Elizabeth C. Hamblet, LD Advisory

Special education staff decimated after Trump administration shutdown firings: Sources The nation’s special education services have been significantly damaged after Fridays’s mass layoffs within the Department of Education, sources told ABC News.

I hope you'll read this and call your government representatives:

Texas Illegally Denied Education To Students With Disabilities, Feds Report Texas failed to make special education services available to all students with disabilities who needed it, according to a report released Thursday by the…

For those who think state control is good, be aware that Texas got in trouble for creating a cap for the number of students who could be identified for special education:

Massive Layoffs at the Department of Education Erode Its Civil Rights Division Only five of the agency’s civil rights offices remain nationwide. Those who are still with the department say it will now be “virtually impossible” to resolve discrimination complaints.

In case you didn't know, the government eliminated most of the Office for Civil Rights offices, which investigates when college students claim disability discrimination:

ABC news headline is "Special education staff decimated after Trump administration shutdown firings: Sources." Picture of the White House at night with banner saying "White House Begins Mass Layoffs of Federal Workers.

Politics affects your student's services *while they're in high school.* (Remember that there is no special education in college, because IDEA doesn't apply there.)

Trump just used the shutdown to wipe out the special ed department. www.usatoday.com/story/news/e...

Featured post from Educational Advocates is "Are You Ready for College? Why Going Straight from High School to College May Be the Wrong Decision?" Picture from the back of a group of graduates in black robes throwing their caps in the air.

Parents of seniors may be wondering whether their student will really be ready for college next fall. This is a *must-read* post from my friend Joan Casey:  https://educationaladvocates.com/are-you-ready-for-college-why-going-straight-from-high-school-to-college-may-be-the-wrong-decision/

Blogpost title is "Myths About Disability Documentation for College Accommodations." Read the post on LDadvisory.com. Picture of Elizabeth C. Hamblet, a middle aged white woman with long blond hair wearing a white shirt.

I know you hear a lot of information about the documentation students with disabilities need to request accommodations at college. Much of what you hear about what students need to have, how old it can be, & what colleges have to do for students is *wrong.*

Get the facts: https://bit.ly/LDblog150x

What do Happy and Ness have to say about all of this? 🤨

a cartoon character says " can 't wait " with his tongue hanging out Alt: Ned Flanders from "The Simpsons" says " can 't wait " with his tongue hanging out

Haven't watched yet!

Myths About Disability Documentation for College Accommodations - LD Advisory Get the facts about what documentation students with learning disabilities or ADHD need to register for accommodations at college.

Get the facts:

But you *must* educate yourself so you can not only give students the right information but also make sure they'll have what they need to request accommodations at college. This may also mean telling them they *don't* need to be re-evaluated or seek additional testing.

• Students with learning disabilities need to have a full neuro-psychological evaluation in order to get accommodations at college

I understand that your professional training may not have covered this.

• Even if their learning disabilities testing meets the colleges’ requirements, students will get better/more accommodations if they are tested privately (rather than by the public school district)

• If students’ documentation shows they’ve received certain accommodations in high school, their college has to provide the same accommodations

• Testing for students with learning disabilities can’t be more than 3 years old

• If the student was tested by their public school district, colleges have to accept the testing report

• Students with ADHD and/or autism won’t get accommodations at college if they haven’t had any testing for a learning disability

• If students didn’t have a formal plan in high school (either an IEP or 504 plan), they won’t get approved for accommodations at college

• Colleges only approve accommodations if students had an IEP in high school. They won’t approve students who had a 504

• Colleges have to accept an IEP or 504 plan as stand-alone documentation

Myths About Disability Documentation for College Accommodations - LD Advisory Get the facts about what documentation students with learning disabilities or ADHD need to register for accommodations at college.

Get the facts:

But you *must* educate yourself so you can not only give students the right information but also make sure they'll have what they need to request accommodations at college. This may also mean telling them they *don't* need to be re-evaluated or seek additional testing.

• Students with learning disabilities need to have a full neuro-psychological evaluation in order to get accommodations at college

I understand that your professional training may not have covered this.

• Even if their learning disabilities testing meets the colleges’ requirements, students will get better/more accommodations if they are tested privately (rather than by the public school district)

• If students’ documentation shows they’ve received certain accommodations in high school, their college has to provide the same accommodations

• Testing for students with learning disabilities can’t be more than 3 years old

• If the student was tested by their public school district, colleges have to accept the testing report

• Students with ADHD and/or autism won’t get accommodations at college if they haven’t had any testing for a learning disability

• If students didn’t have a formal plan in high school (either an IEP or 504 plan), they won’t get approved for accommodations at college

• Colleges only approve accommodations if students had an IEP in high school. They won’t approve students who had a 504