Helping college bound clients with learning disabilities.

Persons with learning disabilities are attending colleges in increasing numbers. As more of them choose to attend college, it is likely that many will seek assistance from vocational rehabilitation agencies. Vocational rehabilitation counselors must prepare to meet the needs of this client population. Several factors that rehabilitation counselors need to consider when helping the college bound learning disabled student are explored and the need for additional training of VR counselors who serve learning disabled clients is discussed.

In 1981, the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) determined that learning disabilities were medical conditions and that persons with learning disabilities could be determined eligible for vocational rehabilitation services Federal Register, 1981). In addition, specific learning disabilities were listed as conditions which could be considered severely disabling. This allowed persons with learning disabilities to be eligible for the full range of vocational rehabilitation services, including assistance with college training.

Although vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselors have traditionally assisted clients with physical and sensory impairments in attending college to prepare for employment, the extent to which this service has been provided for persons with learning disabilities is unclear (Melia, 1979). Mars (1986) reported that relatively few persons with learning disabilities have been assisted by VR counselors in attending college and concluded that the vast majority of persons with learning disabilities could not benefit from college training. However, many persons with learning disabilities can succeed in college if they are provided appropriate support services (Cordoni, 1982).

Persons with learning disabilities are attending college in increasing numbers. Astin, Green, Korn, and Schalit (1985) reported that approximately 130,000 entering college freshmen identified themselves as having learning disabilities. Bogart, Eidelman, and Kujawa (1988) indicated that the prevalence of college students who have learning disabilities has increased 300% in the past 10 years. Many colleges and universities have allowed modifications in admission procedures and have developed special programs in recognition of this growing student population (Decker, Polloway, & Decker, 1985; Levinson, 1986; Rosthein, 1986).

As greater numbers of persons with learning disabilities choose to attend college in preparation for employment, it is likely that more of them will seek assistance from VR counselors. The purpose of this article is to provide information to assist VR counselors in determining the eligibility of clients with learning disabilities for college training assistance and in developing individualized written rehabilitation plans (IWRP's) that reflect the needs of these clients in college settings.

Assessment and Eligibility Determination

Vocational rehabilitation counselors must consider many factors when determining the eligibility of applicants with learning disabilities for college training assistance. First, the existence of the learning disability must be verified by a variety of assessment strategies. Following this verification, the counselor must consider the vocational and educational limitations associated with the learning disability. Also, whether or not participation in college training could reasonably be expected to result in the attainment of a vocational goal which maximizes the client's vocational potential must be considered. Assessment and eligibility determination can be described as a four step process: (a) medical assessment, (b) psychological/neuropsychological assessment, (c) vocational assessment, and (d) determination of reasonable expectation. Step 1: Medical Assessment

When a client applies for services based on a learning disability, thorough medical assessment, including vision and hearing testing, is needed to determine if the client's learning problems are the result of a hearing impairment, a visual impairment, or other health factors; rather than a specific learning disability. If a client's learning problems are not found to be the result of sensory or physical impairments, the counselor will need to schedule an extensive psychological or neuropsychological assessment for verification of the learning disability. Step 2: Psychological/Neuropsychological Assessment

Psychological assessment must be conducted by a psychologist skilled in the identification of learning disabilities. Vogel (1982) recommended that psychological assessment include testing of receptive and expressive oral language, reading skills and reading rate, written language, and mathematical reasoning and computation. Other areas to be tested include auditory perception, memory, and visual perception. Commonly used assessment tools include: (a) the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS); (b) the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery; (c) the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test; (d) the Wepman Auditory Discrimination Test; and (e) the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT).

Because of possible underlying neurological impairments, neuropsychological examinations may also be warranted. One neuropsychological assessment instrument that has been identified as accurately discriminating learning disabilities is the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (Lewis & Lorion, 1988). If psychological or neuropsychological assessments indicate a diagnosis of specific learning disability, the functional limitations associated with the disability must then be determined through vocational assessment. Step 3: Vocational Assessment

In addition to specific academic limitations, learning disabilities are usually accompanied by a variety of behavioral and psychosocial deficits that adversely affect a client's ability to secure and/or maintain employment. information used by the VR counselor in assessing the functional impact of a learning disability can be gathered from many sources, including interviews with the client and family members, formal vocational evaluation in a comprehensive evaluation center, and situational assessment for extensive behavioral observation. Examples of functional limitations associated with learning disabilities and their vocational and educational implications are illustrated in Table 1.

A comprehensive vocational assessment may delineate for the counselor various support services needed by the client to be successful in college, such as counseling, time management training, and social skills training. This assessment may also point out a need for multiple services over an extended period of time. Step 4: Determining reasonable expectation

While no hard and fast rules for determining a reasonable expectation that clients with learning disabilities would benefit from college training exist, VR counselors must consider many variables in making this determination. For example, the client must have average to above average intelligence. Furthermore, the counselor will need to review the client's previous academic performance to determine how well the client has compensated for educational limitations. The level of support and accommodation needed by the client for success in academic settings must be considered. Letters of recommendation from previous teachers could serve as a guide in assessing the client's motivation for academic success.

It is important to note that previous educational performance alone should not be the only factor considered when determining whether or not a client would benefit from college training. Since learning disabilities result from deficits in information processing, poor previous educational performance might have been circumvented if appropriate accommodations had been provided to allow the client to learn using his or her strongest learning modality (Zwerlein, Smith, & Diffley, 1984). Future educational performance may be improved if these accommodations are provided. Examples of accommodations which may improve educational performance are illustrated in Table 2.

Helping the Client Select a College

Once a VR counselor has decided to assist a client with a learning disability to attend college, the client must then be helped to choose an appropriate college. Strichart and Mangrum (1985) and Michael (1987) discussed several areas that need to be considered when evaluating a college for a client with a learning disability. Table 3 describes several questions that should be investigated.

Admissions counselors and student support service representatives are potential sources from which to gather this information. If a college under consideration is not able to provide an environment which would facilitate the client's success, then both the client and VR counselor may need to consider other colleges until they find one which matches the needs of the client.

Helping the Client to Adjust in College

Once a college has been selected, clients with learning disabilities need to disclose their conditions to college officials to be eligible for special programs. However, many may be reluctant to do so because they are afraid of discrimination. As a result, they may wait until they are faced with academic failure before seeking help (Allard, Dodd, and Peralez, 1987). To alleviate problems that might arise if clients do not disclose their disabilities, VR counselors will want to include self-identification and request for support services as part of the client's IWRP.

Helping the client to choose an area of study and evaluate courses is important if the student is to be successful in college. Vocational rehabilitation counselors can assist clients to evaluate college courses by examining the requirements of each course in relation to the client's strengths and limitations. This could also be accomplished through consultation with trained academic advisors, such as counselors working with student support services. If it appears that certain areas of study or particular classes may be too difficult for the client to master, then the VR counselor can work with the client and university support services staff to identify other areas of study or can assist the client in obtaining course substitutions, where allowed.

Even though a particular college may provide appropriate academic support for students with learning disabilities, these students may not succeed if their psychosocial needs are not met. Peer groups and individual counseling may be needed to assist the learning disabled client to adjust to the social demands of college. Vocational rehabilitation counselors can provide direct counseling services and can facilitate student participation in support groups and social adjustment activities as part of the client's IWRP.

Providing follow-up services for the learning disabled student is also important in helping the student to adjust in college. Geist and McGrath (1983) recommended that a high level of supervision be provided for students with learning disabilities when they first enter college with a lessening of intervention as these students adapt and progress. Vocational rehabilitation counselors will need to plan for frequent follow-up with these students as IWRP's are being developed so that any problems that arise can be dealt with before the student risks failure.

Case Example

Frank was diagnosed as learning disabled in reading while in elementary school. Upon completion of high school, he entered a community college, but was unable to pass required course-work and dropped out. He accepted a job as a salesperson and was able to perform this job. However, his employer recognized that Frank had the potential to perform managerial level work and increased his responsibilities. As his work responsibilities increased, Frank found it difficult to manage his time effectively and to complete written reports. In addition, his employer told Frank that he would not be able to receive further promotion without a college degree. Frank's frustration over work-related problems and his significant underemployment were evidenced by increasing anxiety about his future.

Frank had heard that vocational rehabilitation assisted persons with disabilities to attend college and applied for services from his local rehabilitation counselor. After an extensive evaluation, the rehabilitation counselor determined that Frank's learning disability posed a substantial handicap to employment. Given Frank's potential for professional employment, the VR counselor agreed to assist him in attending college. Through coordination between the VR counselor and the college's student support services, Frank entered college for the second time with plans to major in business. His two primary needs were (a) balancing a difficult schedule and (b) counseling to cope with his anxieties and to build self-esteem.

Individualized academic counseling was provided to assist Frank in scheduling his courseload so that he could balance courses with heavy reading and writing requirements with courses having lighter reading and writing requirements. He was also allowed additional time to complete course assignments and examinations. Weekly counseling sessions were provided which concentrated on Frank's abilities and explored his anxieties. As Frank showed increasing independence and the ability to master college requirements, his need for counseling and supervision decreased. He graduated from college with a degree in business, having maintained a C or better average in his coursework.

Upon completion of college, Frank secured employment utilizing his business degree. The time management and organizational skills learned while in college helped Frank to compensate for the limitations of his disability. Furthermore, Frank was able to use the self-advocacy skills developed in college to ask for accommodations in the workplace. He has been successful in his employment.

Discussion

Many persons with learning disabilities can be successful in college settings given appropriate support. Vocational rehabilitation counselors can play a significant role in helping persons with learning disabilities to attend college in preparation for employment.

Specific recommendations for rehabilitation counselors serving persons with learning disabilities interested in college training include: * Be open to assisting persons with learning disabilities in attending college-many can succeed in college given appropriate support services. * Be aware that learning disabilities are usually accompanied by a variety of functional limitations-the impact of learning disabilities is not limited to academic functioning. * Be aware of programs and services available for students with learning disabilities on the college level. * Be prepared to provide comprehensive vocational, medical, and psychological or neuropsychological assessments in identifying the strengths and limitations of clients with learning disabilities. * Be prepared to provide frequent follow-up with college students with learning disabilities and to arrange for appropriate academic and psychosocial support services. * Be aware that persons with learning disabilities need opportunities to achieve their maximum vocational potential-they have the same career concerns as persons who do not have learning disabilities.

Limited involvement in the college training of clients with learning disabilities by VR counselors may be because they have not received training about the nature of and limitations associated with learning disabilities. Additional training about persons with learning disabilities and their potential to benefit from college training is needed to better prepare VR counselors to serve this growing population.

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