Disability Services

Learning Disabilities/Possible Accommodations

• Introduction | 
• Reasonable Accomodations | 
• For Students | 
• For Faculty | 
• Disability Services Homepage

On this page

• Introduction | 
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)  | 
• Psychological Disorders | 
• Deafness/Hearing Impairments | 
• Blindness/Visual Impairments | 
• Orthopedic and Mobility Impairments | 
• Other disabilities

Please note that the determination of accommodations is made on a case-by-case basis rather than by diagnosis. Two students with the same diagnosis are likely to be provided with different accommodations.

Learning Disabilities Introduction

Definition: 
A learning disability is a permanent neurological disorder that affects the manner in which information is received, organized, remembered, retrieved, or expressed. Students with learning disabilities possess average to above average intelligence. The disability is evidenced by a significant discrepancy between expected and actual performance in one of the basic functions (memory, oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading, reading comprehension, mathematical calculation, or mathematical reasoning).

Characteristics of students with learning disabilities include:

• Average to above average intelligence
• Significant discrepancy between intellectual capacity and achievement
• Difficulty with receiving, processing, organizing, and/or expressing information

Difficulties may be seen in one or more of the following areas:

• Processing speed
• Decoding and letter-sound relationships
• Reading comprehension
• Slow reading rate
• Poor vocabulary and word recall
• Written expression
• Difficulty taking notes in class
• Difficulty following directions
• Problems with organization and time management
• Difficulty with concepts of time and money
• Mathematical calculation
• Mathematical reasoning
• Difficulty remembering a series of events or instructions in sequence
• Low frustration level
• Low self-esteem
• Visual processing
• Memory (long-term or short-term)

Reasonable accommodations may include:

• Extended time on tests or quizzes
• Testing in a separate location
• Books or articles on tape or in an alternative format
• Reduced course load each semester
• Priority registration
• A note taker
• Oral exams
• Clarification of directions on exams and assignments
• Additional time to formulate oral responses in class
• Use of a calculator when basic calculation is not being tested
• Use of a word processor for in-class writing

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)

Definition: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurologically based disorder that affects learning and behavior throughout all aspects of a person’s life. Hyperactivity or impulsivity may be present.

Characteristics of students with AD/HD may include:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Difficulty sitting still, tendency to fidget
• Difficulty attending to an activity or lecture
• Impulsivity
• Tendency to daydream
• Tendency to interrupt or speak out of turn
• Poor organization skills

A student with AD/HD may:

• perform better at certain times of the day
• benefit from sitting at the front of the classroom
• improve organization through the use of assignment organizers
• benefit from using structured lists and schedules
• more easily understand instructions and assignments that are broken into small steps
• need assignments in writing 

Instructional strategies/considerations:

• Break down instructions and assignments into small, manageable steps.
• Consider requiring completion of each part of a lengthy assignment by a different due date, rather than having one date for the entire project at the end of the semester.
• Put assignments in writing, even if you say them out loud. This includes any changes to assignments in the syllabus.
• Provide scheduled breaks during class. 

Reasonable accommodations may include:

• Accommodations listed previously under Learning Disabilities
• Preferential seating at the front of the classroom

Psychological Disorders

Definition: Psychological disorders include a wide range of disorders such as neuroses, psychoses, and personality disorders. These disorders reach the level of disability when they result in the substantial limitation of a major life activity. Psychological disorders include, but are not limited to: depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Effects of these disorders vary significantly. 

Difficulties may be seen in one or more of the following areas:

• COGNITIVE:
  • Distractibility/Difficulty screening out surrounding stimuli
  • Concentration and focusing problems
  • Tangential thought (gets off topic easily)
  • Feelings of panic and self-doubt
  • Time management difficulties
• EMOTIONAL:
  • Increased fear, anxiety, emotional arousal
  • Flat affect (lack of facial expression or emotion)
  • Fear of being shunned or stigmatized
• BEHAVIORAL/PHYSICAL:
  • Fatigue/Drowsiness
  • Blurred vision
  • Hand tremors
  • Extreme or constant thirst
  • Pacing
  • Impulsiveness
  • Difficulty functioning in the morning
• SOCIAL:
  • Difficulty initiating contact with authority figures
  • Inadequate or awkward social skills
  • Self-absorbed conversation
  • Lonely/isolated

Instructional strategies/considerations:

• Disclosure of a psychological disorder is often difficult for students because they fear stigmatization and judgment by the instructor. Allow them to discuss their needs in a private, non-threatening environment.
• Discuss in advance what is expected and acceptable. Communication is essential in conveying expectations.
• The nature of some psychological disorders may lead students to miss classes, leave early, or arrive late. Students are responsible for missed work and should be clearly informed of due dates. Students are responsible for making up missed assignments and tests.

Reasonable accommodations may include:

• Preferential seating either at the front of the class or near an exit
• Incompletes or late withdrawals in the event of prolonged absences
• Flexibility in attendance policies

Deafness/Hearing Impairments

Definition: Students may present a wide range of hearing loss, from minimal to complete deafness. Hearing loss is measured in decibels and may be mild, moderate, or profound. A person who is born with a hearing loss may have language deficiencies and poor vocabulary or syntax. Many students with hearing losses rely on lip reading or hearing aids. Some others may require an interpreter. 

Instructional strategies/considerations:

• When a student discloses a hearing impairment to you, the first thing to do is to ask the student what strategies would benefit him or her.
• Make sure all videos or films shown have closed captioning. If you are unsure of how to use this technology, please contact the A/V department or the Coordinator of Disability Services.
• If asked to wear an FM system or other type of assistive listening device, be sure you understand its operation and determine a means for the student to discretely notify you if the system is not working during class. The most common type of device requires you to wear a small microphone around your neck or clipped to your shirt. The student has a receiver and headphones or a device that plugs into his/her hearing aid. Your movement is not restricted and other students in the class are not distracted.
• Use written supplements to oral instructions and assignments as much as possible.
• Be conscious of students with hearing impairments when planning fieldwork or class outings.
• If the student uses lip reading, face the student when speaking.
• Make sure interpreters are seated where the student can see the interpreter and you.
• Try to reduce ambient noise, including fans, open windows, and other background noise.
• Speak in a regular tone and at a regular pace.
• Allow the student to participate in discussion. Do not hesitate to ask for repetition if the student’s speech is difficult to understand. Do not pretend you understand if you do not.
• Repeat the questions that other students ask so the student with a hearing impairment can follow the conversation in class.
• Consider modifications to assignments such as oral presentations to allow the student to tape-record a presentation or type it on the computer and play it using text-to-speech software.

Reasonable accommodations may include:

• Preferential seating at the front of the classroom
• Use of a note taker
• Use of an FM system or other assistive listening device
• A sign language interpreter
• Reduction in excess background noise

Blindness/Visual Impairments

Definition: Visual impairments vary widely. Visual impairments include disorders in the sense of vision that affect the central vision acuity, the field of vision, color perception, or binocular visual function. The American Medical Association defined legal blindness as visual acuity not exceeding 20/200 in the better eye with correction, or a limit in the field of vision that is less than a 20 degree angle (tunnel vision). Legal blindness may be caused by tumors, infections, injuries, retrolental fibroplasis, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes, vascular impairments, or myopia. 

Instructional strategies/considerations:

• Ask the student where the ideal seating location would be to allow for the greatest handling of materials and clearest vision.
• Be conscious that nonverbal cues rely on visual acuity.
• Repeat aloud what is on overheads, the board, or handouts.
• Make sure the classroom layout is accessible, free of obstructions, and unchanging without notice to the student.
• Ask the student before providing assistance. The student will be best able to tell you what kind of assistance is needed.
• Plan field trips well in advance and ask the student what kinds of accommodations will be necessary.
• Notify the student in advance of any schedule or location changes. 

Reasonable accommodations may include:

• Reading lists or syllabi in advance to allow for printing of materials in alternative formats
• Preferential seating at the front of the class
• Tape recording of lectures and class discussions
• Use of a note taker or note taking device
• Handouts in the medium that the student prefers
• Testing accommodations, including taped tests, reading of tests, scribe, extended time, enlarged print, separate location, word processing software with speech access
• Lab assistance

Orthopedic and Mobility Impairments

Mobility and orthopedic impairments include a variety of physical disabilities that substantially limit performance of one or more major life activities. Difficulty may be seen in walking, standing, climbing stairs, or using the hands for fine motor activities (writing, moving game pieces, playing an instrument). These disabilities may result from congenital conditions, accidents, or progressive neuromuscular diseases. Conditions resulting in orthopedic or mobility impairments include spinal cord injury (paraplegia or quadriplegia), cerebral palsy, spina bifida, amputation, muscular dystrophy, cardiac conditions, cystic fibrosis, paralysis, polio/post-polio, and stroke. 

Explanations of common conditions that result in orthopedic or mobility impairments:

• Cerebral Palsy: This term applies to a number of non-progressive motor disorders of the central nervous system. The effects can be severe, causing inability to control bodily movement, or mild, only slightly affecting speech or hearing. The term is a general classification for stable cerebral lesions that usually occur at or before birth.
• Spinal cord injury: The extent of paralysis and sensory loss in a spinal cord injury is determined by the location of the injury. Injuries below the first thoracic nerve root (T1) level result in paraplegia, a spastic paralysis of the lower extremities. Injuries above the T1 level result in quadriplegia, a spastic or flaccid paralysis of the lower and upper extremities.
• Degenerative diseases: Progressive diseases include muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis. These conditions may limit gross motor functions and/or fine motor activity. 
• Post-Polio Syndrome: Problems associated with the late effects of polio may include fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, and pain. 
• Motor neuron diseases: A group of disorders that includes Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Progressive Bulbar Palsy (PBP), Progressive Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease. These conditions often produce pain, numbness, weakness, loss of upper and lower motor functions, and problems in breathing. 

Instructional strategies/considerations:

• Make sure the classroom layout is free from obstacles and obstructions
• Allow the student to determine the best seating arrangement for him/herself
• When field trips are included in the course, plan early and verify accessibility. Consult with the student and Disability Services if assistance is needed in this planning. If the College provides student transportation, it must provide accessible transportation on a field trip.
• Keep in mind that fatigue may be a significant factor in a student’s ability to complete an assignment in a given time. 

Reasonable accommodations may include:

• accessible location for the classroom and place for faculty to meet with student
• extra time to get from one class to another, especially in inclement weather
• special seating in the classroom
• use of a note taker, tape recorder, or laptop computer
• testing accommodations, including a scribe, extended time, and/or keyboard modification
• adjustable lab tables or drafting tables
• lab assistance
• accessible parking in close proximity to the building
• texts in alternative formats
• advance planning for field trips to ensure accessibility

Other disabilities

Because the definition of a disability is any condition that substantially limits, has a record of limiting, or is regarded as limiting performance of one or more major life activities, several conditions that do not fall into other categories qualify as disabilities. The degree to which these conditions affect a student in the academic setting vary widely. Some conditions fluctuate in severity, and sometimes the medication taken for a condition impairs academic performance. Reasonable accommodations for students with these conditions are determined on a case-by-case basis.

A partial list of other disabilities:

• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Speech/Language Disorders
• Chronic Illnesses:
  • AIDS
  • Diabetes
  • Lupus
  • Sickle cell anemia
  • Epilepsy
  • Cardiovascular disorders
  • Hemophilia
• Asperger’s Syndrome
• Asthma
• Arthritis
• Burns
• Cancer
• Chronic pain
• Renal-kidney disorders
• Stroke
• Tourette’s syndrome 

Reasonable accommodations for any of these conditions may include any of the accommodations listed under other categories. Determinations are made on a case-by-case basis.