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A department within Student Affairs

Tips from the DRS Staff

Contents

Background Information

  • There are approximately 1200 students (4% of the Temple student body) registered with DRS in a given year;
  • Evidence suggests that an additional 4% have a disability but have not sought DRS assistance;
  • This means that 1 in 12 or 13 students in a given Temple classroom probably has a disability.
  • Less than 20% of the students DRS serves have hearing, sight, or mobility disabilities; the rest have “invisible” conditions, mostly learning disabilities, but also psychiatric or physical conditions.
  • Students registered with DRS have an average GPA that falls within .2 of the average for all Temple students.

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Basic Principles

When working with a student with a disability, keep in mind that…

  1. Students with a documented disability must be otherwise qualified for the course of study they have undertaken. In no instance should you lower the standards of achievement for your course because of a student’s disability.
  2. The student is not obliged to tell you the disability with which s/he has been diagnosed, nor is it necessary for you to know. The label that has been applied to a student’s disability will not tell you how to teach that student effectively. For any disability label, as one DRS professional puts it, “when you’ve seen one, you’ve seen one.” Each person comes with her/his own set of conditions, experiences, and compensation strategies. What DRS looks at are functional limitations – how the disability in question affects/could affect the student’s performance in your course – and what supports should be put in place to help the student fulfill the defined requirements and standards.
  3. Qualifying for accommodations does not relieve a student of responsibility for her/his academic progress; the student has to discuss with faculty the specifics of the accommodations appropriate for each course.
  4. Typically, one does not outgrow or cure a learning disability. Students who require certain accommodations for a learning disability at the start of their college careers will probably require those same accommodations in their last year (and in their future workplace as well). Many students develop better strategies for getting around their disability, but if an accommodation works, it usually makes sense for the student to continue to use it.

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Recommendations for Faculty

Foster an inclusive learning environment.

Try to create a climate in your courses where support for disabilities is normal and students will feel comfortable disclosing a disability in a timely and appropriate way.

  • Always include a statement on your syllabus inviting any student with a disability to meet with you and to coordinate with DRS.
    Example: “Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss his/her specific needs as soon as possible, but preferably within the first three weeks of class. In addition, please contact Disability Resources and Services at 100 Ritter Annex to coordinate reasonable accommodations.”
  • During the first few weeks of class, speak more than once, and in more than one way, of your awareness of the variety of learning needs and preferences among your students, and your desire to give every student access to all the opportunities your course presents. Include disability as one example of why someone might seek out extra support or a different way of doing something. Stress the importance of speaking with you about any condition – be it a disability, a linguistic or cultural barrier, family responsibilities, and so on -- that may affect their learning.

Academic challenges may or may not indicate a disability.

If you suspect that a student has a disability that is interfering with her/his success in your course, approach the student as you would a student who is struggling but does not seem to have a disability:

  • Make her/him aware of the relevant support services where s/he could go for help:

  • If it is a first year student, consider that s/he may be experiencing common difficulties in adjusting to the new environment and regime. Talk about what specific types of support might help the student adapt more readily and feel more comfortable.
  • If you have a sense that the student’s abilities exceed what his/her grades reflect, talk to him/her about how s/he prepares for class, studies, etc. Ask: “How did you do things in high school? Did you have extra time on exams? What kinds of strategies or help did you use?” This will encourage the student who has a documented disability to disclose it.
  • Students who have not been diagnosed with a disability, but who believe they may have one, should go to DRS for an initial information session. If testing seems called for, DRS staff will give the student a referral list with information about whether the relevant providers accept insurance, and what types. The testing center in Weiss Hall does evaluations on a sliding scale, but the wait is long.

The decision not to disclose a disability

If you find yourself becoming frustrated with students who initially decline to disclose a disability -- or for other shortcomings in working with you on accommodations or support -- keep in mind that students with a diagnosed disability were accustomed during elementary and secondary school to having adults managing every aspect of their education and accommodations. The accommodations regime in higher education is quite different, and students with a disability are required for the first time to self-disclose, to discuss their needs and accommodations with their instructors on their own, to advocate for themselves, and to take the initiative if things aren’t working well. It may take time to learn these skills.

Moreover, students often want to try to “make it on their own” in their new learning environment. Some want to free themselves of a disability-related label, especially in circumstances where the accommodations they would receive single them out from their peers. A student with a disability may be understandably reluctant to have her/his classmates misperceive an accommodation as an unfair advantage.

Use the same criteria for intervention regardless of disability.

You may have a student with a disability in your class who is acting in a manner that concerns you. Let us imagine, for instance, that the young woman seems withdrawn and sits apart from the group, declining to participate in discussion or other class activities. What, if anything, should you do?

  • Ask yourself whether you would intervene in a similar situation with a student who hasn’t disclosed any disability. Do as you would in that situation.

Beyond that simple guideline, here are some additional things to consider, depending on the specific circumstances:

  • Deal with behavior, not disability. Don’t assume that the disability is a factor in the situation at hand.
  • Try inquiring about the student’s choice to remain aloof: “I noticed you didn’t sit with the group today. Is there anything that we can address so that you might feel more comfortable joining in?”
  • If this is a first-year or transfer student, or the beginning of a semester, remember that transitions can be difficult for students; some who have disabilities can take a few weeks to adjust to a new situation. If given time, the student may gradually become more comfortable joining the rest of the group.
  • Students who have visible disabilities are aware that they are often the object of others’ attention simply by virtue of their presence. This can be daunting, and they may need some encouragement to come in from the margins and make themselves even more visible. You, the instructor, should set the tone. Instead of second-guessing the student’s motives, approach and invite her to join the group.