Students with Learning Disabilities and Post-secondary School

By Valarie R. Austin, November 9th, 2021, 9:00 AM EDT

(Previously Published on LinkedIn)

As students transition from high school to post-secondary school, it can be exciting because of the new situations, friends and adventures that they will encounter as young adults. The transition can also present issues or problems that may create emotional and/or physical stress. Students with learning disabilities (SLD) navigate this unfamiliar post-secondary environment with additional challenges that require “speaking up” for assistance. In October 2020, BestColleges.com reported, 94% of high school SLD received some form of assistance. In contrast, only 17% of college SLD took advantage of learning assistance resources at their school (https://bit.ly/SupportforSLD). Additional data from Learnhowtobecome.org stated approximately 60% of high school SLD enrolled in college while only 41% completed their degrees (https://bit.ly/CampusSpt_SLD). These SLD statistics are alarming because graduation from post-secondary school is often necessary to achieve financial security, upward mobility and employment in today’s economy. Persons with disabilities and those with no disability who had attained higher levels of education were more likely to be employed than those who had attained less education according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (https://bit.ly/BLS_SLD_employment).

Post-secondary schools do not have special education programs or follow The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act rules that mandate special education curriculum in secondary school. According to AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org, higher education institutions are only required to provide equal access for SLD. They must also follow regulations defined in the federal American Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (https://bit.ly/AccreditedSchoolsOnline). This means that schools of higher education have to supply academic accommodations for students who have a learning disability. An Understood.org article listed 13 categories of learning disabilities as:

1. Specific Learning Disability
2. Other health impairment
3. Autism Spectrum Disorder
4. Emotional Disturbance
5. Speech or language impairment
6. Deafness
7. Hearing impairment
8. Deaf-blindness
9. Orthopedic impairment
10. Intellectual disability
11. Traumatic brain injury
12. Visual Impairment including blindness
13. Multiple disabilities


These chronic learning disabilities typically inhibit an individual’s ability to “read, write, listen, speak, reason, or do math” (https://bit.ly/IDEA_SLDcategories). The Understood.org article also referenced specific accommodations that are available to SLD. They include audio recordings of lectures, extra time to take exams, a note-taker for class lectures and a distraction-reduced room to take exams. These types of accommodations provide additional support for students to achieve success in the academic environment.

Due to privacy issues, students without parental intervention must voluntarily initiate a request for learning disability accommodations at their post-secondary school. Parents should prepare students to be their own advocates. Before high school graduation, parents and SLD should discuss their specific needs for accommodations and make a plan to address those needs with the counselors at their college, university, or technical school. Since SLD services may vary from school to school, they should also investigate schools of interest’s websites, ask the admissions office, and/or contact the Disability Services Office (DSO) about accommodations that are available. All schools of higher education must have a DSO or equivalent. Therefore, the research should highlight the schools’ required SLD documentation submissions, any additional necessary evaluations, the approval process and the grievance procedure for accommodations that do not work. When accepted to their college of choice, SLD should articulate their academic accommodation needs and register with the DSO at the start of classes. The school’s DSO or ADA coordinator will assess the request. If approved, the DSO will write a letter that details the student with learning disabilities’ academic accommodations. As soon as possible, the student should give the accommodation letter to his/her instructors. Protecting the student’s privacy about the learning disability is paramount. Therefore, the letter will not identify the learning disabilities but explain instructors’ required actions to promote the student’s academic success in the classroom.

Before high school graduation, SLD with their parents should prepare for the new environment by taking actions such as

o training on computers/laptops, digital recorders, or other personal digital devices;
o identifying social clubs, disability resource centers, or support groups for SLD on and off-campus;
o researching funding sources dedicated to SLD’s post-secondary attendance;
o enrolling in summer non-credit college classes while in high school to mimic the higher education environment and socialization requirements; and,
o researching SLD rights and responsibilities while attending post-secondary school.


Several organizations offer valuable information for SLD. They are the Office for Civil Rights-U.S. Department of Education, the National Center for College Students with Disabilities and National Center for Learning Disabilities. They discuss SLD challenges and offer practical actions for post-secondary school success on their websites.

Post-secondary education is a major milestone in a high school graduate’s journey to adulthood. SLD may not graduate from post-secondary school when they do not obtain needed academic support because their learning disability does not disappear with a change in environment. It is important for SLD to have parents and high school counselors reinforce often the academic accommodations that are their right to use. Working with the school’s DSO, SLD can successfully attend and obtain their degree from a higher education institution. Graduation from a higher education institution increases the potential for financial stability and employment. These are the attributes of an independent adult. It is imperative that students with a learning disability use every approved accommodation to obtain their post-secondary degree.

Have a great semester!

Valarie R. Austin is the author of The Student’s Comprehensive Guide for College & Other Life Lessons. She has a wealth of knowledge on the subjects of career and college preparation. She also conducts career and college readiness workshops for high school students and parents. Check out her author’s pages on https://www.linkedin/in/valarie-r-austin, https://www.goodreads.com/valarie_r_austin and https://www.amazon.com/author/valarie_r_austin. A Youtube.com review of her book can found at https://youtu.be/xy_GSHlJsa0. This article was edited by Raffie Johnson. Copyright 2021, Vauboix Publishing LLC. Like, Comment and/or Share this article! (Article 4 of 5, fall 2021)

The Student's Comprehensive Guide For College & Other Life Lessons
La Guía Comprensiva del Estudiante para la Universidad & Otras Lecciones de Vida