Learning Disabilities Among High Achieving Students

Reprint from INFORMATION FROM HEATH Jan.-Feb. 1991

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More than any other disability, learning disability (LD) dominates discussions with HEATH staff on the telephone and through mail inquiries. There is increasing interest in students with LD who attend selective colleges and universities, as well as graduating seniors, in many types of colleges, who are eager to continue on to graduate school or one of the professions (law, medicine, business). The following case study and remarks from the field illustrate the range of issues involved in the subject.

A Case Study

On admission to a selective independent university in the west, Sally identified herself to the Disability Services Offices as someone who might need some assistance "because of a vision impairment." An able and self-possessed, conscientious student, she had pride in her ability to develop strategies for coping; she was not requesting services. In the spring of her freshman year, however, sally asked tentatively if she could try recorded texts. She reported that her sister had a learning disability and used recorded texts. Sally had found these helpful during high school, but (she later acknowledged) her pride had kept her from investigating whether she too had dyslexia as well as partial vision.

Although documentation is usually required before responding to such a request. the coordinator agreed to provide readers immediately and urged testing for LD. When dyslexia was confirmed the recommended accommodations were untimed tests, books on tape, and tutorial-all to address the learning disability. The DSS office, with permission from Sally, called her professors. The physics professor was most reluctant to allow untimed tests, and he questioned the whole philosophy of LD accommodations. After some discussion, time-and-a-half was agreed upon for the midterm. Sally's results were in the top 10 % of the class, causing the professor to request an immediate conference because Sally had "obviously received unfair advantage" The professor began a resistive process to get a faculty committee to back his right to maintain high standards.

Viewpoints Within the Case

Professor of Physics

This student is in a tough course but should have to compete like anyone else; it's an unfair advantage to give extra time. At least part of the purpose of a test is to measure the ability to respond speedily; if she knew the material she could do so. Why should such students be in this university anyway? This is a matter for the Faculty Committee on Standards.

Disability Support Services Staff

There are many ways to test knowledge of the subject. A person with a learning disability has the right to express knowledge in a way that acknowledges the difference without changing the standard of excellence. The law requires we make the program accessible, which includes testing in an accessible manner. This student shows the conscientiousness necessary to adapt within reason, and speed does not seem a necessary feature of this course. We'll take this to the Faculty Senate if necessary.

Academic Dean

To make this public in the Senate would probably crystallize the controversy; it might turn into a legal issue. Let's try further negotiations with the student, professor, and service providers.

Student

(Sally did not know of the controversy raging between the DSS Office and the Physics Department At a critical moment before the next exam, she happened to be in the DSS office discussing general accommodations with the coordinator. Spontaneously, she asked to use the phone and without the prior knowledge of the service provider, called the physics professor. Taken by surprise, the professor grilled her about why she needed time-and-a-half and how she would use it.)

I assume arrangements for the final test will be the same as those for the midterm. How would I use the extra time? I need 15 minutes at the beginning of the test to read the questions carefully, permission to ask you if I have understood the questions, and 20 minutes at the end to check spelling, number reversals, the way my answers are laid out. I would not work on more problems after the other students stop.

The Picture Comes Together

The calm and logic of the student's responses delighted the service provider who overheard the conversation. Apparently, the professor had also begun to observe that Sally did understand the material being presented in class. He had taken time to inquire and had learned about Sally's high quality work in other courses. The professor agreed to the accommodation for the balance of the year, and Sally excelled in Physics. He is now fully supportive of the DSS office and a ready spokesman for extended time for LD students.

Views from the Field

(From Robert A. Shaw, Associate Dean Brown University, "Dyslexic Students Possess the Characteristics of Self-Awareness and Deliberation That Are Hallmarks of a Liberal Education," The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 19, 1990)

No college could avoid accepting dyslexic students even if it tried...colleagues report that 75 per cent of dyslexic students (in selective institutions) were not identified as such in the admission process...Every school in the country already is accepting these students and has an obligation to provide a supportive educational environment for them.

As a group they also have an unusual degree of perseverance and self-awareness. Dyslexics characterized by difficulties in writing, reading, and organizing information...More than other students, they must make conscious decisions about how to budget their time and how to set priorities to achieve their goals. Thus, they come to college with skills that are valued in an educational environment. Addressing the needs of dyslexic students also encourages a university to examine and improve it's instructional practices...Faculty members (at Brown) welcomed the opportunity to discuss pedagogical principles with students in a structured setting...Students suggested: ...providing a clear structure for course materials and assignments, presenting material in more than one mode (e.g. visual as well as aural), monitoring the class to see how well students understand the concepts being presented, providing opportunities for students to clarify unclear points, and encouraging students to develop a personal learning style within the discipline. These are, of course, excellent suggestions for teaching any group of students."

Although effects are inconsistent, (LD) can interfere with every stage of the verbal and non-verbal processes. ..In academic settings, students with this disability may be viewed as unintelligent, unmotivated, careless, inattentive, unconscientious, easily distracted, inconsistent, disorganized or undisciplined....One thing is certain- learning disabilities are non-discriminatory. They affect all races and economic classes...

I find it disturbing to hear that students are being advised not to identify themselves in their applications. I think that particularly for selective schools, where context is a very important part of the admissions decision, knowing that someone has achieved at a certain level in spite of some disability. . .would make us look more favorably upon that student.

The student has the right to self-identify. If you feel that they will be treated fairly in the process when they do self-identify, then that's fine. I must admit that my experience has not shown me that that is the case....Once the student self-identifies [and documents the learning disability], the institution would be obligated to provide services and consider readmission [in the case of failing out].

Empirical research confirms that normally achieving students often perform up to their capabilities under timed testing conditions and have little room for improvement. Students with learning disabilities often cannot perform up to their capabilities under timed conditions and show considerable improvement when allowed extra time.

Students must be effective self-advocates with their departments and with their professors. They need to develop acceptance of their disability and be able to explain which accommodation will enable them to do their top work. A form of counseling to help deal with the emotional "baggage" is our new LD Peer Service Team. We pay students to come to training on counseling and communication skills, so that they can become advocates for themselves and assist new or undiagnosed LD students who are "in crisis." [In addition, every fall we ask all faculty to make an announcement in each class that students with disabilities, visible or invisible, self-identify at the earliest possible point [and to] request services from the disabilities office. Students have found this to be a very effective bridge, especially students with hidden disabilities.

While we are committed to accommodating students with learning disabilities, and we are proud of the success many have achieved, there are some emerging issues involved. The number of requests is mushrooming, especially for special test administration. We are running out of staff time, space, and patience. We have doubts about assessment accuracy and lack certainty about matching the accommodation to the disability. Whose word do you take? Students with learning disabilities are so substantially affected by the emotional overlay, by the anxiety about failure, that they are very time-consuming to counsel.

The cutting edge in serving these students is supporting their career search after college or graduate school. We offer guidance to improve self-advocacy and prepare for interviews for graduate work or employment. My time is "freed up" by hiring competent students as staff to coordinate our services: notetakers, interpreters, scribes and readers, attendant services, an escort transit system, and the office

Reprint from Information from HEATH Jan.-Feb. 1991 payroll. Because the University is on the Honor System, we don't have the proctoring pressure, and I take the student's word for the length of extended time needed."

High achieving LD students should be given some leadership responsibility in the program. They should model their study habits to other students. I ask students to provide small group sessions with one or two others. We have LD students who are high achieving academically, and some who are high achieving socially.

Learning disabilities or learning weaknesses? When students are highly intelligent, well-motivated and hard-working, the curriculum itself is ultimately the best diagnostic test. As the law -504-got ahead of science, we are still searching for valid diagnostic tests for this special population. When learning disabilities aren't severe, we need an agreed-upon way of distinguishing them from learning weaknesses or differences. We should be testing students in a matched random sample to see whether the profiles we're calling "LD" are unique to the students who carry that label.