College Accommodations for Students with Multiple Disabilities

This blog post was first published on the Top College Consultants blog.

Students with disabilities don’t always fit neatly into a single box; many of them have multiple co-occurring conditions. Often the complexity of having multiple disabilities emerges when students begin the college search. For one thing, college accommodations can apply to areas beyond academics. Depending on students’ conditions and functional limitations (how the condition impacts them), they may also need housing, dining, transportation or recreation accommodations. Often, these accommodations weren’t particularly relevant in high school. The transition to college may be the first time that a student has fully explored the full range of how their disabilities impact them.

If a student has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), transition planning should be a part of the IEP process. IEP transition plans vary widely and are not always comprehensive. For students on 504 plans, transition planning isn’t automatically included.

In addition, the high school only knows what the family discloses. For example, if the student has an anxiety disorder in addition to dyslexia but has only informed the high school about the dyslexia, the transition plan may only consider the dyslexia. It’s important for families to factor in all of a student’s conditions. 

Students should also know that IEPs and 504 plans do not “follow” a student to college. Each college has its own documentation requirements and accommodations procedures, which may or may not take into account plans from high school. Students should review the guidelines at each of the colleges that they are considering.

Below are two examples of students with co-occurring disabilities, and key considerations as they transition to college. 

Case Example: Joe

Joe is on a 504 plan for a learning disability, and receives extra time on exams and a note-taker in high school. Joe also has Crohn’s disease and gets a monthly infusion of medication. His Crohn’s is relatively well-controlled, so he has not received any accommodations related to his health condition in high school. He and his parents currently prepare his lunches for school so that his meals don’t trigger his symptoms.

Joe’s considerations for college:

Regarding his learning disability, what type of support does Joe receive in high school? Does he plan to seek similar support in college? In terms of his Crohn’s, Joe may want to review what happens when he has a flareup. At those times, he may need access to a private bathroom, for example.

Additionally, he should consider how many days his episodes typically last and how he feels when he is at his worst. He might ask for accommodations such as extensions on assignments and flexibility in attendance when he’s having flares. Since his diet is restricted, he could also request dining accommodations to ensure access to food that meets his Crohn’s-related dietary needs.

Joe will also need to consider how he will manage his Crohn’s medication. Since he gets infusions, he might explore whether the college has access to a provider or whether he can hire a provider to come to his dorm and administer the infusion, which could involve accommodations. Since every college has different processes around accommodations for academics, housing, and dining, he would benefit from engaging with disability offices when touring and applying to colleges.

Case Example: Lily

Lily is autistic and has Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). She is ambulatory, but experiences dizziness, fatigue, and instability. In high school Lily uses a mobility scooter to get around and she has a one-on-one aide. In terms of accommodations, she receives extra time on tests and a distraction-reduced testing environment, as well as an aide to assist her in the classroom, take notes, and help her get around. She has an IEP, and also struggles with time management and executive functioning.

Lily’s considerations for college:

In addition to the academic accommodations she will request in college, Lily might consider the physical accessibility of the campus and housing. She may need an accessible dorm room with an en suite bathroom, for example. If Lily requires support with activities of daily living like bathing, dressing, toileting and laundry, she may need to hire a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) to assist her.

Lily may also benefit from accommodations for transportation (accessible shuttles), dining (support in the dining hall), and recreational activities (accessible facilities). Since her condition impacts her mobility, it will be important for her to study the layout of the campus to determine what accommodations will help her navigate it.

To address her executive functioning challenges, Lily should review the available academic support services. Some colleges have comprehensive learning or autism support programs. Others offer academic coaching, tutoring, and workshops, but not a dedicated program. It will be important for Lily to think about all the areas of her life where she needs support.

Planning for college

It’s critical for students to think about their needs holistically as they manage the transition to college. Students and families should start by reviewing what assistance the student is currently receiving in all areas, including eating, sleeping, traveling, cleaning, time management, and medication management. This will help inform the conversation around how students will function best in the college setting without their guardians around. 

Starting early is key. Families should have conversations around independent living, and parents should encourage students to develop self-advocacy skills by attending their IEP/504 meetings, preparing questions for their doctors and managing appointments. Students should also be brought into conversations about medication management and time management, and begin to take on some of these responsibilities while they are still living at home. Developing these skills takes time, and starting these conversations well before senior year of high school will help students be better prepared for college and adulthood.

Looking for support to ensure you are thinking through all the needs of your student? Connect with Accessible College for a free 30 minute consultation.