Student Resources

Student’s Role in Service Provision

In order to receive academic support services, the student must take responsibility in the following ways:

Notify the Counselor/Coordinator of Student Accommodations of his/her disability.
Complete an application for support services and provide appropriate documentation of a disability.
Request accommodations within a reasonable time frame. Some services may not be available at the beginning of the semester if sufficient notice is not given.
Discuss requested accommodations with instructors as necessary. Although a student’s instructors will automatically receive an accommodation notice, the instructor will assume that the student does not require accommodations for his/her particular course unless the student specifically requests an accommodation.
Contact the Counselor/Coordinator of Student Accommodations regarding academic difficulties and with questions or concerns regarding services.

Documenting a Disability

For students whose disability falls under the category of psychological, physical, health, visual, auditory, traumatic brain injury or mobility, a letter from a physician or therapist or a copy of a student’s high school IEP can meet the requirement for documentation.

For students with a learning disability, a copy of the student’s high school IEP or documentation from a testing provider can meet the requirement for documentation.

For students who suspect that they have a learning disability, but have never been tested, Eastern Illinois University’s School Psychology program can provide testing as a discounted rate. Please contact them at 217-581-6615. Additionally, your local Department of Human Services may be able to provide funding assistance for testing.

Transitioning from High School to College with a Disability

Services for students with disabilities at the high school level are governed by Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), while services at the college level are governed by the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In short, IDEA aims to assure success while ADA requires the college to provide access. For a complete breakdown of differences, click here.

Classroom Strategies for Students with Disabilities & Difficulties

Attention/Concentration Problems

Definition

Difficulty paying attention or concentrating on one task for an extended period of time.

Observable Behavior

restless, impulsive
easily distracted
perpetual motion (foot swinging, finger tapping)

inconsistent performance
limited organizational skills
trouble getting started or finishing assignments

Strategies for Success

use time management strategies
use self-monitoring techniques during class lectures
check notes with classmate

organize study group for test preparation
take untimed exams to allow time to reflect

Auditory Processing

Definition

Difficulty hearing or processing/understanding what is heard.

Observable Behavior

distractability – loses concentration due to noise in environment (i.e., ventilator, traffic, etc.)
sustained listening is difficult, quick to fatigue
studying in any high noise level room or library reading room impossible
difficulty distinguishing non-verbal sounds (i.e., sonar, etc.)
poor pitch discrimination and tonal memory in music
difficulty detecting difference in words that sound alike
misperceives message so may have misinformation in notes
trouble with foreign accent of professor

difficulty in rhyming, stress and intonation patterns in English poetry, etc.
trouble with foreign language
may get all parts of an instruction but in wrong order
trouble recalling phone number, dosage of medication, formula, etc.
very poor speller
trouble recalling order of events (i.e., novel, history)
may reverse order of syllables in pronouncing long words

Strategies for Success

don’t schedule back to back classes
choose more MWF classes (50 minutes)
find an empty classroom for night study
use textbooks on tape
practice listening
sit right in front of instructor
check notes with other students

sit in on classes a semester ahead to be sure professor is easily understood
read and re-read
check with other students
write information and check
study spelling of new terms
develop sequence charts

Blindness

Deafness

Expressive Problems

Definition

Difficulty expressing oneself in spoken or written form

Observable Behavior

trouble in word retrieval (i.e., recalling words to use in speaking and writing)
verbal expression can be disjointed

has good ideas but poor ability to express them orally or in written form
written language reflects poor grammar (i.e., subject-verb agreement; sentence formation is rather basic and awkward)

Strategies for Success

use dictionary constantly; check confusions with another student
be careful in selection of courses; preview text book before signing up for class
try studying with other members of the class
do several rough drafts
use a pre-reading routine for text reading
use a video-tape to practice oral reports

create concept maps of the material to be learned (see the Counselor/Coordinator of Student Accommodations for an example of a concept map)
use word processor with “spell check” software
use a tutor to review assignments with you
write and re-write

Fine Motor Problems

Definition

Difficulty controlling hand, eye or other muscles that aid in the perception and expression of information

Observable Behavior

poor handwriting, noticeable fatigue after lengthy note-taking
may observe tension and tremor, awkward pencil grip
may not be able to read notes at end of class
can’t write as fast as professor can talk

clumsy with equipment
may have poor control of eye movements, so reading is very slow
speech may be slow and a bit imprecise

Strategies for Success

re-copy notes
check with another student
tape lectures
take more MWF classes with shorter periods

read and re-read
use word processor for everything
use lap top computer for note taking in class

Language Disorders

Definition

Difficulty understanding/interpreting what one hears or reads

Observable Behavior

Poor vocabulary and/or written language
Difficulty with idiomatic language and double meaning of words, learning meaning of new words
Very concrete thinker (i.e., literal interpretation of literature, etc.)
Difficulty with abstractions, generalizations
Difficulty with following events in a novel, seeing cause and effect

Difficulty with subtleties of language (i.e. humor)
When talking, difficulty organizing materials, flow of ideas poor or disjointed
Does better on multiple choice test, poor on essay exams, needs extra time
Difficulty with classification and categorization

Strategies for Success

Use dictionary constantly; check confusion with another student
Be careful in selection of courses; preview text before signing up for class
Try studying with other members of the class
Do several rough drafts

Use a pre-reading routine for text reading
Create concept maps of the material to be learned
Use word processor with “spell check” software
Use a tutor to review assignments with you

Memory Problems

Definition

Difficulty remembering information

Observable Behavior

confused by oral directions, asks for repetition or watches other students
rote memorization is a problem (i.e., poetry, periodic table, etc.)
trouble recalling previous material to relate to new material being presented

when problem is short term memory, has great trouble taking notes from professor who speaks rapidly and in lengthy sentences
does better on frequent short quizzes than on mid-term and final
may have trouble with multiple choice tests

Strategies for Success

ask for help or watch closely
use mnemonic and other remembering devices
re-read notes before next class

let the professor know when difficulty occurs
study alone as well as with others
use an electronic organizer

Visual Processing

Definition

Difficulty seeing or processing/understanding what is seen

Observable Behavior

difficulty comparing and contrasting newly experienced visual information with each other or with known perceptions
lacks speed in observing and understanding symbols on chalkboard, overheads
may have trouble copying far point (on board) material into near point (notebook)
confuses words that look alike-poor reader
difficulty distinguishing object from its sensory background
confusion when focusing on detail (i.e., painting, illustrations, statistical tables, slide presentation)
part to whole relationship problems
may have problem with small type or print or poor contrast (i.e., purple stencil-old manuscript)

great difficulty when much information crowded into small spaces
trouble labeling diagrams on test
slow reader because she/he loses place on page
difficulty with left/right orientation (i.e., following instructions in lab)
clumsy, spills and bumps into things
may have difficulty with math, knows rate computation, trouble with concepts
poor alignment of numbers leads to careless mistakes
poor spelling (i.e., same word spelled three different ways on the same page; unable to monitor own work)
difficulty reproducing or recalling sequence of symbols (i.e., dosage of medication, phone numbers)

Strategies for Success

check notes with someone else
before class preview overheads, maps and diagrams
study spelling of new terms
ask questions when you are confused
preview materials
use pen not pencil
when preparing illustrations or diagrams do a rough draft and have it checked
read ahead

use graph paper for math work
use a code (i.e., elastic on left wrist)
work slowly until entirely familiar with equipment; practice ahead
use large pads of paper (18 x 24 inches) and draw pictures of math concepts
write your own real life word problems for practice
use different colors of pencils for each concept
use flow charts for instructions
make vocabulary list and practice spelling words

Financial Aid Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

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