√   Academic Preparation ~ Basic math, reading and writing skills are the foundation of success in all college programs. Even the technical programs in colleges across the country require college level math, reading and writing to be successful. Education after high school demands that students have strong study skills to work independently toward academic goals.

√    Change in Student Responsibilities ~ Faculty and staff do not work with students in a parental role in colleges. We know that college is not a right. College is something students choose. When students are expected to be responsible for choices they make, it is important to have good problem solving, decision making, communication and self-advocacy skills.

√    Self-Advocacy vs. Get Services ~ Support services related to a student's disability are available to students on campus. "Available" is the key word. Services are not arranged and maintained for a student in the same way they are in a high school special education program. Students in a college setting who are eligible for services must seek them out, ask for help and follow through independently.

√    Life Skills ~ When you begin college right after high school, you may be adjusting to many new things AND a new learning environment. Get busy developing strong life skills: getting along with peers, budgeting your money, cooking, taking care of your living space. When students are independent with these life skills, they do not have to learn them at the same time they are learning so many other things in college.

√    Creating New Support Networks ~ Leaving high school and going to college can often mean leaving friends, family and familiar places behind. Depending on these people and places to support you with decisions and problem solving can not happen in the same ways. Your ability to let go of this dependable support network and begin to build new supports will directly impact your success in post-secondary settings.

√    Understand & Communicate Your Disability ~ Know yourself. Your strengths and your needs are important to fully understand and be able to talk about when you begin to make decisions about your education after high school. What is my disability? How does it impact my learning? What strategies and accommodations have I used to be successful in my education? Will I be eligible for these same supports in college? Research shows that students growth in this skill area in combination with their ability to be pro-active is significant in predicting success in college programs.

√    Study Differences Between Student Disability Services in colleges & Special Education services K - 12 ~ Know yourself, know about where you are and learn about where you are going. College can be more complex and more unpredictable than a school you have been attending for several years. The laws that define the services you have been using are different than the laws that will define the services you will get in college and work environments. Your parents' responsibilities and the instructors' responsibilities will be very different than they have been during your growing up years. Know those differences and be prepared to make the transition toward personal and educational success.

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I was in / am in special education in high school. Will I automatically get the same services and supports that I received in high school?

No. You may appear to "get more" or it may feel like you "get less". It may seem like it is exactly the same. College disability service offices use different criteria, different legislation, to guide their decisions regarding supports, adjustments or services and each student's eligibility for these accommodations. To find out what services you will be provided at a college, provide the disability service office with assessments of your disability that include both diagnostic information (the name of your disability) and specific information about how your disability impacts your learning. Most colleges expect your documentation to be from a professional who is certified as an expert in the field related to your disability.

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I have a disability. How do I get services at CSI?

Not everyone who has a diagnosed disability will be eligible for services in college. A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of the individual. Major life activities refers to normal functions such as caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working. Your eligibility is determined by CSI's Student Disability Services office. To find out what services you will be offered at CSI, provide Student Disability Services with assessments of your disability that include both diagnostic information (the name of your disability) and specific information about how your disability impacts your learning.

• get connected to Student Disability Services and

• obtain needed disability documentation.

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I might have a disability. How do I get testing to determine if I do have a disability and my eligibility for services and accommodations at CSI?

Student Disability Services and the College of Southern Idaho do not provide testing to enrolled or perspective students to determine if a student has a disability or if s/he is eligible for accommodations and services. Students need to seek out community resources that can assist them in discovering more about a possible disability.

Vocational rehabilitation agencies, psychologists, learning centers, medical professionals, mental health agencies are valuable resources when a student is looking for such testing.

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