3 Suggestions for Preparing Students with Health Conditions for College

A few weeks ago, I spent four days in the hospital. Here’s the back story: in mid-July I had lumbar discectomy, a back surgery to remove a part of a herniated disc. Unfortunately, the incision became infected which resulted in me having to go to the hospital to receive treatment. Between going to my doctor’s office and showing up at the Emergency Room (ER) I had about one hour to get my affairs in order. During that hour, I had to cancel appointments, connect with people who were expecting to hear from me, call my family, and set up my “out of office” message. As I sat in the ER getting my blood work, and preparing to have the doctors re-open my incision, I couldn’t help but think about the students with physical disabilities and health conditions who I support. My business, Accessible College, works with students with health conditions and physical disabilities on college preparation and transition. The students we support have often navigated situations just like this. However, many of them have only done it with help from their parents. As they transition from high school to college, they may have to face situations like this without their parents being close by. We work with students on personal preparation for independent living in college. My experience with this unplanned hospital stay and years of supporting students who have gone through similar ordeals has informed my practice.

After the surgery was over, I had to spend the next few days in the hospital while the doctors worked to determine what type of antibiotic would treat the bacteria that had infected my incision. I don’t remember much about those days. I was exhausted. I had a terrible headache and I was nauseous. There was no way I could have gotten any work done during that time. Even now that I’m back at home, the IV antibiotic treatment that I’m receiving makes me very tired, and I cannot yet work to the same level that I had been prior to all of this. Thankfully, my infection is healing and things are looking up.

Based on my experience and the information I’ve gleaned from working the students with health conditions over the years, here are a few tips that may help your student: 

1. Register with the Disability Support Office (DSO)

Many students I have worked with did not realize that their health condition (diabetes, lupus, Crohn’s, etc.) made them eligible to receive accommodations in college under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Additionally, many students I’ve worked with have conditions that were controlled in high school (living at home, diet, less stress) that then flare-up when they start college (moving away, poor diet, stress). Lastly, many students don’t think they will need accommodations in college. Applying for accommodations and receiving them, does not mean a student has to use them. Having them is like insurance, just in case they need to use them. Encourage your student to follow the process and request accommodations. It’s best to go through the process of requesting accommodations when your student is not in a crisis situation.

2. Develop self-advocacy skills

When your student starts college, they need to be comfortable talking about their condition and their needs. They will have to communicate their accommodations to each professor, every semester. If your student  has a health condition that has flare-ups and is unpredictable, the student should consider preparing canned email language for every situation. This way if they are sick, in the hospital, unable to get to class, or need to go for treatment, then they can just copy and paste into an email to inform their professors, dean/advisor, and the disability support office. 

3. Create a checklist and an emergency “go bag”

If your student has a condition that has flare-ups that are not predictable, it might be helpful to create a checklist of things that they may need to get in order quickly. This may include putting an auto-reply on their email, emailing professors/administrators, notifying their family. The “go bag” may include things like: back-up medication, an emergency contact card, list of current medications, and a phone charger.

The key is to start thinking about these things prior to starting college. Accessible College starts engaging students in the transition and college preparation process as early as 9th grade. This allows students to develop self-advocacy skills. Luckily, my situation is rapidly improving. I continue to work with students, and I’m now more acutely aware of some of the challenges that the students I support may face. 

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If you have questions about the services and supports that Accessible College offers for students with physical disabilities and health conditions, please Contact Us.