best efforts, you could benefit from specialized learning support while you’re in college. The same is true for adults returning to school after years out of school.
Once students move on to higher education, getting that support requires initiative, and summer is the perfect time to start making plans.
Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that K-12 schools provide students with special needs with the supports they need to succeed, and parents and guardians often serve as advocates for their students.
However, “when students enter college, many [that support] “Learning is self-directed, and a lot of it is self-directed,” says Christopher Elquizabal, dean at Cerritos College, who oversees services for students with disabilities. Elquizabal began his higher education journey at Fullerton, where he received services for his learning disabilities and gained academic confidence. From there, he went on to earn degrees at California State University, Long Beach, Harvard University and the University of Southern California.
To help community college hopefuls with learning disabilities take the next step, LAist spoke with local experts about what resources are available and how students can access them.
People interviewed for this article
Christopher Elquizabal, Dean of Student Accessibility and Wellness Services, Cerritos College; Grace Hernandez, Dean of Student Services, East Los Angeles College; George Markopoulos, Chief Learning Disabilities Specialist, Santa Monica College
What is the most effective way for you to learn?
Learning disabilities affect the way people process information – how information is received or transmitted through the brain.
Santa Monica College states clearly:
Students with learning disabilities are often perceived as less motivated and intelligent. Many people question whether these students can succeed in college. In reality, students with learning disabilities are not limited in intelligence or unmotivated.
Instead, experts say students need the right support and intervention.
George Markopoulos, a learning disabilities specialist at Santa Monica College, advises students, [their] Encourage children to understand “their own learning differences” and pay attention to what works and what doesn’t work for them.
Markopoulos added that because traditional teaching methods are often inadequate for students with disabilities, it is not uncommon for them to have “bad memories” of school, which is part of the reason why some applicants are hesitant to enrol, especially those who have been out of school for years.
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“But I think sometimes you don’t realize the joy of learning until you’re an adult,” he added. Plus, community college has the advantage of letting you “go at your own pace. Maybe you can just take one or two classes and start slow.” There’s no wrong way to do it, he said.
Grace Hernandez, dean of student services at East Los Angeles College, agrees. Whether you’ve been working for years or recently graduated from high school, “don’t believe anyone who tells you college isn’t for you,” she says. Every student learns differently, so it’s the school’s responsibility to help them access the materials, she stressed.
For students making the transition from high school to college, “the biggest change” may be for parents or guardians, Elquizabal said. In high school, parents or guardians typically manage their children’s academic progress and related services. In college, those rights and responsibilities shift to the student.
At Cerritos College, Elquizabal found that some students “have never talked about their disability and don’t know how to have that conversation.”
“So we have to talk to students about the nature of their disability, how disabled they are at the college level, and what accommodations they might need. [they can] “Accessible services,” he said. To set students up for success, Elquizabal encourages parents and guardians to practice leading conversations about their children’s understanding of learning disabilities and what services would be best for them. In K-12, students may have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan, which mandates regular meetings between educators and the student’s parent or guardian. As students prepare for higher education, they can use these meetings as an opportunity to practice advocating for themselves.
Disability Law in Education: Basics
IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975
Ensures a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment for children with disabilities from birth through high school graduation or age 21. Requires, with input from school staff and parents, the development of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for certain students with disabilities that identify the specific services the student will receive.
Section 504: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Provides civil rights protections for people with disabilities in programs that receive federal funding, such as employment, social services, public K-12 schools, and high schools attended by students who receive federal financial assistance. Requires high schools to provide educational aids and services to students with disabilities who need assistance to participate effectively. Ensures students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in sports and other extracurricular activities.
ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
Title II prohibits state and local governments, including public K-12 and higher education institutions, from discriminating on the basis of disability. Title III prohibits private colleges and universities from discriminating on the basis of disability. Institutions of higher education are required to provide educational aids and services to ensure equal access for students with disabilities.
What support do community colleges provide?
Depending on the severity of their disability, students may be eligible for specific assistance to enable them to access instructional materials.
Additional exam time, the ability to take the exam at a proctoring center instead of in a classroom, audio versions of textbooks, access to a word processor during the exam, dedicated tutors, notetakers, and priority registration
Priority registration can help students in a variety of ways, Markopoulos explained. For example, a student who needs extra time to complete an exam can use priority registration to ensure that their class schedule is adjusted so that they can “take advantage of the extra exam time and attend their next class.”
How do I access these services?
To verify the existence of a disability, the College will ask the student to provide documentation, which could include an IEP or 504 plan or a letter from a licensed clinical or educational psychologist.
El Quizabal said his office will still meet with students if they don’t have a diagnosis. In some cases, students may be able to receive interim, short-term services.
Some schools, such as Santa Monica College and East Los Angeles College, offer learning disability assessments on campus.
“This would cost over $2,500 to do privately, but community colleges offer it for free to enrolled students who are taking classes,” Markopoulos said, adding that the evaluation takes six to eight hours.
“Many students have never been identified before,” he said, “so we rely on teachers, counselors and other school staff to refer students to us. [who] We are going through difficult times.”
How will my faculty know what I need?
Historically, students would give letters of support directly to faculty, Elquizabal said. “We don’t do that anymore,” he said. “The dynamics don’t allow students to negotiate support with faculty.”
Instead, professors receive information about student accommodations through an online system managed by their offices, a practice also followed at Santa Monica College and all campuses in the Los Angeles Community College District, including East Los Angeles College.
Additionally, because students may not need special assistance in every class they take, letters are sent only to professors who teach classes that require special assistance.
Have questions about your local community college?
Community college can be a gateway for students to continue their education or get a fresh start, and we want to ensure students and their advocates have the information they need to succeed in the California Community College System.
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