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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]NP here. Note that the UC prof said that s/he cannot take care of paying attention to an individual student's needs him/herself. This is a really big deal. If your child is not very self-motivated, it is incredibly easy to fall through the cracks.

If your child has accommodations and would do better in small environment where professors reach out to students receiving accommodations and will keep on top of them to complete their work, then you probably should focus on smaller environments. Also, TAs generally teach undergrads at large research universities. TAs are teaching to get free grad school with a small stipend; they aren't hired because of their teaching ability (and at some schools and some majors there can be a language barrier, too).

I know someone who recently had a bad experience at Renssalaer with accommodations. Also note that Troy doesn't have much to do outside of the college and RPI is very frat-heavy. I know others who have had difficulty with all their needs being met at UMD.

Schools that aren't on your list who do great jobs with students needing disability services include Montgomery College (2-year only) and Goucher College. Both schools have professors that make sure students get their work done, and work with students and their families to make sure every accommodation that needs to be made gets made.[/quote]

I agree completely that a student who isn't able to advocate for himself would have a tough time at the schools OP listed and would have a tough time at at UC. However, it seems like OPs son is a pretty motivated student, judging from the list of schools she's got. I also have plenty of students who are great in the math and sciences but struggle to write a short essay, so you don't have to be great at everything to go to one of those schools. You do have to have a certain level of maturity though: no one is going to make you go to class or make you do your homework.

TAs are variable in quality. Some are amazing and will be like a peer mentor, others are struggling to communicate, and some just don't care. Not all schools use TAs for undergrad courses though.

[quote]This is a fascinating thread to me, as parent of a 10th grader with an IEP for language and executive function issues.

Re 8:43, I'm just really not sure that I think a professor SHOULD be on top of students to complete work. That feels beyond the scope of the accommodations / ADA and ultimately not helpful to students.

Happy to be convinced otherwise. [/quote]

I know there are schools that are more hands-on about getting students to get their work done. A close relative went to Curry College in MA. They have a special program for students with ADHD where they are followed more closely by counselors. I think a college degree is a minimum now for many fields and some schools are going to cater to students who wouldn't make it at a normal program.  You can't expect this from a top tier school though. They get to pick and choose the most motivated students. I am completely happy to help you access any accommodations or to help you during office hours, but you have to seek my help.

I will say that sometimes I email students who seem to be lagging in homework, but otherwise come to class. We use clickers (this is a common thing in big classes now) to ask in class questions and then I can see who's in attendance. I also know that some TAs will work extensively with students trying to help them through our course. I don't think we are coddling the students, they still have to do the work, but sometimes it helps to know that someone is pay attention to you. It's really hard to provide a good experience for students with such big classes. It's something that higher education is struggling a lot with.

I will share one more story which might comfort/amuse you:
When I was doing my PhD (also at a UC),  I was registered at the disability services center. I had an initial meeting with a counselor there. She very kindly offered to help me make a calendar every quarter to plan out my projects and papers. I thought this was very sweet, but also kind of funny. Here I am at the highest level in my field and they are willing to help me make a calendar for writing my dissertation. =) Also, I wouldn't consider her offer coddling at all. I would say she was trying to offer to teach me an important skill, and her intuition was really good! Having a calendar starting in high school and adhering to it was the coping mechanism that got me through undergrad.  My best friend got me hooked a few years back on the "Day Designer" which has little spaces for a top three and is broken down by hours, in case anyone is looking for an excellent planner.

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