Dyslexia College Edition..

[Anonymous]

Hoping someone with experience can [code]walk me through the process of applications with an LD. We have a current dyslexia/ dysgraphia diagnosis. My understanding is this type of information does not go in with the application (why not?). DC had a pretty useless IEP from MCPS which we changed into just 504 accommodations around HS time. He has done reasonably well though has minimal foreign language (and hopefully will not have to take one in college) and has had some struggles along the way with writing. Then we wait to see where he gets acceptances and then we discuss LD with college. I assume that would be before accepting. Is there is place for saying he stopped taking a language because his dyslexia made it nearly impossible? Do colleges easily wave language requirements for a dyslexic kid? He will apply to school like UMBC or Mason. TIA

[Anonymous]

Every college has an office for students with disabilities that will assess documentation and provide accommodations.

You can look on the websites of the colleges he is considering and see the requirements. You can call someone in that office and get some direction.

Requirements will not be waved. Students with disabilities have to meet the same academic requirements and standards as other students. Accommodations are just a slightly different way to get to the requirement or standard. They will not modify curriculum.

Very few colleges will accept and IEP or 504. He likely will need a psychoeducational assessment to understand his LD and where there are functional limitations that create a barrier for him.

None of this goes in with the application, at the college level it would be discriminatory in considering a disability in the acceptance or non acceptance of a student. Once he is accepted he will register with the accessibility / disability office and go from there.

Here are the links for the two you mentioned

http://sds.umbc.edu/

http://ds.gmu.edu/

[Anonymous]

So he should just not apply to school with a foreign language requirement? I had assumed that their were options for kids with LDs. Interesting.. I was not expecting anything like an IEP..he hardly gets any support now...but I did think their would be some curriculum options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So he should just not apply to school with a foreign language requirement? I had assumed that their were options for kids with LDs. Interesting.. I was not expecting anything like an IEP..he hardly gets any support now...but I did think their would be some curriculum options.

It will depend on the degree the student seeks. Some universities, and some BS degrees, do not require you to take (or sometimes pass) a foreign language to get a degree.

I have heard of students who tried to pass required foreign languages multiple times but failed the class seeking a special waiver from the university president.

Yu omight want to post this question on College Confidential and/or consult your child's college counselor. Another option, although expensive, is to speak to a certified college planner with expertise in students with disabilities.

[Anonymous]

OP - I found this list in a quick Google search. No idea if it's accurate or not.

http://whatwilltheylearn.com/disciplines/foreignlanguage

[Anonymous]

We just went through this with our son. He has profound dyslexia and dysgraphia. He had an IEP from 2nd grade through 12th grade. He revealed his disability on his college essay and explained why he did not take a foreign language in HS on another portion of the Common App. He received reading and a scribe for all College Board tests. He had numerous accommodations in HS relating to both his dyslexia and his dysgraphia. He was accepted to colleges that had a foreign language requirement.

In the end, he chose a school that does not require a foreign language in HS or college (RPI). He has already contacted the student disabiity services department and received similar accommodations to what he received in HS.

If your DC wants to received accommodations in college, he will have to have up to date testing. Mainly, testing that was done after he turned 16 and the tests have to be the adult versions. We found that most schools would look at the recent testing and if it was in line with the accommodation in HS, then those would be done. Trying to get different accommodation sis more difficult, unless the testing revealed something new.

DC contacted the departments of disabiity services prior to our visits and often met with them during our visits too- so that he could gauge their ability and willingness to accommodate. He also nailed down the accommodations before he made a decision as to where to go.

[Anonymous]

Thank you PP...great info. My child is very anti accommodations and rarely used the ones he has. I think his high school record is really great given that. I hate to think that an admissions person would not have any info of his challenges...thinking he did not bother with AP English or languages. We do have up to date testing ..perhaps the essay is a place to talk about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PP...great info. My child is very anti accommodations and rarely used the ones he has. I think his high school record is really great given that. I hate to think that an admissions person would not have any info of his challenges...thinking he did not bother with AP English or languages. We do have up to date testing ..perhaps the essay is a place to talk about it.

I am the PP at 21:45. For a school like George Mason, AP English is really not a requirement. DC applied there for his in state application just in case he freaked out and decided he needed to be near to home. He was accepted to the Honor's college and we went to the accepted student day and I walked away impressed. I felt he would do perfectly well there if he decided to stay close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PP...great info. My child is very anti accommodations and rarely used the ones he has. I think his high school record is really great given that. I hate to think that an admissions person would not have any info of his challenges...thinking he did not bother with AP English or languages. We do have up to date testing ..perhaps the essay is a place to talk about it.

If he has gone great in high school without accommodations, then he didn't need them. Not all disabilities create barriers to participation in the academic environment. The goal of accommodation is to remove the barriers. He may however find that the academic environment in college is sufficiently different that his disability does create a barrier. If so then registering and getting accommodations just puts him on an equal playing field.

[Anonymous]

We haven't gotten to HS or college yet, but I understand American Sign Language can be much easier for kids with dyslexia and counts as a foreign language. I know of one person who took ASL at a community college when it wasn't offered at their school and was able to get that counted against the requirement.

I've also been told that if a dyslexic person has to take a foreign language and ASL isn't available, Latin frequently counts and can be tremendously helpful since it is the language of science (and, since it's not a living language, there is not the emphasis on conversation).

Lastly, I highly recommend this book for both you and your DS -- https://www.amazon.com/Dyslexia-Empowerment-Plan-Blueprint-Confidence/dp/0345541251
The author has profound dyslexia and this book is primarily about his experience in the educational system, including completion of his MBA. He is really big on self-advocacy. I listened to the audio book and recommend that format since it includes some extra pieces on how the author did his own audio recording.

Hope this helps a little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just went through this with our son. He has profound dyslexia and dysgraphia. He had an IEP from 2nd grade through 12th grade. He revealed his disability on his college essay and explained why he did not take a foreign language in HS on another portion of the Common App. He received reading and a scribe for all College Board tests. He had numerous accommodations in HS relating to both his dyslexia and his dysgraphia. He was accepted to colleges that had a foreign language requirement.

In the end, he chose a school that does not require a foreign language in HS or college (RPI). He has already contacted the student disabiity services department and received similar accommodations to what he received in HS.

If your DC wants to received accommodations in college, he will have to have up to date testing. Mainly, testing that was done after he turned 16 and the tests have to be the adult versions. We found that most schools would look at the recent testing and if it was in line with the accommodation in HS, then those would be done. Trying to get different accommodation sis more difficult, unless the testing revealed something new.

DC contacted the departments of disabiity services prior to our visits and often met with them during our visits too- so that he could gauge their ability and willingness to accommodate. He also nailed down the accommodations before he made a decision as to where to go.

I am back from our weekend and have more to add. We live in Virginia and there fore my DC ended with the Standard Diploma as a result of not taking a foreign language. There is no way to get around that. So, he had a few more classes he had to take in HS- which was fine and easy for him. He also substituted math/science AP classes starting sophomore year for the loss of his foreign language. Junior and senior year he only took 6 classes to not overwhelm him.

He ended up with 7 math and science APs and two (semester) post AP math classes. His strengths are in math and science. I suggest that in HS students take the challenging classes in the areas that they excel. Take fewer classes if you think it would be overwhelming, but don't shy away from the harder classes that are in their wheelhouse.

George Mason is an excellent school and has a decent reputation regarding accommodations. I don't know much about UMBC. DC also applied to UMD-CP and was accepted to the Honors program, but their office of student disabilities would only generally say what accommodations may be granted and would not nail them down until he was already enrolled. The other thing that sunk it for DC was that his Honors group's dorm did not have air conditioning.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure if this is helpful, but I am a trilingual dyslexic. I learn foreign languages very easily...as long as I learn through immersion and conversation. I can learn from a book or a class or tapes. There is something about seeing faces and all the information and context they provide that helps me learn. Perhaps if there is a foreign language requirement it could be fulfilled during a semester abroad? I can pass a language test on paper, I just can't learn a language the normal way.

[Anonymous]

Pp here...sorry, that should be CAN'T learn from book or lecture or tapes.

[Anonymous]

Usually, the disability assessment doesn't factor in until the child is accepted at most colleges I've looked at.

The student still has to meet the minimum requirements to get into college. Not every major requires a foreign language just like not every college requires it.

I've seen some colleges who are wonderful with disability accommodations and others who only provide the bare minimum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Usually, the disability assessment doesn't factor in until the child is accepted at most colleges I've looked at.

The student still has to meet the minimum requirements to get into college. Not every major requires a foreign language just like not every college requires it.

I've seen some colleges who are wonderful with disability accommodations and others who only provide the bare minimum.

Most of those colleges that say they have a foreign language requirement (or recommendation) for admission will waive it if the applicant reveals an LD. You can tell when they they give general admission requirements but not exact requirements. We found this when we were investigating last year. You can also fish around the their websites and find the language that indicates flexibility. It is not exactly hidden, but it isn't easy to find unless you are specifically looking for it. One notable local exception is UVA, on their website they indicate a student has to flunk a class before they will consider waiving the requirement.