Seven Steps to College Success: A Pathway for Students with Disabilities

by Elizabeth C. Hamblet

Overview

“Just when I’ve mastered the IEP process, here comes college.”

If you’re a parent of a student with a disability who has an IEP or 504 or you’re a professional who works with them, you probably know the K-12 landscape well. But you may have questions about what happens for these students when they get to college, where the shifts in prevailing laws result in a disability accommodation system that works differently, the academic demands increase, and some of the supports students have used in high school won’t be available.

The good news is that research shows that the proper preparation can help students make a smooth college transition! But the planning needs to be rooted in a thorough understanding of the changes they’ll encounter in the college environment.

In this essential guide, college learning disabilities specialist Elizabeth C. Hamblet builds a foundation of knowledge step-by-step and answers your urgent questions.

In 7 Steps to College Success, you’ll learn how:

·students access accommodations, and which ones commonly are and aren’t approved

·parents and professionals can help students develop the key personal and academic skills needed for self-management at college

·students can find colleges that are a good fit in all of the important ways and what admissions directors want them to know about the application process

This third edition has been greatly revised to make it equally helpful to parents and professionals. It includes updated research and interviews, and new in this edition is corrections to common myths readers may have heard.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781475864441
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	03/08/2023
Edition description:	Third Edition
Pages:	227
Sales rank:	286,734
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Elizabeth C. Hamblet has worked as a learning disabilities specialist in college disability services offices for more than two decades. In addition to working at a university, she is a nationally requested speaker on preparing students with disabilities for successful college transition. Hamblet is the author of two previous books on this subject, and her work has appeared in numerous journals and online platforms. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Step 1- Learning How the Laws Apply to College Students with Disabilities

Step 2 - Knowing a Student’s Responsibilities and Rights

Step 3 – Develop Students’ Non-Academic Skills

Step 4 – Develop Academic Skills

Step 5 – Find the Right College

Step 6 – Applying for College Admission

Step 7 – Requesting Accommodations

Bibliography

Appendix A A Picture of How the Laws Work at a National Level

Appendix B Working with CLD Families

Appendix C Additional Resources

Editorial Reviews

Seven Steps to College Success is an essential road map for anyone raising a child with an IEP or 504 Plan who plans to go to college. As a school counselor, I hope every educator will read this book, too! Author Elizabeth Hamblet, a learning disabilities specialist, is the perfect person to dispel myths about the law and help readers understand the higher education landscape. After reading this book, you’ll not only feel better equipped to help your child make a smooth transition — you'll also be a lot less anxious!

Phyllis L. Fagell

In 7 Steps to College Success, Hamblet gives parents a practical guide to usher their children to adulthood. When your child learns and thinks differently, it is scary to send them off to college without the supports they've had in the past. This book equips parents with the tools necessary to foster independence and encourage self-advocacy in their college-bound children.

Emily Kircher-Morris

Seven Steps to College Success should be required reading for any family raising differently wired kids looking for practical information and insights on navigating the transition to college. Elizabeth brings deep research with school administrators, years of experience working as a university learning disabilities specialist, and breadth of knowledge of the complex systems students and families have to engage with. Seven Steps is incredibly generous and thorough, providing the answers to parents’ biggest questions, including how to know if a school will support a student’s neurodivergence, what support on campus actually looks like, and how we can prepare our kids to self-advocate and be successful on campus. I'm so grateful for this resource!

Debbie Reber

Planning for college and yet you have an IEP or a Section 504 Plan? You and your parents MUST read this book! Whether you are just "thinking" about going to college or it is a definite plan, familiarize yourself with the "Seven Steps" and do it BEFORE making any important decisions. Hamblet's "Seven Steps" will help ensure that you select the right college and obtain the appropriate accommodations for a successful college experience.

You will learn that the "disability services" and the applicable laws in higher education are quite different from what you experienced at the secondary school level. Hamblet has worked with students with special needs for more than 25 years, and, as prolific author, speaker, and trainer, she IS the national expert about higher ed transition issues for the student with special needs.

Peter W.D. Wright