SUGGESTIONS FOR HELPING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES TO SUCCEED IN THE CLASSROOM

• Provide students with a detailed course syllabus. Make it available before registration week. (If need be, you may send it to the CAS and we will be sure the student gets it before the course starts.) NOTE ON THE SYLLABUS THAT STUDENTS NEEDING ALTERNATE ACCOMMODATIONS ARE INVITED TO MEET WITH YOU EARLY IN THE SEMESTER TO DISCUSS THEIR NEEDS.

• Clearly spell out expectations (grading, material to be covered, due dates) at the start of the course. This is especially critical for disabled students who need lead time in order to arrange support services (recorded textbooks, enlarged print, interpreter services, etc.).

• Use all modalities: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile. Use visual aids to reinforce what you say. Present new vocabulary in both spoken and written form. Describe orally any diagrams, charts, etc. used during lectures. Give opportunities for hands-on learning whenever possible.

• Give copies of visual aids to visually impaired students before or at the beginning of a lecture when possible.

• Illustrate abstract concepts with concrete examples.

• Be sensitive to the fact that some students are very uncomfortable reading aloud.

• Encourage students to use current technology to enhance learning – tape recorders, computers, calculators, electronic spellers, etc.

• Allow students with disabilities to demonstrate mastery of course material using alternative methods (extended time limits, taped exams, oral exams, etc.). Be aware that scantrons are very difficult for some students to use.

• Encourage students to use campus support services (such as tutoring) available through the CAS and the Writing Center, both located in DeMille Hall.

Students with disabilities may require modifications of routine classroom testing procedures in order to be properly evaluated. To meet both the letter and the spirit of the law, methods of testing must neither advantage nor disadvantage the student. Feel free to call a student’s advisor at the CAS if you have concerns regarding testing. Testing modifications may include extended time, a separate testing environment, use of a computer or other adaptive equipment, or the assistance of a reader or scribe.

If the student is only requesting extended time, you might want to arrange for the student to take the test in your office. If so, please be sure that the office is quiet and accessible, and that the student will not be interrupted, since this can be both embarrassing and distracting to the student. A Proctor Form will still need to be completed.

If other adaptations are required, we suggest you arrange for them through the Center for Academic Success. It is the responsibility of the student to meet with his/her CAS advisor at least one week before the test to discuss accommodations. You will receive an e-mail notification in which the CAS advisor has indicated the recommended accommodations. You should respond to the e-mail, indicating your instructions for how the test is to be administered (time limits, open/closed book, etc.), and instructions for pickup and delivery of the test. Please be aware that we do not want the student to bring the test with them or deliver it back to you. The CAS makes every effort to ensure the security of tests.