Parents and Families
Supporting Your Student at Stetson
The transition to college can be just as exciting, stressful, confusing, and rewarding for parents and families as it can be for the new college student. For students with disabilities, there are different laws, procedures, and expectations pertaining to college-level disability support like accommodations and other services. They will be exploring and self-advocating without direct family involvement and without a 504 plan or IEP. With that in mind The Accessibility Services Center would like to share some resources for parents and families of students making the transition to Stetson.
Accessibility Services Center Resources
Below are resources our University has produced to assist in making the transition to college.
Types of Accommodations Offered- For more information please see our accommodation types webpage that lists specific processes and documentation required.
Other Resources
Below are resources that while are not produced by the University can be utilized by parents for additional information.
Many parents have found Jane Jarrow's "Open Letter to Parents of Students about to Enter College" to be both informative and comforting. Jane Jarrow is a respected, well-known figure in the field of disability services, from her 14 year tenure as Executive Director of the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) to her current work as a consultant for the disability community. Dr. Jarrow is also the parent of a student with a significant disability, and knows these issues from both personal and professional perspectives.
The College Accommodation Section contains information about the differences between high school and college accommodations. Elizabeth Cohen Hamblet is a long serving higher education disability resource professional and author who has written on the topic of disability in higher education in a number of publications.
CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD) has produced this resource to aid students with ADHD and their families in making the transition to college.
The Washington Association on Postseconary Education and Disability has produced this one page resource for parents that explains the fundamental differences between services for students with disabilities in K-12 and accommodations in higher education.
Frequently Asked Questions for Parents of Current and Prospective Students
Below is information about The Accessibility Services Center processes and the role of parents in higher education.
Student need their parents and family members. In higher ed, the role of the parent shifts from one of control to one of support. Appropriate parental involvement must take place within the boundaries set by law, by good sense, and by keeping the long term goal of successful launching of a college student into full-fledged adulthood in mind. Such invovlement as it relates to Stetson life most often involves advising and encouraging college life from the sidelines. Only in the most extreme circumstances should a parent be directly involved.
Any student's role is to successfully transition into an independent adult. Students with disabilities face the same challenges as every college student on top of the challenges they encounter every day from their disability. However, the idea still remains that they will need to transition to an independent adult. The time for dependenc on parents and other care givers is coming to a close. A student with a disability is responsible for requesting accommodations through the accessibility services center (ASC) office. The ASC will not seek the student out. A student with a disability is also responsible for providing acceptable documentation of their disability and for meeting with the ASC staff to discuss their needs and collaboratively determine their necessary accommodations. After being approved for accommodations, the student is responsible for requesting that their accommodation notifications be sent to their professors. They have to do this every semester in order for their professors to be notified that they have accommodations. Students are also responsible for setting appointments with the ASC for proctored testing if that is one of their accommodations.
No. All accommodation requests must come directly from the student. Stetson University allows for parent involvement at the student's agreement so if the student invites them, the parent is allowed to attend the accessibility services meeting as well.
No. Students must request accommodations themselves. This can be a very frustrating transition for parents, especially if the parent has played an active role in advocating for their student's education. Students coming to college may want to try it on their own or attempt classes/campus life without accommodations and see how it goes. Parents can encourage their student to meet with an ASC staff member to make an informed decision regarding their need for support.
We require documentation by a qualified provider that is current and substantial. For more information regarding documentation requirements please see our guidelines posted here.
No. While IEPs and 504 plans can provide useful information showing a history of accommodations and document a need for support, colleges are not legally obligated to follow them. Many accommodations in K-12 education are not transferable to higher education due to the nature of the accommodation and the differences between the higher education setting and the K-12 education setting.