>Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2000 18:03:09 -0500
>From: "Paulsen & Company, Inc." <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Inclusion Daily Express--Learning Disabled Advance in School
>Cc:
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>>Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2000 15:40:02 -0800
>>Reply-To: Americans with Disabilities Act Law <[log in to unmask]>
>>Sender: Americans with Disabilities Act Law <[log in to unmask]>
>>From: Dave at Inclusion Daily Express
>>Organization: Inonit Publishing
>>Subject: Inclusion Daily Express--Learning Disabled Advance in School
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Status:
>>
>>The following is one of eight articles that were included in Friday's issue
>>of Inclusion Daily Express email service:
>>
>>***LEARNING DISABLED ADVANCE IN SCHOOL***
>>Summary: Over nine percent of new college freshmen in 1998 claimed to have
>>disabilities, and nearly one-half of those claimed to have a learning
>>disability. Twenty years earlier, only three percent claimed to have
>>disabilities. In this Associated Press story, advocates point to
>>legislation, technology, changing attitudes, and more accurate diagnoses as
>>some reasons for the increases in enrollment of students with disabilities.
>>http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000209/us/disabled_collegians_1.html
>>----Original Article Follows----
>>
>>Wednesday February 9 2:34 PM ET
>>Learning Disabled Advance in School
>>
>>By BRIGITTE GREENBERG Associated Press Writer
>>WASHINGTON (AP) - Students with learning disabilities are attending college
>>in unprecedented numbers, a trend that both dispels the notion that they
>>could not advance beyond high school special education classes and calls
>>into question the number of children being labeled with a handicap.
>>
>>``I don't think anybody expected me to go to college. They probably thought
>>I would be flipping burgers,'' said Jed Israel Pittleman, a New York
>>University junior who has attention deficit disorder.
>>
>>Among the 1.6 million first-time, full-time freshmen enrolled at 3,100
>>institutions of higher education in the United States in 1998 - the most
>>recent figures available - some 154,520, or 9.4 percent, had some kind of
>>disability, says a new study by the American Council on Education. In 1978,
>>by contrast, less than 3 percent of freshmen reported having a disability.
>>
>>Of those reporting a disability two years ago, 41 percent identified their
>>impediment as a learning disability. Ten years earlier, the blind or
>>partially sighted represented the largest category and the percentage of
>>learning disabled was just 15 percent.
>>Colleges are ``recognizing that these students have unrealized potential,
>>and many students who years ago would never have contemplated college are,''
>>said Beth Robinson of the College Board, which administers the SAT.
>>
>>Last year, 24,016 students with all sorts of disabilities asked for special
>>accommodations when they took that test - such as extra time to complete
>>it - compared with 14,994 five years earlier.
>>
>>Although it may seem counterintuitive for people with learning disabilities
>>such as attention deficit disorder or dyslexia to be expected - or to even
>>want - to attend college, experts say the growth is not surprising.
>>
>>In the 1970s, Congress passed laws prohibiting discrimination against the
>>disabled and mandating extra educational help for those who need it.
>>
>>Natalie Phelps, 20, a senior psychology major at Bates College in Lewiston,
>>Maine, had a stroke at age 6, but with speech therapy and books on tape, she
>>expects to attend graduate school.
>>
>>``I'm not shy at all about saying what I need, whether it's note-takers, or
>>readers for exams, or untimed tests,'' she said.
>>Advocates for the learning disabled say such accommodations should be
>>accepted just like wheelchair ramps, braille and sign language translators.
>>
>>But critics argue the ``learning disabled'' label may be overused and some
>>students could be getting unfair advantages.
>>``Certainly there are very severe cases within the LD category, but when we
>>look at the broad range, there are concerns that special ed and LD has
>>become a catchall for anybody who has a learning problem,'' said Thomas B.
>>Parrish, director of the Center for Special Education Finance at the
>>American Institutes for Research in Palo Alto, Calif.
>>
>>In fact, in the 1990s, Boston University administrators raised questions
>>about the growing learning disabled population. Then, in 1997, a federal
>>judge ordered the school to pay six students $30,000 for treating them as
>>``lazy'' learners.
>>
>>Advocates say the nationwide increases in the number of college students
>>with learning disabilities is easily explained:
>>-Doctors, more aware of learning disabilities, are diagnosing more children
>>with conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and are
>>prescribing medications to help.
>>-Because of the Rehabilitation Act, the Individuals with Disabilities
>>Education Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, more parents and
>>students are seeking and getting accommodations including extra classes and
>>tutors they are legally entitled to in elementary, middle and high school.
>>
>>Study author Cathy Henderson also notes that the median income of parents of
>>college freshmen with a learning disability is slightly higher than those
>>without a disability. That's significant because, among students with a
>>handicap, those with learning disabilities are the least likely to be
>>offered financial assistance as an incentive to enroll. What's more,
>>students with learning disabilities often take longer to graduate, which can
>>make a college degree more expensive.
>>
>>``The ones that are successful at getting into college are from families
>>where the parents have resources to be advocates for their kids,'' Henderson
>>said, saying such children as a result got more of the special help they
>>were entitled to than children from poorer families.
>>
>>In addition, the climate at universities has changed as many institutions,
>>notably community colleges, started welcoming the learning disabled by
>>offering special programs and services such as tutoring, she said.
>>
>>The market has grown so much that Landmark College in Putney, Vt., opened in
>>1985 exclusively for students with learning disabilities. The student body
>>has grown from 77 to 340. After learning test-taking, organization and other
>>skills, 85 percent go on to four-year colleges, said Frank Sopper, dean of
>>admissions.
>>
>>However, Ann Kornblet, past president of the Learning Disabilities
>>Association of America, cautioned that college is not for every student
>>since disabilities vary widely.
>>
>>``There's a real concern that courses would be watered down and that's not
>>what students want,'' she said. ``They want access.''
>>----End of Article----
>>Dave Reynolds, Editor
>>Inclusion Daily Express
>>[log in to unmask]
>>
>>Chronicling the struggle toward full community inclusion and
>>self-determination. Check out our February Special at
>>http://www.inclusiondaily.com
>>
>
>
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