Raising a Successful College Graduate – For Parents of Children with Special Needs
Children with special needs have experienced more frustration and academic failure than most other children. However, some of them become successful college students who graduate with a major in a chosen field.
Unfortunately, most do not. Only about 57 percent of students with disabilities graduate from high school, and only 10 to 15 percent of those who graduate go on to college.
What are some of the reasons students are successful in college? How can parents help their child to be among those who achieve this challenging undertaking?
Parental expectations are a key factor
Children who are raised with the belief that they have the skills to succeed in the college of their choice, if they wish to pursue a college education, have a huge advantage! They prepare their whole lives for the college experience. Throughout their school years, they make powerful decisions that lay the foundation for college success.
Students who believe they will be successful college students study harder, earn higher grades, and seek the guidance of mentors who can guide them in building strong skills. They “play hard” in school, taking challenging classes and honing their academic skills.
The kind of mentoring children receive from their parents is the genesis of the personal beliefs and coping habits that ensure college success. Parents lay the foundation for academic achievement from the moment their child is born. Parents who mentor and support their children throughout their lives to believe in their innate intelligence and ability foster the kinds of decisions that good students face every day as they navigate their way through the wide variety of facts, procedures, skills and habits that support the ultimate acquisition of academic literacy.
When coached that he or she will be successful, a student develops personal attributes that support success. Research conducted by the Frostig Center in Pasadena, California, provides insight into these qualities.
Personal qualities that support academic success
Students who have the following personal qualities are much more likely to do well in college. You can read more detailed descriptions of the qualities that ensure college success here.
• Self-awareness and self-acceptance
• Proactivity versus reactivity
• Perseverance
• Ability to set short and long term goals
• Use of effective support systems
• Strong emotional coping strategies
Taking Specific Actions Increases the Likelihood of Succeeding in College
Students should be aware of the specific action steps they need to take to increase the likelihood that they will be admitted to and graduate from the college of their choice.
Ideally, parents and children should begin taking specific action steps by the time the student reaches 8th grade. For the student, this means taking the most challenging classes available, while maintaining strong grades and a great attitude toward academics. Completing additional or optional assignments in classes to expand their knowledge and doing activities that the student is passionate about, such as sports, artistic experiences and/or volunteering, develops the self-confidence, proactive mindset and time management skills that characterize students. highly successful students. students.
Parents should encourage their children to learn from successful adults who are rich sources of information about the nature of their careers, the training they have completed, and the strategies they use to succeed. Family friends, teachers, coaches, and neighbors are valuable allies for a student who is eager to learn about the types of opportunities available to them as adults.
Students should explore the world of work through paid jobs, internships, and volunteering. They will learn about the working conditions of specific jobs, develop the perseverance necessary to commit to a challenging endeavor, and learn valuable interpersonal skills such as cooperation and functioning within an environment that requires meeting high expectations.
Students need to take a proactive role in their school careers. They must learn to communicate their strengths and needs to adults. They must attend their IEP meetings and advocate on their own behalf.
Transition Planning
Students who qualify under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act are entitled to support services that help them make the transition from high school to post-secondary activities. These services may include coursework, related services, community experiences, development of results-oriented employment and/or adult living goals in their IEPs, and a functional living skills assessment, when warranted.
Beginning at the student’s age 14, the IEP team must consider services designed to facilitate the student’s transition to adult life. At age 16, the IEP team must include outcome-oriented goals, consistent with the student’s postsecondary goals, that provide support for transition to adult life.
Parents should work with their school’s special education coordinator to determine the range of services available and express their opinions about the services and experiences they would like to have provided for their child.
Performance Summary
Students who are eligible for special education services are legally entitled to receive a Summary of Performance (SOP) during their senior year in high school. The school district is required by federal law (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004) to provide high school seniors who will graduate with a regular diploma a summary of their academic performance and functional performance. Colleges will use this information as the basis for determining accommodations awarded to a student.
The school district may use its own format to document a student’s strengths and needs. It is very advantageous for parents to have a template that illustrates the type of information that a complete SOP should contain. It is advantageous to have a history of specific accommodations that were provided in high school and include them in the SOP. Parents can download a copy prepared by a national coalition of disability rights organizations here.
Only a small percentage of students with special learning needs go to college, but parents have the opportunity to ensure that their child is one of the successful ones. The most valuable step parents can take is to guide their children to believe in their intelligence and talents and know in their hearts that they can rise to the challenge of getting a college education. This belief supports the effective action steps parents and students take throughout their school careers to secure a college diploma.