Information [2007]

 

19th Annual Postsecondary Disability

Training Institute

(PTI)

 

Tuesday, June 12 – Friday, June 15

& Saturday, June 16, 2007

The Saratoga Hotel & Conference Center

Saratoga Springs, New York

 

sponsored by the

 

Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability

University of Connecticut

 

 

How do You Meet the Unique Needs of College Students with Disabilities?

Come learn skills you’ll use every day! The objective of this Training Institute is to assist concerned professionals to meet the unique needs of college students with disabilities. Participants can select from a variety of Strands and Single Sessions taught by experts in the field that provide participants with in-depth information and adequate time for questions and follow-up activities.

Participants also have opportunities to share information and network with each other at various activities throughout the week.

 

Should You Attend?

Yes! If you are one of the following, you should attend this Institute:

 

  • LD/Disability Specialist
  • 504/ADA Administrator
  • Administrator
  • Faculty / Instructor / Tutor
  • Educational and Career Counselors
  • Academic Skills Center Personnel

 

Keynote

Effectively Representing Disability Services in Higher Education: How to Garner Respect, Resources, and Recognition within Your Institution, presented by Maureen Reustle, M.Ed., Dean of Academic Services, Ocean County Community College, NJ

Ms. Reustle has worked in higher education in disability services as a direct service provider, director of support programs, and (presently) as Dean of Academic Services. She has experienced the challenges of managing and funding disability services from the perspective of college administrator and service provider. Many of us regularly deal with limited resources, lack of administrative support, and leadership that doesn’t understand our mission or responsibilities under the law. Maureen will provide insight and specific tips on the realities of higher eudcation bureaucracy and how to best garner the support and resources for your students, your program, and your own professional career.

 

Strand Descriptions

Please note: Each Strand is continuous for three days. You will make one choice from Strand I and one choice from Strand II. Also note the level of the Strand that appears in parentheses after the title. Please select your Strand attendance accordingly.

 

Strand I, Sessions A-E:

  1. Technological Preparedness for College: Implications for High School Transition Planning and Postsecondary Disability Service Providers (intermediate/advanced) – Manju Banerjee, M.A., Educational Testing Service and University of Connecticut & Loring Brinckerhoff, Ph.D., Educational Testing Service, NJ. In this session, the presenters will address a variety of ways that technology has transformed the postsecondary education landscape for students with LD and/or ADHD. A survey of over 100 colleges regarding tech competency requirements for admission and graduation will be presented. These survey findings will be discussed in light of incoming studentst’ reported technical skills and ways to evaluate accommodation needs for tech blended courses. Accommodations needed for skills such as multitasking on the computer, functioning in virtual learning environments, and communicating in a digital mode will be discused. Recommendations will be presented to service providers on how they can review disability documentation and other non-traditional sources of information to determine tech preparedness of incoming students with LD and/or ADHD.
  2. Understanding Learning Disability Evaluations (beginner) – Joseph W. Madaus, Ph.D., University of Connecticut. Novices to the field of postsecondary learning disability services may feel overwhelmed and confused when ‘deciphering’ learning disability evaluations. Geared for newcomers to the field, this session will include information related to the fundamentals of assessment, common methods of learning disability diagnosis, common assessment instruments, and tools and methods useful in interpreting scores and learning disability documentation.
  3. Universal Design: A Primer on Its What’s, Who’s, Where’s, How’s, and… So What’s! (beginner) – Joan M. McGuire, Ph.D., University of Connecticut. Universal Design (UD), a concept for access and equity, continues to attract the attention of consumers and professionals because of its intuitive appeal and relevance for diverse audiences. From its origins in architecture, UD applications now extend across the educational continuum as well as to high stakes assessment, instructional infrastructures, and web design. Yet, different acronyms can lead to confusion. This strand, designed for professionals who are new to the field, will cover the basics of UD, its applications in different environments, and a few caveats about implementation. If you are looking to sharpen your awareness about this paradigm and sort out all the UD rhetoric, you will enhance your knowledge base in this informational strand that incorporates concrete examples from current practice.
  4. A Primer for Understanding the Reasonable Accommodation Dance on College Campuses: A Legal Perspective (all levels) – Jeanne M. Kincaid, J.D., Drummond, Woodsum & MacMahon, NH. Disability service providers and ADA coordinators need to reconsider who should be served and how to do so in a manner consistent with each institution’s overall mission. Participants will grapple with cutting edge ADA/Section 504 issues that have emerged in the wake of the onslaught of litigation, including: Who is considered to have a disability? Who is considered “otherwise qualified?” What level of documentation is permissible? What are the limits of reasonable accommodation? and Understanding the role of faculty in the accommodation process. This session will include a discussion of the most recent court and agency rulings to keep the participants up-to-date in this emerging legal minefield.
  5. Coaching: A Tool for Promoting Self Determination in College Students with LD and ADHD (all levels) – Cynthia Runberg, B.S., MCC & Theresa E. Laurie Maitland, Ph.D., CPCC, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Service providers are encountering larger numbers of students with LD and ADHD on college campuses. In spite of how bright these students typically are, they are at greater risk than their non-disabled peers for not completing college and for continued difficulties in adult life. The presenters believe that the Coactive Coaching model has great potential for helping these young people become more self-determined so they can live life to their fullest potential. Participants will experience aspects of the Coactive Coaching model and brainstorm how to apply a “coaching approach” to their daily interactions with students. Specifically, the participants will observe and practice Coactive Coaching skills and discuss how coaching differs from other traditional approaches to working with students. Participants will have an opportunity to make a plan for applying what they learned about Coactive Coaching in their work with students as well as how to partner with coaches in their local communities.

 

Strand II, Sessions F-J:

  1. Students with Asperger’s Syndrome in Higher Education (beginner/intermediate) – Jane Thierfeld Brown, Ed.D., University of Connecticut School of Law. Asperger’s Syndrome, an Autism Spectrum disorder, has been seen in increasing numbers and poses unique challenges on a college campus. The presenter will define Asperger’s, talk about the increase in incidence, how students on campus and in class are affected, and discuss accommodations. Resources and models for service providers to train other campus staff (i.e., residence life and counseling staff) will be provided. Case scenarios will be used and experiences shared among participants. The discussion will move to accommodation and access for students with Asperger’s Syndrome to an improved level of understanding amongst service providers.
  2. Dealing with Problem Students (beginner/intermediate) – Linda Refsland, MS.Ed., Iona College, NY. In this interactive session, disability information such as unusual/challenging diagnoses will be discussed. The presenter and participants will brainstorm solutions to current “problems,” and collaborate on participant-generated case studies.
  3. Students with Psychiatric Disabilities (beginner/intermediate) – Laura DiGalbo, M.Ed., Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, State of Connecticut. Participants will be provided with an overview of characteristics experienced by students with psychiatric disabilities and how they are exhibited in the classroom and on campus. Participants will explore current benefits and detriments of treatment and medication on learning and will leave with practical strategies and interventions to utilize on their campuses.
  4. Combining Research-Based Study Skills, Accommodations, and Manipulatives to Improve Mathematics Learning (beginner/intermediate) – Paul Nolting, Ph.D., Manatee Community College & Kimberly Nolting, MAT, Academic Success Press, Inc., FL. Participants will learn how to use math study skills, understand how processing deficits affect mathematics learning, recommend the appropriate math accommodations, and be able to understand how math manipulatives can improve student learning. Participants will learn note-taking, homework, problem solving, test anxiety reduction, and test-taking systems. Participants will be able to explain to math instructors which processing deficits cause the most difficulty in math learning for a particular student and the reasons for appropriate accommodations. Participants will practice with math manipulatives and receive the theory about hands-on learning to help improve students’ math success. In conclusion, the participant group will review specific student cases. Participants are encouarged to bring in their cases with documentation.
  5. Disability Services Administration: Using Your Web Site to Foster Communication and Effective Practices (all levels) – Donna M. Korbel, M.Ed., Jennifer H. Lucia, M.S., Christine M. Morello, M.A., & Bryanna G. Anderson, M.A., University of Connecticut. Participants will learn about the guiding principles to consider in the administration of postsecondary disability service programs as well as an overview of administrative and operational practices. While the discusion will focus on the practice and philosophies from UConn, the intent is to assist participants in developing strategies that will be useful for their own campuses. Web-based templates will be provided to assist practitioners to establish, refine, or enhance their services.

 

Saturday Post-Session

Kicking It Up a Notch: A Recipe for Fine-Tuning Your Program Evaluation (all levels)

Presented by Lyman L. Dukes, III, Ph.D., University of South Florida-St. Petersburg; Joan M. McGuire, Ph.D. & David R. Parker, Ph.D., University of Connecticut; Linda Refsland, MS.Ed., Iona College, NY; and Maureen Reustle, M.Ed., Ocean County College, NJ

In an era of outcomes-focused accountability, it behooves OSD personnel to proactively plan for and conduct periodic evaluation of program functions. Building on the AHEAD Program Standards and Performance Indicators, as well as conceptual frameworks discussed in professional literature, this session will identify the ingredients of a master plan for program evaluation that can be used by an array of OSD personnel. Drawing upon their diverse professional experiences, the presenters will share concrete examples from actual program evaluations when possible. Participants will receive a packet of program evaluation resources that can be used in a variety of campus settings.

 

Visitor Information

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