It is well documented that attrition in the postsecondary settings for students who are deaf or hard of hearing is greatly due to their academic and communication skills, as well as pre-entry attributes. However there is little evidence that indicates why students who are deaf or hard of hearing are successful in the postsecondary setting. This…

In this study, the authors developed, administered, and evaluated a measure of individual actions of college students with disabilities and their perceptions of postsecondary and social supports. An exploratory factor analysis resulted in nine reliable factors in these three areas. Follow-up regression analyses revealed that self-advocacy…

Background: Few teachers and special education specialists are aware of the materials and resources available to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics instruction for the scattered and isolated 3000 students with sensory and motor disabilities in Iowa's K-12 schools. Additionally, faculty at many community colleges and regent…

Students with disabilities are significantly underrepresented in the nation's community college population for multiple reasons. These include low expectations, poor high school preparation and transition planning, lack of communication or support services, and ineffective or poor support from school services personnel and faculty. This paper…

Historically, first-generation, low-income, and students with disabilities have had very high attrition rates at California Community Colleges and institutions of higher education in general. Based on figures compiled by the National Center for Educational Statistics in 2004, 4.5 million low-income, first-generation college students comprise…

This study provides a model of academic identity development for college students with learning disabilities from the integrative self-determination themes of persistence, competence, career decision making, and self-realization. Nineteen self-determined and high-achieving participants were interviewed. The participants' stories illustrate how…

When students leave high school equipped with self-advocacy and self-determination skills, they will be more likely to disclose their disability and ultimately gain access to the services they need to support their learning needs in the educational environment. Yet, many students with disabilities do not enter college equipped with the tools they…

Beginning your college education means you'll be exploring a new place, making new friends, learning new things and setting your own priorities. You are going to face a lot of big changes in a short time. That's exciting--and challenging. The more prepared you are for college when you get there, the more ready you'll be to address these new…

Two manuals address self-advocacy and assertiveness training for college students with language learning disabilities (LD) and their tutors. Part I examines the positive use of assertiveness and self-advocacy. Assertiveness is distinguished from aggressiveness, and the importance of assertiveness in the lives of LD college students is underlined.…

Discussion of self-advocacy for postsecondary students with learning disabilities considers learning characteristics, self-advocacy as a critical transition skill, identification of intrinsic processing abilities, developing a self-advocacy plan, and the increasing need for postsecondary accommodations. Insets include a sample self-advocacy plan,…

In 1997, the government of Ontario announced the establishment of the Learning Opportunities Task Force (LOTF) to develop and administer a series of pilot projects to enhance the transition of students with specific learning disabilities into postsecondary education, and to identify what supports, services and accommodations would assist these…

Students with disabilities are increasingly enrolled in postsecondary education, yet many of them are not prepared to cope with the rigor of higher education. Students who do not have the skills of self-empowerment often experience frustration and discouragement in the postsecondary setting, leading to their dropping out of school and eventually…

This study surveyed coordinators of special services at 74 postsecondary institutions on how well students with learning disabilities had been prepared by high school transition services. Overall, respondents were dissatisfied with transition services. Respondents were most satisfied with high schools' provision of updated student evaluations…

In interviews with two disabled young adults, the difficulties of college life, both on and off campus, are explored. Topics covered include such areas as the problems of transportation, fears, leaving home, friendships, housing, support systems, and self-advocacy. (PHR)

A survey of 510 practitioners engaged in support services to college students with learning disabilities investigated attitudes toward and practice of self-advocacy training and methods to reduce student dependence on programs and increase autonomy. While most expressed strong support for self-advocacy practices, it was found that far fewer use…