| Common Questions from Faculty
about students with Disabilities |
| |
In an effort to answer your most frequently asked questions
regarding students with disabilities in the classrooms, we hope
you find the following information useful. |
| How do I know if a student has a disability? |
| You will probably know only if a student presents a 504 Accommodation
form to you from Student Disability Services. These forms indicate
the accommodations for which the student legally qualifies. |
| How are accommodations determined? |
Students must present documentation form a qualified professional
clearly stating a diagnosis of a disability to the Student Disability
Services Office. The appropriate accommodations are then determined
by a Student Disability Services Counselor. It is important to note
that there are different kinds of disabilities:
- Educational (learning disabilities-LD and attention deficit
disorder-ADD/ADHD)
- Medical (
seizure disorder, lupus, hearing loss,
impaired vision)
- Psychiatric (Bi-Polar Disorder, Depression, Anxiety Disorder)
|
| Do I need to know the nature of the
student's disability? |
| There are times when students are comfortable discussing their
disability with professors, but in most cases students choose not
to, particularly in the case of psychiatric disabilities. Our legal
responsibility is to keep all documentation confidential. |
| What should I discuss with the student when I am presented with a 504 Letter of Accommodation? |
What is most useful to faculty is knowing what behaviors to expect from the student related to their disability. Faculty may also want to know if or how these behaviors will impact the student’s participation and performance in class. In addition, faculty may want to ask the student what kinds of things have helped them before.
Sometimes students can be a good source of information about their disability, however, it is not uncommon that they cannot give any assistance to faculty. Another resource is the Student Disability Service counselor who has signed the letter. The disability counselor can assist faculty with information related to the student’s disability, but cannot reveal the disability itself without written consent from the student. |
| If someone cannot do the class-work, no matter
what adjustments I provide, can I give the student a flunking grade? |
| Students with disabilities are required to meet the same academic
requirements as other students. If they cannot meet the standards,
then you should grade them as you would any other student. |
| What should I do if I think a student has an undiagnosed
disability? |
| Talk to the student, share your observations, and then refer him
or her to the Student Disability Services Office. On more than one
occasion, thanks to observant faculty, undiagnosed students have
been referred to our office that have later been assessed with a
learning disability. On the occasion when the diagnosis does not
indicate a learning disability, Academic Planning and Support Services
counselors can provide academic counseling and tutoring. |
| Where can I go for help with questions that I
have? |
| |
Anna Escamilla, Student Disability Director at 448-8660. |
