Heading Off Academic Trouble in College

Over the past few weeks we have heard from a number of college students who were dismissed or suspended from their schools because they had failed one or more courses or did not meet the required GPA standards set by their programs. Some of these students had long standing learning challenges; others had never previously encountered academic difficulties. But they all had some things in common and their experiences may help you or your college student avoid going down the same road.

• Medical and emotional crises can take a toll on academic performance. If your son or daughter has a medical problem - mononucleosis, an extended bout of the flu, or a sleep or eating disorder - it's important to monitor how their illness is impacting their ability to attend class and complete their work and exams. Likewise, students with depression -- whether long-standing or newly evident -- may be unable to meet their school obligations. When these situations arise it is often best to take a medical leave or arrange for "incompletes" in the affected courses. This is preferable to one or more failing grades.
• Keep in mind that colleges have no obligation to remove a failing grade from a student's record, no matter why that student might have failed. An "F" on a transcript stays there, even if the course is repeated successfully later, and this can have an impact on graduate school or employment applications, as well as driving down a student's GPA.
• The sooner students with diagnosed disabilities of learning, attention, or executive functioning arrange for accommodations with their college's Office of Disability Services, the better. Accommodations -- things like extended time on exams, special arrangements to get class notes, and other helpful supports -- are never offered after the fact. If a student needs accommodations and doesn't arrange for them with the Office of Disability Services, or gets them but doesn't use them, there is no "do over" for the classes involved. 
• When a student without a history of learning problems suddenly runs into academic difficulties in the more demanding setting of college, it is time to investigate why this is happening. A neuropsychological and academic assessment, such as the kind we do here at The Yellin Center, can shed light on previously undiagnosed learning, attention, or emotional problems and provide strategies to help the student succeed.
• College students are legal adults, but the fact remains that the part of the brain that is involved in decision making, judgment, and other executive functions -- the prefrontal cortex -- continues to develop until around age 25. As difficult as it may be for parents to monitor their college student's academic performance or medical or emotional well-being, parental involvement can be crucial for a student who is struggling with academics because of these kinds of issues.
• Colleges generally have procedures for academic warnings during the course of a semester and for appeals from academic suspensions or dismissals. However, by the time a college has determined that it is necessary to suspend or dismiss a student, the college administration generally believes that "taking a break" from school may be in the student's best interests. Re-admission may require the student to demonstrate that he or she has taken steps to deal with their problems, including showing satisfactory grades at another school in the course or courses that the student failed. 

By monitoring your college student's academics and being proactive when problems may arise, families can help their students avoid academic failures and make sure that they are on track for success in their college careers.

Dr. Yellin Contributes to New Book on Medical Education

We are pleased to announce the publication this week of Remediation in Medical Education: A Mid-Course Correction, featuring a chapter by Dr. Paul Yellin on "Learning Differences and Medical Education."

As many of our readers are aware, Dr. Yellin works regularly with medical students and other young adults in professional and graduate schools, helping them to deal with newly discovered or long-standing academic challenges to their academic success. In his chapter, he describes the wide range of normal variation in how medical students learn, describing both "learning variations" and "learning disabilities." He discusses various aspects of learning, which he calls "constructs" -- memory, attention, language, temporal-sequential ordering, spatial ordering, and higher order cognition -- and how difficulties in any of these constructs can impact academic success in light of the demands of medical training. He goes on to discuss the legal implications of a disability of learning and to offer strategies and resources for both medical students who struggle and their instructors.

Remediation in Medical Education edited by Adina Kalet, MD, MPH and Calvin Chou, MD, PhD (Springer, 2014), covers a wide range of issues relating to medical education, from how medical schools can provide remediation for struggling students, to how cultural issues can impede effective communication, to medical students with underlying disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders, that affect their interpersonal interactions. Both editors have worked extensively in the field of medical education and effective communication between physicians and patients.

An Experiment in Being "Test Flexible"

We've written before about the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, usually referred to as Fairtest. Fairtest's website includes lists of colleges that are SAT/ACT optional and can be a helpful resource for students who believe that their scores on these exams don't reflect their real abilities.

Brandeis University in Massachusetts, one of the schools on the Fairtest list, has taken an interesting approach to what they call being "test flexible". As described by the University, students applying to Brandeis can choose to submit a combination of scores in subject tests, or an academic portfolio that includes a sample of analytical writing and an additional teacher evaluation. However, even students who don't submit traditional SAT/ACT tests will be asked for these scores after they matriculate. After two years, the Brandeis Senate will decide, based upon the success of the text flexible admitted students, whether to change, expand, or eliminate this program.

Brandeis University, by Hannah Rosen

Andrew Flagel, who heads up student enrollment at the school, is quoted in a Brandeis newsletter as noting, “This is an evolutionary change, since we already strive to de-emphasize the role of standardized tests in our admissions decisions through the careful evaluation of high school program and grades, recommendation letters, interview reports, and other ‘non-cognitive’ factors.” He further noted that this research based approach to test flexible admissions allows the University to maintain its high academic standards while giving students control over how their application will be evaluated. 

We will be interested to see how this experiment in having students decide how to best "package" themselves for admission will turn out. 

College Tour: Iona, Manhattanville, and Marist

A day trip to picturesque Rhinebeck, New York took your blogger past several area colleges that would be good places to consider for families looking for colleges with strong support for students with learning differences.

Iona College, located in New Rochelle, NY was founded by Christian Brothers in 1940, and has grown to student body of well over 3,000, offering more than 45 majors as well as Division I athletics. For students with learning and related issues, Iona offers the College Assistance Program (CAP). Students apply separately to CAP, which provides professional tutors and counseling services, as well as coaching for students with attention and organizational difficulties. In addition, students enrolled in CAP are required to meet at least three times a week with their CAP counselor. For students who need less significant supports, or who decide not to enroll in CAP, the Samuel Rudin Academic Resource Center offers a wide array of accommodations and supports to students with documented disabilities.

A bit further north is Manhattanville College, which was founded in 1841 and presently has approximately 1,700 undergraduates and 1,000 graduate students, enrolled in 90 areas of study on a 100 acre campus. We have long been familiar with Manhattanville and its supportive H.E.L.P. (Higher Education Learning Program) services. This program is available to students with documented learning or related disabilities who are registered with the Office of Disability Services and who desire comprehensive support. There is a separate fee for H.E.L.P. In addition, all students can use the tutoring services of the Academic Resource Center, which provides both professional and peer tutors in a wide array of subjects.

We have previously had the pleasure of speaking with Carin Horowitz, LMSW, who directs the Office of Disability Services and H.E.L.P. at Manhattanville and she welcomes inquiries from students and families interested in Manhattanville's programs and services.

Finally, our drive north took us past Marist College, whose expansive campus along the Hudson River covers over 200 acres. Marist has over 6,000 students and offers 44 undergraduate majors, as well as graduate and certificate programs. As with the other two colleges on our mini-tour, Marist offers a separate support program for students with learning and related difficulties, which requires a separate application and a separate fee. Students meet one-on-one with their learning specialist to work on such skills as organization, test-taking strategies, and writing skills.

Construction delays and downpours aside, we were pleased to be reminded of these excellent resources for college bound students who need learning supports.

Ten Signs: When To Seek Help for Difficulty In School

How can a parent know if the time is right to seek help for difficulty in school? The honest answer is that every child (and every situation) is different, but if you are having significant or persistent concerns about a student, no matter their age, academic level, or context, we strongly recommend speaking with a qualified professional to ensure that your child is receiving the appropriate support he or she may need to excel in their educational pursuits. Sometimes, it can be important to seek help from professionals working independently of your child's school if you have concerns that the school is not meeting your child's needs, and especially if faculty and administrators do not share your level of concern.

The Yellin Center has compiled a list of ten signs parents and educators should be on the lookout for in students who are experiencing some difficulty in their day to day school or home lives. If more than a handful of these statements are accurate depictions of a student in your life, Dr. Yellin recommends you seek out professional care.

Ten Signs: When To Seek Help for Difficulty In School

1. Stomach aches, headaches or other symptoms of minor illness that occur consistently on Sunday nights, Monday mornings, or when working on projects or preparing for school
2. Feeling stressed or generally anxious
3. Homework and school projects taking much longer than expected on a regular basis
4. Not reading for pleasure, and not feeling joyful about learning or new experiences, generally
5. Diminished self-esteem
6. Low motivation
7. Grades and test scores are not reflecting effort (especially), or knowledge
8. Evidence of strong verbal skills paired with poor writing
9. Knowing subject material one week but completely forgetting it in the following week
10. Seemingly performing well in school, but completely "falling apart" -- emotionally, academically, or otherwise -- at soon as at home

-Jeremy Koren

Eye to Eye: A Mentoring Program By and For Kids with Learning Differences

Children with learning differences or difficulty with attention may feel like no one really “gets” them. Wouldn't it be fantastic if each one of these kids could work with an older mentor who not only provides good company and advice but who actually shares their learning difference? Eye to Eye, a fascinating organization for empowering students with learning differences, makes this fantasy a reality.

This outstanding program began in 1998, when five students from Brown University with learning disabilities (LD) and/or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) began a public service project. Christening their idea Project Eye-to-Eye, they targeted a group of elementary school children who’d been given labels similar to theirs. Their goal was not to tutor these kids, per se; they say they simply wanted to give them hope. So they worked on art projects together, hoping the kids would find art an accessible medium to express their feelings and showcase their talents. Founding member David Flink graduated and went on to work as an admissions officer at Brown, but he kept getting requests from students at Brown and other universities for information on how to continue the program. So he changed tacks, recruiting employees and traveled the country to set up similar experiences for both LD/ADHD mentors and mentees around the country. The goal is to empower “at risk” kids by giving them membership in a community that accepts and supports them.

Today, Eye to Eye pairs highly trained high school and college mentors with LD/ADHD with younger students who have similar learning challenges. The pair meets weekly to work on art projects, talk, laugh, and learn about each other and themselves. We are especially impressed by Eye to Eye’s commitment to helping kids develop metacognition  This important skill allows kids to understand themselves from the inside out, recognizing their strong and weak areas and determining how to overcome challenges using their unique talents. One of Eye to Eye’s core principles is that self-esteem, self-awareness, and self-determination are critical for resilience, and so they strive to help students feel good about who they are, learn about themselves, and become self-advocates. Additionally, mentors help students develop concrete academic study skills and personalized goals that students can propose during IEP or 504 meetings or parent-teacher conferences.

Interested in getting involved with Eye to Eye? Visit their website to learn more. The FAQ page contains instructions for contacting Eye to Eye if you are interested in finding a mentor or mentee for a child in your life; currently, fifty-one chapters are spread across nineteen states. Information is available for those wishing to start chapters in their areas if one does not already exist. Also, those in the New York, New Hampshire, and San Francisco areas may be interested in the outstanding, week-long Camp Vision, where kids learn to celebrate their different strengths through a variety of fun and enriching activities.

Next Steps for College-Bound Students with Learning Difficulties

High school seniors have generally made their college decisions and are focusing their energies on end of year activities such as proms and graduation. But for students with learning disabilities and other issues which can impact their learning, there are important things to do between now and the start of college to make sure that they are set for success in the fall. 

This is the time -- after you have been admitted and have accepted a place as a freshman -- to make sure your accommodations will be in place when you arrive on campus. For those students who have been accepted to specialized support programs at their college, there will probabably be a great deal of outreach to you to make sure your paperwork is complete. You will have had to submit current documentation of your learning or other disability as part of your application, and one of the benefits of these programs is that they will help to make sure you will receive all the accommodations you require. 

If you are like most students, however, it is your responsibility to communicate with your school's Office of Disability Services (ODS) to make sure your documentation is up to date and complete. There is still time to arrange for the kind of documentation your school requires to validate your entitlement to accommodations. This documentation can range from a full neuropsychological and educational evaluation (such as those we do here at The Yellin Center) to medical documentation of an ongoing physical condition. Every college has guidelines that clearly describe what they require and forms for you to use to submit your documentation. Get them from the college's website as soon as possible and make sure you submit the required information to the ODS without delay.

Once the documentation is complete, you need to speak to the ODS staff to arrange specific accommodations that will meet your individual needs. Are you used to a particular kind of text-to-speech software? Will you need extended time for your exams? A quiet exam location? A note-taker? Colleges are required to provide accommodations for you that will "best ensure" that you are able to access the campus, your classes, and the curriculum. But that doesn't always mean that you will get every accommodation you seek or that you will get it in the form you are used to using. You need to make sure that your documentation clearly outlines how your disability impacts your academic and residential life and what "academic adjustments, auxiliary aids and services, and modifications" (from the language of the Americans with Disabilities Act) will be necessary because of this.

Keep in mind that once you are granted accommodations you still need to take several steps to put them in place. You will need to pick up the forms documenting your accommodations from the ODS, provide a copy of the form to each professor, and then follow up before each exam to remind the professor that you will be needing accommodations for the exam. Remember, unlike in high school, the responsibility for obtaining accommodations and having them implemented falls on you. By starting early and keeping the lines of communication open, you will be able to start classes in the fall with all the supports you require for success.

Photo: Briles Takes Pictures/Flickr Creative Commons

School Visit: Mary McDowell Friends School

Your blogger recently had a chance to visit the elementary school program at this private special education school located in Brooklyn's Cobble Hill neighborhood in New York City and came away most impressed with what she saw and with the information provided by Deborah Edel, the Director of Admissions.

Mary McDowell Friends School began in the 1980's as a K-4/5 school and over the years has added grades and changed locations so that it now also has a middle school program for grades 6-8 in a separate building in nearby Carroll Gardens,  as well as a high school program in Brooklyn Heights that presently goes through 10th grade and is adding an additional grade each year.

Mary McDowell Friends School in Brooklyn

The students at Mary McDowell have a variety of learning issues, but the largest number are students with language based difficulties, ranging from dyslexia to expressive and receptive language disorders, as well as processing issues, including central auditory processing difficulties. A somewhat smaller number of students have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), primarily of the inattentive type. Mary McDowell would probably not be a good fit for students with major hyperactivity. The school also serves students with executive function difficulties and a small number of students with nonverbal learning disorders, including those who have issues with social cognition. Deborah Edel noted that learning difficulties seldom fit into neat categories and that some students have difficulties in more than one domain.

One of the aspects of the school that we found particularly appealing was its focus on the Quaker principles, called testimonies, reflected in the acronym SPICES: simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship. The students at Mary McDowell come from all kinds of religious affiliations, but the Quaker values transcend religion and infuse the culture of the school with a sense of responsibility towards others, to the school community, and to the community at large. 

Mary McDowell is not on the "approved" list maintained by New York State and families who seek public funding for tuition (now $49,000 per year) will need to seek reimbursement from their public school district.

Photo via Mary McDowell Friends School

Awards for Smart Kids with Learning Challenges

Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, a nonprofit organization based in Connecticut, has announced its 2012 Youth Achievement Award Contest, a nationwide program providing an award of $1,000 to a student 19 or younger who demonstrates initiative, talent and determination resulting in a notable accomplishment in any field -- including art, music, science, math, athletics or community service. There will also be Honorable Mention awards. The application for the 2012 Award is due February 28, 2012.

Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities has a helpful website with information for parents about learning and attention difficulties, including the legal aspects of special education and age-specific concerns. The website and their newsletters feature articles by well-regarded names in the fields of learning and advocacy. The current Honorary Chair of Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities is Henry Winkler, the actor, director, and producer, who is also the co-author of the Hank Zipzer book series for children, which is based upon Winkler's own struggles with dyslexia.

Other awards and scholarships specifically for students with learning differences include the Anne Ford Scholarship, which provides $10,000 over four years for students enrolling in a full time four-year college program in the fall of 2012, and the newer Allegra Ford Scholarship, offering a one-time $2,500 award to a student who will be attending a two-year college, a vocational program, or a specialized program for students with learning challenges. Both are organized by the National Center for Learning Disabilities. The deadlines for both scholarships are coming up soon -- December 31, 2011. Anne Ford wrote about her daughter Allegra's learning issues in a moving book, Laughing Allegra.


Marion Huber Learning Through Listening awards are presented to members of Learning Ally (formerly Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic) which supplies audio books to qualified students. This award is presented to high school seniors with learning disabilities, in recognition of academic excellence, outstanding leadership, and service to others. the awards are given to six students who are chosen by a selection committee. Learning Ally presents the three top winners $6,000 each and three special honors winners $2,000 each. The application deadline for the next awards is March 15, 2012.

New Video Clips of Dr. Yellin

We're excited to share some new footage of Dr. Yellin speaking on a range of topics from a recent lecture. Stay tuned to this blog and to The Yellin Center's new YouTube channel for much more video to come in the future.