How
to Arrange for Accommodations:
Tips from Student Support Services
for undergraduates and graduate students
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| The
First Step |
| Get together with the
Coordinator of Student Support Services to talk about your documentation
and fill out the Notice of Disability form or letter. You should
fill out a request each semester asking that it be sent to the
professors of any classes in which you think you might need
accommodations. Then, if your form indicates that you qualify
for accommodations, here's how to arrange for those you decide
to request: |
To Arrange for Extended
Time on Examinations |
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After your instructors
have received the Notice of Disability, discuss your
need for extra time on exams and any other information
that you think will be helpful to them. Then you will
need to remind each professor at least a week before
an exam (two weeks if it is a final exam) about the
accommodation and find out how he/she would like to
handle it.
For Example--
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Some
professors like you to come in early for a "head-start"
on the exam. |
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Others
like you to hand in the exam with everyone else,
return to their office with them, and then
resume taking the exam somewhere in the vicinity.
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Some would
prefer that you come to the Student Development
Center to have the exam administered. (Be sure to
arrange this with Student Support Services at least
a week in advance so that we're sure to have a room
for you!) You need to find out if your instructor
will drop the exam off at our office or if he/she
would like you to bring it in a sealed envelope
to our office at the time of the exam. |
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To Take Exams on a Computer |
| If
you have dysgraphia or visual/motor problems, this accommodation
can be very helpful. Even if it is mentioned on the Notice
of Disability form that has been sent to your professors,
a week before the exam (two weeks in the case of finals)
remind your professors about this accommodation. |
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The professor may prefer that you
take the exam near his/her classroom. The Student
Development Center has three Macintosh laptops that
may be used for this purpose. Pick up a computer
from us before the exam (be sure to reserve it a
week ahead of time!) We will give you a blank disk
either to turn into the professor or to print from
in his/her department. |
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If the professor
would prefer it, you may arrange to take the exam
in the Student Development Center. In that case,
find out if he/she will drop the exam off at our
office or would like you to bring it in a sealed
envelope to our office at the time of the exam.
(Be sure to arrange this with us at least a week
in advance so that we're sure to have a room for
you!) |
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To Take Exams in an Isolated
Room to Avoid Distractions |
| Even
if this accommodation is mentioned on the Notice of Disability
form that you have given your professor, about a week
before the exam (two weeks in the case of finals), remind
your professor about this accommodation. |
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The professor
may prefer that you take the exam near his/her classroom,
which is fine. |
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Or your
instructor may prefer that you take the exam in
the Student Development Center. In that case, find
out if he/she will drop the exam off at our office
or would like you to bring it in a sealed envelope
to our office at the time of the exam. (Be sure
to arrange this with us at least a week in advance
so that we're sure to have a room for you!) |
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To Arrange for a Notetaker |
| Students who either
have trouble taking notes in class or aren't able to pay
constant attention to the lecture while taking notes may
request this service. If a notetaker is listed as an accommodation
on your Notice of Disability form, here is the way to
go about getting one: |
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Fill out
the "Request for Accommodations" form and turn it
in at the Student Development Center. The office
will E-mail your entire class (including you) and
ask for a notetaker (without mentioning who needs
the notetaker), explaining the expectations and
the rate of pay. We will screen those who respond
or ask for advice in choosing the most appropriate
person. |
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Some students like to choose their
own notetaker, and that is fine: just send that
person to the Student Development Center to fill
out the appropriate paperwork. Many juniors and
seniors use this method because they know a lot
of the people in their classes and know who will
be reliable. |
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How to Get Your Notes |
| Notetakers usually come
to our office after class, make a copy of their notes, and leave
them in a little plastic basket with your first name on it near
the front of the office. (Graduate students may want to arrange
for a different pick-up point.) You can come by later and pick
them up. You need to work out with your notetaker how often
you want the notes -- after every class? Once a week? Only before
exams? -- and make sure you're both clear on that. |
To Arrange for A Notetaker/Tutor |
| Another category of accommodation
you may request involves a notetaker who also meets with you
about once a week to talk through the notes and concepts covered
in your textbooks or class. This is your chance to do a "perception
check" -- to make sure you've really understood the concepts
presented in books and lectures. Since most LD students tend
to be good interactive learners, this is the chance to solidify
their knowledge by having the opportunity to talk it through
one-on-one with someone else who's studying the same material.
Students with hearing or visual difficulties can also benefit
from this additional exposure to class material with the chance
to clarify information. You can obtain a notetaker/tutor as
described above in the section about notetakers. The notetaker/tutor
is paid a flat rate of $42 for the term. They are paid an additional
hourly rate for the discussion sessions. Be sure let the office
know that this person is doing double-duty so we can give him/her
the correct time cards. |
To Arrange for a Tutor |
| If help understanding
the subject matter is your main need, you may want to
request a tutor. Here's how: |
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The first
place to look for a tutor is through SAAB-- the
Student Academic Affairs Board tutoring program
which obtains lists of tutors from each academic
department. The SAAB office is in Templeton near
the Information Desk. Outside the SAAB office door
is a bulletin board on which the departmental tutors
are listed with their phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
This is the first place to check for tutors, since
they are ready and waiting to tutor any students
who request it. They are allowed up to two hours
of tutoring per student per week, but if tutoring
you takes them above their limit, the Student Development
Center will pay for the extra time. |
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If there is no SAAB tutor listed for
a particular department or if they are all booked
up with other students, you may ask your professor
to suggest another student tutor, and the Student
Development Center will employ the suggested student
if the SAAB office cannot. |
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You may
also ask staff in the Student Development Center
for assistance in finding a tutor. We can check
the class list for former tutors or advertise in
an effort to track someone down. Students at Lewis
& Clark tend to be generous about tutoring and there
is a tradition here of helpfulness --don't feel
embarrassed about asking for a tutor. |
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To Arrange for a Proofreader |
| If you have problems
with proofreading your own work, you may want to request
the services of a trained tutor who can be instructed
to help you "clean up" the paper. The proofreader will
go through your paper with you, explaining where and why
changes are needed. |
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The Writing
Center develops a list of its student consultants
each semester who are willing to work with students
with disabilities during off-hours to check for
spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. (Ideally,
you have already worked in the Writing Center with
a consultant on organization and content!) The Writing
Center keeps a list of these students with
their phone numbers; you can pick up the list at
either the Writing Center or the Student Development
Center. |
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A few days in advance, when you know
that you will have a paper in its next-to-last draft,
you may call and arrange a meeting time with these
students that fits into both of your schedules. |
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These students
are paid for their time by the Student Development
Center, and you can send them to the office to fill
out the appropriate paperwork. |
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To Get Help if You Have
Organizational Problems |
| If time management
is a problem for you, there are a variety of ways to seek
help in organizing yourself at Lewis & Clark: |
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The Counseling
Center can help you set up plans for yourself; you
can make an appointment by calling x7160 (the office
is on the ground floor of Templeton under the Trail
Room; its entrance is next to the Health Center).
Be sure to tell whomever you work with that you
have a learning difference. |
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Another
way to improve your organization is to set up a
weekly appointment with the Coordinator of Student
Support Services for a half-hour "check-in" time.
Sometimes it helps to review plans regularly with
someone else and to problem-solve with that person
if things start slipping. |
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The Writing
Center (x7505) is another good source of organizing
help, especially with papers. You can even go to
the Writing Center as soon as you receive a paper
assignment and lay out your plan of attack on a
calendar with one of the consultants there, so you've
got a timetable to follow in finishing the paper.
You can check in with the consultant on a regular
basis and get feedback on your research and writing
as you go along. You need to make appointments in
advance in the Writing Center (on the main floor
of the Library), and it's also a good idea to let
the consultant there know that you have a learning
difference. Begin your work there with the Director
of the Writing Center, (there are peer consultants
too), because she is trained and experienced in
working with students with learning differences.
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To Arrange for Taped Textbooks |
| If your Notice of
Disability recommends taped texts, it's definitely worth
your while to try them out. |
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Submit your
list of classes (with course numbers and names of
professors) with your name, box #, phone #, and
e-mail address to the Operations Assistant in the
Student Development Center on the request form.
Within a day or two she can let you know which books
are already available on tape from Recordings for
the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB & D), and she'll
order them for you. For the texts that aren't available
from RFB & D, we ask that you make a prioritized
list of the books you feel are most important for
you to have on tape and when you need them. We will
arrange to have student readers on campus put these
on tape. Because of the time factor involved, we
need to know which books to put on tape first so
that you have the ones you need the most when you
need them. If you have trouble with the RFB
& D tape recorders or tapes, come and ask us for
help. |
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To Use the Ultimate Reader
Software in Throckmorton |
| There is a program
on the Macintoshes in Throckmorton that will read text
aloud to you. There are a couple of ways in which it can
be useful: |
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Writing:
You can write a paper and then put it into Ultimate
Reader, and it will read it back to you, highlighting
words or lines as it goes. You may be able to catch
grammatical errors or awkward sentences as you listen. |
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Reading:
You can scan handouts or reserved materials onto
a disk in the library (ask workers there to help
with that if you run into problems) and then take
the disk to Throckmorton to be read to you. You
have over 20 voices to choose from and you can adjust
the speed of the reading too. In addition, you can
move selected text out into another file as your
"notes" to study later. |
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NOTE:
There should be headphones in the Throckmorton lab
and instruction cards for using Ultimate Reader
in the file drawers there; if not, let the Student
Support Services Staff know. |
To Use Dragon Naturally Speaking Software in Room
343 in the Library |
| The Circulation
Desk in the library maintains a confidential list
of students with disabilities who are allowed to
pick up a key to Room 343, which is located on the
third floor. This room contain adaptive computer
equipment which can be used by visually impaired,
physically disabled and learning disabled students.
Dragon Naturally Speaking is software installed
on one computer that allows a student to dictate
material which the software writes into a word processing
program. The student may use the keyboard or voice
commands to correct errors. The computer can also
read text back to the student- a good way to check
for errors. The software needs some practice time
to 'learn' each student's voice patterns, which
it saves for future use. It is a good idea to arrange
for a training session with the Student Support
Services Technical Assistant, whose phone number
is posted in Room 343. |
To Use the Kurzweil 1000 Reading Software and CCTV
in Room 343 in the Library |
| The Circulation
Desk in the Library maintains a confidential list
of students with disabilities who are allowed to
pick up a key to Room 343, which is located on the
third floor. This room contains adaptive computer
equipment which can be used by visually impaired,
physically disabled and learning disabled students.
The Kurzweil 1000 software is designed to help visually
impaired students by reading aloud scanned text.
The CCTV enlarges text on another screen. If a student
is unfamiliar with this technology, it is a good
idea to arrange for a training session with the
Student Support Services Technical Assistant, whose
phone number is posted in Room 343. |
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To Deal with Studying a
Foreign Language |
| At the time that
you and the Coordinator work on your Notice of Disability
form, you should discuss your experiences in studying
foreign languages and the implications of your documentation,
which may allow you to substitute the foreign language
requirement with International Studies courses. |
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Foreign
language courses: If you want to study
a foreign language at Lewis & Clark, and your documentation
suggests that it will be very difficult for you,
be sure to discuss accommodations and strategies
that you can use to be successful in the foreign
language classroom. We can help you find and pay
for tutors if SAAB tutors are not available. Keep
up communication with the professor in your course;
he/she may have valuable suggestions for strategies
that will help you be successful. |
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Substitutions
for the courses: If your documentation
indicates that a substitution for foreign language
courses is a suitable accommodation, you need to
fill out a Petition for Modification of Requirements
(forms are in the Student Development Center) and
turn it in to the Coordinator of Student Support
Services, who then notifies the Registrar of your
option to substitute International Studies courses
for any of the semesters of foreign language that
you have not completed. You will be responsible
for making sure that you substitute the correct
courses for the language requirement during your
stay at Lewis & Clark, in addition to meeting the
General Education requirement for two International
Studies courses. Acceptable International Studies
courses are listed in the Registration Announcements
each year. |
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Your Involvement... |
As you can see, we need
your active involvement in helping us provide you with the best
accommodations possible for your particular needs. Please don't
be shy about checking back with us if you ask for assistance
and it doesn't seem to be coming quickly enough.
We need your participation and
suggestions to make our operation run as smoothly as possible,
and we welcome your input. |
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