Dear Student
Looking at Colleges
Campus Support Services
Anticipating Using Accommodations
What Makes a Successful Student
Major Skills Needed by All Students
Common Difficulties Faced
Help Yourself be Successful in College
Information Regarding Education Law
Community Support Agencies
Admissions and Academic Support Services
Skill Evaluation Form
Academic Accommodations Checklist
Resources and Works Cited
NNYPSTT members

Dear student,

Welcome! we truly hope that this handbook will prove to be a valuable resource for you. The information in this handbook is arranged according to the following flow chart:

Titles under which you may find campus support services are varied. As you search each college, you will get to know what terms they use. Throughout this handbook the term "learning specialist" will be used to designate the service provider.

Good luck!
The Northern New York Post-Secondary Transition Team

P.S. This information was gathered to the best of our knowledge as of October 1998. Any name or title that is incorrect is probably due to staff changes since that time.

WHEN YOU BEGIN looking at various colleges, you should ask the admissions office to put you in contact with the office that provides accommodations to students with disabilities.

You should ask the learning specialist the following questions:

1. What kind of services are available?
2. How are services accessed?
3. Are any services limited?
4. When are services available?
5. How are faculty informed about accommodations?
6. Is a separate orientation for students with disabilities offered?
7. Will I have to take a placement test, and, if so, how do I request necessary accommodations?
8. What is the college advisement procedure?
9. What are developmental courses and will I be required to take any?
10. Is there a cost for any support services?
11. Will my financial aid be effected in any way because I am requesting services?
12. What kind of tutoring is available?
13. Is there a student support organization on campus?

Refer to the section in this handbook that lists regional colleges and universities and their learning specialist [Rather than describe the college search process in this handbook, we recommend that you acquire a copy of the booklet "How to Choose a College: Guide for the Student with a Disability" available through the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) or the Heath Resource Center. See Resources and Works Cited.]

CAMPUS SUPPORT SERVICES for students with disabilities vary from college to college. There are no set policies and/or procedures. You'll need to advocate for yourself by getting to know your needs and then arranging appropriate services. The three major level of services are:

1. Program - you apply separately to receive comprehensive services (more like services received in high school), a learning specialist works 1:1 with each student on areas of weakness, usually a fee is charged.
2. Services - covers accommodations required by law (Section 504 and ADA), Identified contact person aids you in arranging reasonable accommodations.
3. No visible support - tough to find out who is in charge or how to acquire accommodations.

EACH COLLEGE DETERMINES the level of services that will be available. Typical accommodations include: tutoring, note takers, alternative testing arrangements, computer access, interpreters, physical access, assistive technology, etc.

YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS will vary from semester to semester, course to course, and instructor to instructor. You will need to be flexible.

The learning specialist will assist you in determining what accommodations you may want to request. It is not to your benefit to be over accommodated since developing independence is a desirable life skill.

IF YOU ARE ANTICIPATING using accommodations, it is important that you meet with the learning specialist as early as possible to identify yourself and to request the services you will need. In order for you to receive services you must provide appropriate documentation, such as a current psycho-educational evaluation, a current Individualized Education Program(IEP), or any other information specific to your disability. (Refer to the information at the end of this handbook about IDEA, the entitlement law that provides you with accommodations in high school and SECTION 504, the civil rights law that makes accommodations available to you in college.)

INFORMATION YOU SHOULD be able to tell about yourself…

1. Why you want to go to college.
2. Why college is a realistic choice for you at this time.
3. Your type of disability and how it affects your learning.
4. Examples of the kinds of problems you experience in school.
5. Activities you are good at and/or like doing.
6. The support services and accommodations you used in high school.
7. The support services and accommodations you plan to use in college.
8. How copies of records documenting your disability can be acquired.
9. The kind of diploma you are receiving. Please Note if you are receiving an IEP Diploma, you will need to ask about the school's policy regarding admission and financial aid eligibility.
10. If you have applied for VESID, CBVH or other rehabilitation services and how to contact your counselor.

No one holds your hand in college or makes decisions for you. It is up to you to take charge now. You must:

• identify your needs
• document your needs
• request accommodations to meet your needs utilize the accommodations that meet your needs

IDENTIFYING YOUR DISABILITY is voluntary and confidential. It is important, however, if you want accommodations, to do this as early as possible in order to initiate reasonable accommodations.

Demonstrated competency of the basic skills (reading, writing, and math) is necessary for success in college level courses where content mastery will be evaluated.

Most instructors expect you to spend at least 3 hours outside of class doing assignments or reading for every hour spent in class. For example: If you are registered for 12 credit hours, you should be spending a minimum of 36 hours per week outside of class doing assignments and preparing for classes. Often students with disabilities need to spend considerably more time than this to be successful. Consider your disability and accommodation needs and, if appropriate, plan more time to complete your degree requirements. You may want to consider a reduced course load.

Attending college is a full-time job. If you cannot make the commitment at this time, you may want to consider enrolling part-time or attending college at a later date.

Desirable traits for college success:

• Possessing a positive attitude
• Being flexible
• Having knowledge about academic policies and deadlines
• Using good communication skills
• Having good time management skills
• Being able to organize yourself
• Having a clear sense of your goal
• Being independent
• Knowing when and how to seek help
• Strong commitment to your degree

Perhaps the most important concept to grasp is that you need all the same competencies as any college student PLUS whatever skills or strategies are needed to cope with your disability. It is better to start acquiring skills in an environment you know well (i.e., high school) rather than to wait until you arrive on the college campus.

Coming to a college comfortable with yourself and your needs can make the difference between success and failure.

• Self Advocacy skills - knowing disability and what accommodative services are necessary to be successful
• Note taking skills
• Adequate study habits/test taking skills
• Being prepared for class
• Importance of assignments

- writing name/date correctly on paper
- organizing work (use of folders, etc.)
- neatness of work
- turning work in on time

• Classroom etiquette

- staying in seat
- raising hand/not interrupting
- staying in the room

• Importance of being on time for class

• How to interact appropriately with teachers/mentors/students
• How to introduce yourself to someone
• How to let someone know you like them (dating etiquette)
• How to interact with persons in social situations
• Dealing effectively with peer pressure (drinking, drugs, sexuality)
• How to deal appropriately with rejection
• Ability to use the telephone effectively
• Problem-solving and decision making skills

• Structure of environment (or lack of structure) - more choices, more freedoms
• Transportation to and from campus, job, internships
• Ability to use leisure time effectively
• Knows how to locate the help and assistance needed
• Adequate knowledge of medical needs in regard to medication and health problems and being able to articulate these needs to others
• Basic independent living skills - money management, survival cooking, laundry, shopping, etc.

READING

1. Reading too slowly or too fast
2. Difficulty understanding what was read
3. Difficulty remembering what was read
4. Difficulty identifying important information
5. Trouble sounding out new words
6. Difficulty turning pages
7. Difficulty with print size and/or format

WRITTEN LANGUAGE

1. Difficulty using proper sentence structure
2. Misspelling words
3. Difficulty copying correctly from a book or blackboard
4. Writing too slowly or too fast
5. Poor penmanship
6. Able to express ideas verbally better than in writing

ORAL LANGUAGE

1. Difficulties concentrating on conversations
2. Difficulty in expressing ideas
3. Writing better than speaking
4. Difficulty speaking in a grammatically correct manner
5. Difficulty telling a story in proper sequence

MATHEMATICS

1. Difficulty remembering basic facts
2. Reversing numbers
3. Confusing operational symbols
4. Copying problems incorrectly from one line to another
5. Difficulty following the sequence of operational processes
6. Difficulty understanding and retaining abstract concepts
7. Difficulty comprehending word problems
8. Reasoning deficits

ORGANIZATION AND STUDY SKILLS

1. Time management difficulties
2. Slow starting and completing tasks
3. Difficulty remembering information
4. Difficulty following oral and/or written directions
5. Difficulty with organization
6. Short attention span
7. Difficulty focusing
8. Inefficiently using reference materials

SOCIAL SKILLS

Some students may have problems with social skills due to their inconsistent perceptual abilities. They may be unable to detect the difference between a joking wink and a disgusted glance or notice the difference between sincere and sarcastic comments, or other subtle changes in tone of voice. These difficulties in interpreting nonverbal messages may result in lower self-esteem for some and may cause them to have trouble meeting people, working with others, and making friends.

General Strategies
Self-Confidence Building Strategies
Self-Advocacy Strategies
Effective Learning Strategies
Time Management Ideas
Memory Strategies
Test-Taking Strategies

1. Many students with disabilities come to college and do not anticipate needing any accommodations or support services. However, if you have been previously diagnosed as having a disability, secure a copy of your most recent evaluation or Individual Education Program (IEP). You will need to provide this documentation to the service provider at the college or be reevaluated in order to be eligible for services.
2. Learn about Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This is the civil rights law that provides you access to programs and accommodations. It is very different from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which is an entitlement law that guarantees that school districts provide free, appropriate education in the least restrictive environment for all elementary and secondary students. (IDEA no longer applies once a student receives a diploma or reaches age 21.) Refer to the information at the end of this Handbook for more information.
3. Find out what accommodations and support services your college provides, and, should you need them, where and how to get them.
4. Increase your understanding of the nature of your disability in general and specifically the type and severity of your own disability. You can do this by discussing your test results with the campus learning specialist. Even better, discuss this with your current school counselor, resource room teacher, or parents before entering college. The more you know about yourself, the better off you will be when it comes to explaining your academic needs to others and requesting accommodations. You are your own best advocate!
5. Rehearse your explanation of the above information with the learning specialist or a friend so that you can explain fully to faculty the reason for requesting accommodations.
6. If you require classroom accommodations of some kind, schedule an appointment with your faculty early in the semester.
7. Reach out for assistance early, if needed. Schedule an appointment with your faculty when you begin to get confused or flounder. Do not wait until you are already in danger of failing a course. Speak to the learning specialist and/or your advisor to find out what help is available and how to access it.
8. Be aware of Drop-Add and Pass-Fail options and other deadlines for adjusting your schedule. Use these dates to your advantage to enhance success.

Building self-confidence is not an easy task. Many people benefit from the assistance of a counselor or therapist on a one-to-one basis or in a support group. You should explore such options in the campus Counseling Center. In addition, the following strategies may prove helpful:

1. After preparing as well as you could, tell yourself, as you go in to take an exam or to make a presentation, that you will succeed and you are well prepared.
2. Identify a realistic goal and work toward it. When you succeed in accomplishing it, identify the strategies that you developed that contributed to your success. Building self-confidence is a step-by-step process in which you meet increasingly difficult challenges and take credit as you accomplish each one.
3. If you don't achieve your goal on the first attempt, sit down with a friend, faculty, or counselor and analyze and refine your strategies. Identify new strategies and intermediate goals that will prepare you better to achieve your final goal. Tell yourself, "Next time I know I'll do better."
4. Develop a time line to accomplish each goal. Build in extra time for the unexpected. Remember, there is no point rushing toward failure. Take a long-range perspective on your life, rather than focusing on just one semester.
5. Keep a list of your past successes and accomplishments and read this list over frequently.
6. Take credit for your achievements and work well done. Accept compliments with a simple "thank you". If your performance did not meet your expectations, you can critique it at a later time with your faculty, counselor, or friend.
7. Identify your strengths and keep expanding the list of things you do well. Your disability gave you some special talents as well as difficulties. Identify your talents, develop them and enjoy them.
8. Keep disappointments in perspective; a "D" on one quiz does not mean you will fail the course; a "D" in one course does not mean you will be dismissed from college.
9. If you do poorly on a paper or exam, find out why rather than condemning yourself or rejecting the good along with the ineffective strategies that you may have used. By analyzing what went wrong, you will be better able to avoid such mistakes in the future.
10. Look at your friends. What do you admire and respect in them? Because they also chose you as a friend, you share in their attributes and have other qualities that they admire and respect as well.
11. Dress for success. If you are unsure of the appropriate dress for a specific occasion, setting, or social event, check ahead with a knowledgeable person.
12. Smile. People who smile send a message to others that they are comfortable with themselves and are self-confident. Smiling is contagious.
13. Look at those who have expressed confidence in you, provided you with opportunities, and given you responsibilities. These people know you well, have observed your past performance, and have confidence in your abilities and potential to succeed. As you accept new challenges, keep them and their confidence in you clearly in mind.

1. Work with others to inform and sensitize the student body, faculty, administration, and staff about disabilities. Organize public lectures, student panels, and films. Write articles for the student newspaper on your campus.
2. Become a student member of and/or provide input to policy-making university committees.
3. Find out if there is a support group for students with disabilities on your campus and become an active member in this group. At such group meetings you will find out you are not unique nor are you alone in your struggles. In addition to the comfort that provides, you will learn studying and test taking strategies and about instructors whose teaching style will be most compatible with your learning style.
4. Provide peer counseling and support to other students with disabilities on an individual basis or through a support group on campus.
5. Join professional organizations as a student member advocating for rights of adults with disabilities. The learning specialist on your campus can put you in touch with local, regional, state, and national organizations.

Listed below are some examples of accommodations that will be useful. Some will work in some situations and others will work in other situations. Not every accommodation will work for every situation. Your learning specialist will be able to guide you in determining which accommodation is best to use and when.

1. Apply these principles of effective learning when you study:

a. Attend all classes. Other students can get by missing an occasional class, but for you, hearing the lecture may be a critical factor in learning new material.
b. Preview new material and review the previous lecture before each class.
c. Sit toward the front of the class so that you can hear and see well and be more easily recognized if you have a question or want to participate in the discussion.
d. Come to class prepared with materials and a positive frame of mind.
 

2. Match your notebook to the color of your textbook. If you keep a binder or file folder, match colors to textbooks. This insures that you have needed materials for class and/or study.
    
3. a. If you need to tape record lectures, ask permission of the instructor before you tape their lecture, Be sure to explain why you need this modification and how you will use the tape to modify your learning.

b. Take notes simultaneously to tape recording. Indicate questions in the margins.
c. If you tape record in class, carefully label every tape (for example, lntro to Psy, 9/15/95) before you insert it into the recorder. Set the counter to zero. If you are unsure of a concept during the lecture, jot down the counter number in the margin of your notes for easy review and clarification later.
d. Review tapes and/or notes as soon after the lecture as possible.
 
4. Compare your notes with those of a study partner. Copy notes over, if necessary. Highlight and summarize the main points. Keep a separate section of your notebook with terms, key concepts, major events, contributors, theories, or formulas.
    
5. Because most college students with written language difficulties have trouble recognizing and correcting spelling errors in their writing, it is important to use a word processor with a spell checker to identify misspelled words. However, certain spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors will not be identified. If your instructor agrees with the plan, request that a writing tutor or a learning specialist read your paper and assist you in error identification and correction.

1. Keep a master calendar. Make sure it's large enough to enter assignments, exams, social events, and important appointments. Use other calendars for specific tasks, e.g., a wall calendar for long-range assignments. You will need to take the time to coordinate your calendars. (This is a skill for a lifetime, work to learn it as early as possible.)
2. Work backwards from the due date on long-range assignments and build in extra time for setting the project aside to just think about it. Go over this time line with your instructor and ask for feedback on your progress periodically.
3. Make sure you have understood an assignment correctly before plunging in or soon after you have started by scheduling an appointment with your instructor. Don't wait until you have finished the assignments to find out that you have not fulfilled the requirements.
4. Often, the hardest part of getting your work done on time and keeping up with the workload is getting started on a new assignment, Start by making a commitment of 30 minutes and then lengthen studying periods gradually.

1. Learning is synonymous with reviewing and, for you, reviewing frequently and regularly throughout the semester is essential.
2. Color code, enlarge, underline, and highlight your notes to strengthen your visual memory of the material.
3. Copy your notes over if, for you, the act of writing facilitates memorizing.
4. Read aloud (tape recording while reading) if hearing, with or without seeing the words, helps you remember what you've read.
5. Tape record lectures and listen to them while driving, exercising, eating, etc.
6. Rehearse material to be mastered either orally or in writing. Write out concepts in full. Read your notes silently or aloud. Paraphrase or explain concepts to a study partner.
7. Review frequently and commit material to memory using strategies that aid recall such as listing, categorizing, imaging, re-visualizing, alphabetizing, and devising acronyms and associations. (See your resource room teacher or learning specialist for ideas on how to use these compensation techniques.)

1. Find out what examination format your professor will use (e.g. long-answer essay questions, multiple choice, short-answer essay questions). Adjust your studying to fit the type of test you will be taking. Ask your professor for "practice" exams or find out if old exams are available. Take as many old exams or quizzes as you can and check your answers against the answer key, with a tutor, study partner, or teaching assistant.
2. If no prior exams or questions are provided, and if essay type exams will be given, try to anticipate the questions that will be asked on the exam. Write an outline to answer these questions.
3. Be sure to go into exams rested and not having just consumed a large amount of sugar or caffeine. Complex carbohydrates and some protein will provide the best source of energy over an extended period of time.
4. If you have memorized specific formulas, dates, names or terminology for an exam: before you begin working on the exam, write down (on the back of the exam) all that you have committed to memory. Use this information later in the exam.
5. Read test directions carefully, underlining the verb that describes what you are to do: describe, compare, summarize, list, etc. Follow the directions precisely.
6. Begin by answering the easiest questions first. Circle the hard ones and come back to them after you have answered the easy ones.
7. Pace yourself. Even if you have extended time, it is not unlimited.
8. If you come to a question you don't understand, paraphrase it for the proctor to confirm that you have understood what the question means.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, states that "...no otherwise qualified individual with a disability... shall, solely by reason of disability be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

A DISABILITY, according to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, is a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of a person's basic life activities. The term disability may be used to refer to a visual, auditory, mobility, or other health related impairment, emotional difficulty, or learning disability. The degree of a person's impairment can vary from total to barely perceptible. Some disabilities are not outwardly obvious, so appearance is not a reliable way to determine if someone has a disability.

It is this mandate that has promoted the development of disability support service programs in colleges and universities across the country over the last 25 years.

Specifically, Subpart E of Section 504, requires that an institution which receives any federal financial assistance be prepared to make appropriate academic adjustments and reasonable modifications to policies and practices in order to allow the full participation of students with disabilities in the same programs and activities available to non-disabled students.

In addition to Section 504, colleges and universities must now comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The ADA extends Section 504 non-discrimination mandates regarding persons with disabilities to both the private and public sector, regardless of whether or not they receive federal financial assistance. ADA guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in employment, public accommodations, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunication.

The 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) require that transition planning and services be included in the annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) for secondary education students with disabilities who are age 14 or older. Transition services are a coordinated set of activities which are ' designed to prepare the student for outcomes that are envisioned for the student in adult life. Outcomes may include post-secondary education, employment, vocational training, adult education, adult services, independent living, and community participation. The set of activities for each student needs to be based on his/her individual needs, preferences, and interests. The activities must include instruction, community experiences, and development of employment or other post-school adult living objectives.

Transition Planning, a part of your IEP, is designed to help you start working now with support services and accommodations that you will need in the future.

Adirondack Regional Technology Center
Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities (TRAID)
Joan Florentine
SUNY Plattsburgh
1 0 1 Broad St., Sibley Hall #227 Plattsburgh, NY 12901 (518) 564-3377
FAX (518) 564-2328
siorenjm@splava.cc.plaftsburgh.edu


Deaf Services
Avery Munger, Director
RR1 Box 193B, Malone, New York 12953
(518) 483-1954 voice
(518) 483-6039 TTY
deafservices@juno-com


Massena Independent Living Center
156 Center St., Massena, NY 13662
(315) 764-9442
FAX (518) 764-9464
milc@northnet.org


Learning Disabilities Association of New York State
90 South Swan St., Albany, NY 12210
(518) 436-4633
FAX (518) 432-5902
 
 
NYS Office of Advocate for Persons with Disabilities
I Empire State Plaza, Suite 1001,
Albany, NY 12223-1150
1-800-522-4369 (V[TTY)
(518) 474-5567 (Spanish)
FAX (518) 473-6005
www.advoc4disabled.state.ny.us
 
 
NYS Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped
Bea Beguin, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
P.O. Box 33, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
(518) 891-7518
FAX (518) 891-7528
 
 
NYS Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) ALBANY DISTRICT OFFICE
6 Tower Place, 1st Floor, Executive Park Albany, NY 12203 (518) 473-8097
FAX (518) 457-4562

MALONE DISTRICT OFFICE
John Ray, Office Manager
Steve Novacich, Transition Liaison
231 West Main Street, Suite 2, Malone, NY 12953
(518) 483-3530 OR 1-800-882-2803
FAX (518) 483-3552

SYRACUSE DISTRICT OFFICE
State Office Bldg., Room 230,
Syracuse, NY 13202-1490
(315) 428-4179
FAX (315) 428-4280

UTICA DISTRICT OFFICE
State Office Bldg., 207 Genessee St.,
Utica, NY 13501
(315) 793-2536
FAX (315) 793-2724

North Country Association for Visually Impaired
Karen Mergenthaler, Director
301 Main St., 3rd Floor, PO Box 1338
Lake Placid, NY 12946
ncavi@juno.com

North Country Legal Services
100 Court Street, P.O. Box 989
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
(518) 563-4022
1-800-722-7380
ncisp@northnet.org

North Country Legal Services
38 Gouverneur Street, P.O. Box 648,
Canton, NY 13617
(315) 386-4586
1-800-822-8283
cncls@northnet.org

Northern Regional Center for Independent Living
165 Mechanic St., Watertown, NY 13601
(315) 785-8703
nrcil@1000islands.net

North Country Center for Independence
Andrew Pulrang, Director
159 Margaret Street, Suite 202,
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
(518) 563-9058 (VITDD)
ncci@slic.com
www.chambers.slic.com/ncci/home.html

Adirondack Community College
Bay Rd., Queensbury, NY 12804-9970
(518) 743-2264
Tammy Morey, Learning Specialist
(518) 743-2307

Canton College of Technology
34 Cornell Dr., Canton, New York 13617
www.canton.edu
(315) 386-7123
1-800-388-7123
Sharon House, Counselor/Coordinator of Accommodative Services
(315) 386-7603

Clarkson University
PO'Box 5605, Potsdam, New York 13699
www.clarkson.edu
(315) 268-6463
Helen McLane, Academic Support Center
(315) 268-7643

Clinton Community College
136 Clinton Point Drive, Plattsburgh, New York 12901-9573
(518) 562-4170
Learning Specialist
(518) 562-4252

College of St. Rose
432 Western Ave., Albany, NY 12203-1490
www.strose.edu
1 (800) 637-8556
Director, Services to Students with Disabilities
(518) 454-5299

Hudson Valley Community College
80 Vandenberg Ave., Troy, NY 12180
www.hvcc.edu
(518) 270-7309
Pablo Negron, Director, Disability Resource Center
(518) 270-7154 TTD (518) 270-7596

Jefferson Community College
Watertown, New York 13601
www.sunyjefferson.edu
(315) 786-2200
Lucy Davis, Disabilities Specialist
(315) 786-2335

Lynn University of Old Forge Center
Rt. 28, PO Box 1159, Old Forge, NY 13420
(315) 369-2740
1 (800) 351-5327
Linda Martin, Director of Academics
(315) 369-2740

Mater Dei College
5428 State Highway 37, Ogdensburg, New York 13669-4211
(315) 393-5930 X-416
1-800-742-4080 (in state)
Tony Puccia, Coordinator of Services for the Disabled
(315) 393-5930 X-316

Mohawk Valley Community College
1101 Sherman Drive, Utica, NY 13501
www.mvcc.edu
(315) 792-5354
1-800-SEE-MVCC (1-800-733-6822)
Veda Candeloro, Learning Disabilities Specialist
(315) 731-5702

North Country Community College
Saranac Lake Campus
P.O. Box 89, 20 Winona Ave. Saranac Lake, New York 12983-0089
www.nccc.edu
(518) 891-2915
1-888-TRY-NCCC (1-888-879-6222)
Pat Hogan, Dean of Student Affairs/ADA-504 Coordinator
(518) 891-2915 X-204

Malone Campus
Jeannine Golden, Academic Support Center
College Ave., Malone, NY 12953
(518) 483-4550 X-6431

Paul Smith's College
Paul Smiths, New York 12970
www.paulsmiths.edu
(518) 327-6227
1-800-421-2605

Center for Accommodative Services
Carol McKillip, Learning Specialist/Diagnostician
Roxanne McCarty, Learning Specialist
(518) 327-6425

St. Lawrence University
Canton, New York 13617-1475
www.stlawu.edu
(315) 229-5261
1(800) 285-1856
John Meagher, Director, Office of Special Needs
(315) 229-5104

State University College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill
Cobleskill, NY 12043
(518) 255-5525
Lynn Abarno, Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities
(518) 255-5282

State University of New York at Plattsburgh
1 ol Broad St., Plattsburgh, New York 12901-2681
www.plattsburgh.edu
(518) 564-2040
Michele Little, Director of Student Support Services
(518) 564-2810

State University of New York at Potsdam
44 Pierrepont Ave., Potsdam, New York 13676-7901
www.potsdam.edu
(315) 267-2180
1-800-433-3154 (out of state)
Tamara Durant, Academic Coordinator, Disabled Student Services
(315) 267-3267

Please complete this form with your Resource Room teacher, or another teacher who is knowledgeable about your disability. This information will help ensure that the college personnel providing accommodative services are familiar with you personally. Plan to bring this form with you when meeting the learning specialist for the first time.

Student Name: ______________________________________

__ Use Extended Time for Graduation

__ Use Alternative Format

__ Use Visual Magnification Devices

__ Use Auditory Amplification Devices

__ Use Auditory Tape

__ Use Reader

__ Use Scribe

__ Use Calculator

__ Use Books on Tape

__ Use Assistive Technology

__ Use Interpreter

Other Please Specify:

__ Use Extended Time

__ Use Oral Testing

__ Administer Test in Distraction Free Location

__ Use Alternative Format

__ Read, Simplify, or Provide Additional Information

Examples of Directions

__ Explain Auxiliary Vocabulary

__ Use Visual Magnification Devices

__ Use Auditory Amplification Devices

__ Use Auditory Tape

__ Use Reader

__ Use Calculator

__ Word Process Answers

__ Use Assistive Technology

__ Use Interpreter

Other Please Specify:

__ Counseling (Circle if appropriate) - Personal, Peer, Career

__ Physical Access (Describe) -

Attach additional information, if appropriate. Feel free to add comments.

Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), P.O. Box 21192,
Columbus, Ohio, 43221, (614) 488-4972, FAX (614) 488-1174.

College Students with Learning Disabilities. Columbus, OH: Association for Higher Education and Disabilities, 1983.

Effective College Planning. Buffalo, NY: Western New York Transition Resource Center, 1995.

HEATH Resource Center, One Dupont Circle - Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036, (800) 544-3284.

How to Choose a College: Guide for the Student with a Disability
A Joint Project of the Association on Higher Education and Disability and the Heath Resource Center, Fourth Edition, 1993.

Questions & Answers About Disability. Plattsburgh, NY: North Country Center for Independence, 1995.

Scheiber, Barbara and Jeanne Talpers. Unlocking Potential: College and Other Choices for Learning Disabled People - A Step-By-Step Guide.
Bethesda, MD: Adler & Adler, 1987.

Transition Services: A Planning and Implementation Guide. Albany, NY:
Office of Special Education Services and Office for Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities, 1994.

Vogel, Susan. College Students with Learning Disabilities: A Handbook.
Pittsburgh, PA: LDA Bookstore, 1993.

*An extensive transition bibliography and numerous resources are available by contacting:
Carol McKillip, Learning Specialist/Diagnostician
Paul Smith's College
Paul Smiths, NY 12970
(518) 327-6425

Original Northern New York Post-Secondary Transition Team Members Who Contributed to the Handbook:

Kolleen Callaghan, Carol McKillip, Sue Peterson, Carol Schnob, Robert Shepherd and Kelly Wight

Carol McKillip, Learning Specialist/Diagnostician
Paul Smith's College
Paul Smiths, NY 12970
(518) 327-6425
Fax (518) 327-6369
mckillc@pauismiths.edu

Eric Bright
Kim Massaro,
Northern NY Transition Coordination Site
St. Lawrence/Lewis BOCES LRC
7229 State Highway 56
Norwood, NY 13668
(315)353-6687
ebright@sll.neric.org
kmassaro@sll.neric.org

Kelly Wight, Transition/Community Placement Coordinator
FEH BOCES
Adirondack Educational Center
RD 1, Box 7A
Saranac Lake, NY 12983
(518) 891-1330
Fax (518) 891-6043
kwight@mail.fehb.org

Jeannine Golden, Learning Center Coordinator
North Country Community College
College Ave.
Malone, NY 12953
(518) 483-4550

Tracy Gilbert, VESID
231 West Main Street, Suite 2
Malone, NY 12953
(800) 882-2803
Fax (518) 483-3552
tgilbert@mail.nysed.gov

Dana Retherford, SETRC
FEH BOCES
North Franklin Educational Center 52 State St.
Malone, NY 12953
(518) 483-5230
Fax (518) 483-1399
dretherfor@mail.fehb.org

Debbie Stout, Director
Adirondack Teacher Center
PO Box 327
Paul Smith's, NY 12970
(518) 327-5012
Fax (518) 327-5015
dstout@northnet.org

Mary Moore, Transition/Community Placement Coordinator
FEH BOCES
North Franklin Educational Center 52 State St.
Malone, NY 12953
(518) 483-5230
mmoore@mail.fehb.org

Melissa DeVit, Resource Teacher
Saranac Lake High School
Saranac Lake, NY 12983
518) 891-4450
mel@capital.net

Karen Wettereau, Resource Teacher
Malone Middle School
Malone, NY 12953
(518) 483-7801