DISABILITY SERVICES PROGRAM

Types of Accomodations

Exam Accommodation Service

Many WSC students with disabilities are unable to complete exams in the same manner as nondisabled students. The Exam Service assists academic departments in determining and providing exam modifications/accommodations. Using psychological and medical information regarding the student's disability, appropriate exam modifications are made. The Counselor will consult with and negotiate any conflicts between student and instructor. Upon written request of the student and the instructor, Disability Services provides the exam accommodations and directly administers the exam to the student. The exam service is the most frequently used disability related service now provided. The Counselor verifies the appropriateness of the request, coordinates and schedules requests, hires and supervises exam proctors, readers and scribes, monitors exams and maintains exam security. Click here to download and fill out an Exam Accomodation Request Form.

Temporary Conditions:

 

The Office of Student Disability Services provides accommodations to students with temporary disabilities arising from injury, surgery, or short-term medical conditions. To receive accommodations for a temporary disability, the individual must submit a note from either their personal physician or Student Health to our office indicating the type of disability, limitations, prognosis, and estimated duration. Additionally, the student should contact all instructors to discuss means of completing class requirements and exams during the period of temporary disability. Click here to download and fill out a Temporary Accomodation Request Form.

Recorded Books and Campus Reader Service

This service involves assisting qualified students in using various external sources to obtain tape recorded textbooks as well as hiring individuals to record textbooks which are not available from an external source. This is the second most frequently used disability service available at WSC. The Counselor will verify student eligibility for taped books, develop procedures for coordinating student requests, recruit, train, and evaluate reader staff, maintain records and coordinate development of a taped textbook library.

Learning Strategies

This service will provide small group and individualized instruction and assistance in learning strategies and study skills which are targeted to the specific strengths and deficits of the student. This service will be structured as a series of workshops, individualized sessions, or the student will be referred to other available campus resources or classes.

Support/Discussion Groups

This service will provide students the opportunity to interact with other disabled students and discuss how their disability affects their lives. These groups are not therapy groups. All support/discussion groups will be supervised by a professional counselor in conjunction with the WSC Counseling Center. Able, Capable and Equal (ACE), a student organization, is available to provide education and advocacy for students.

Screening and Referral for Diagnosis

As knowledge of and experience with students with Learning Disabilities and/or Attention Deficit Disorder (LD/ADD) has increased on the campus, more and more students are being referred for an evaluation to determine whether they are learning disabled. National research indicates as many as 50% of the LD/ADD college students in the US receive an initial diagnosis subsequent to college enrollment. Additional research indicates that following diagnosis and the provision of appropriate academic services and accommodations, college students with LD/ADD graduate at the same rate as nondisabled students.

A Counselor in the WSC Counseling Center will provide an initial screening prior to a referral for an LD/ADD assessment. Students experiencing academic difficulty not due to an undiagnosed LD/ADD will be referred to the appropriate campus student support services office(s). A psychologist is available in the Counseling Center to conduct evaluations when indicated.

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Ron Vick, MA, LPC
Counselor / Academic Advisor
Int'l Student Advisor