After The IEP Podcast - Accessing College

What would it mean for you if your child, who has a hidden disability like a learning disability, were successful in college? How much more successful would their college experience be if they had less stress, the right skills, and the right accommodations? Want to learn more about college accessibility, self-advocacy, and success for students with learning disabilities and ADHD, mental health issues (hidden disabilities)?

Tune into Accessing College’s podcast, After the IEP! In this podcast, Dan Jordan brings his 13-plus years of expertise in higher education to offer valuable advice on how to navigate the higher education system as a student with a hidden disability.

Gain insider tips on what they need to know during the college search process to make the best choice. Learn the importance of building the skills needed for personal and academic success, self-advocacy, and personal wellness.

Tune in today and get the information you need for the success you want!

To get new episodes of After The IEP podcast first, sign up for my email list here. You’ll get an email every Wednesday at 7 AM with the latest episode.

If this is your first time here at Accessing College, welcome. Here are a few blog posts to get you started.

Four Steps To Get Disability Accommodations For College Students.

Parents Guide To College Disability Documentation Requirements

Ep 24 Assessing the End of Semester like a Pro: Advice and Proven Tips for More Success

In this episode, I’m looking at how to review academic performance at the end of the semester. Whether your student’s grades in college are good or not is irrelevant. It’s looking at what needs to be improved and planning to do better. It’s all in the planning and I go through what I think is the best way to do that and maximize your success.

Mapping a Transformational Gap Year: Strategies for Students with Learning Disabilities, ADHD, and Mental Health Issues

In this episode, we explore strategies, and insights, for students with learning disabilities, ADHD, and mental health issues considering a gap year. I’ll explore five things to consider with your student to make their gap year transformative for their next step.

Ep 22: Shopping for Success: Tips for Finding the Right College Disability Accommodations

It was common to have parents call and ask questions about accommodations and to meet after they were accepted to discuss their student’s needs.

Students may be accepted to multiple schools and each one makes its own determination as to what accommodations are reasonable.

It was not uncommon to have students tell me that they chose a school based on the accommodations approved or not approved.

Here’s how to do this ethically to get the best plan for your student.

Ep 21: The College Accessibility Office Uncovered: Your Comprehensive Guide to Finding and Using It

It’s a common issue parents have that information on getting accommodations is hard to find. I get it. If you’re not sure what to look for or what terms to search for, it’s going to be difficult. It does not have to be. I’ll go over what search terms to do, who to ask if you have any issues, and what to look for when you find the information. You won’t be lost or confused any longer.

Ep 20: Navigating College Disability Documentation: What Every Parent Needs to Know

Documentation requirements can be confusing, frustrating, and viewed as a barrier. However, once you understand the reasons for the requirements, you might change your mind and see documentation requirements in a different light. I’ll go over the basics, reasons for the requirements, some common issues especially those for learning disabilities and go over when you may need a new evaluation.

Ep 19: Empowering Your Education: The Reason I Wrote Self-Advocacy for Higher Education

If you ever wondered what prompted me to write my book. Here’s the answer. If you didn’t know I wrote a book, I did. Here’s why I wrote it.

Ep 18: Does my student need a new psychoeducational eval for college? Learn how to decide.

One of the most common concerns for parents of students with learning disabilities is deciding when to obtain a new evaluation. It’s a worry not only because of the concern of getting the accommodations they need but the time and expense it takes for a new evaluation. Is one really needed? If so, under what circumstances? Listen in to learn how to make the right decision for your student.

EP 17: Get Ahead of the Game: 5 Essential Realities Every Freshman Should Know About College

College life is exciting and incoming freshmen are filled with that excitement. If a student is not prepared ahead of time, the excitement can blind a student from being aware of what can go wrong and setting up good habits from the start. Being aware of these five realities can help prepare students so they can set themselves up for success on day one.

Ep 16:

Accessing Success: Essential Questions for Parents and Students to Ask College Accessibility Staff at Every Step

Asking the right questions during each phase of seeking accommodations is an important task. Make sure you ask the right questions at the right time to get all the information you need so your request can go smoothly.

#15 Self-Advocacy Week Day 5: Students who don’t know how to self-advocate.

There are many students who find it difficult to speak up for what they need. Most often these are students who have learning disabilities, but not exclusively.

Self-advocacy cannot occur without self-awareness. In this episode, I take you through the steps that lead to more self-awareness and building the skills needed to communicate your needs.

#14 Self-Advocacy Week Day 4: Students don’t want to be treated differently.

Stigma is real. Students with any disability want to be treated, recognized and viewed as being just as capable as any other student.

In this episode, I break down the reality of college for students with disabilities and bust the myth that just because a student has accommodation, they will be treated differently.

In reality, it just may be the student who is treating themselves differently.

#13 Self-Advocacy Week Day 3: Parents afraid their student won’t be heard or supported correctly.

This fear illustrates the concerns that a parent has and may still have about the success of their learning-disabled student. Those fears, anxieties, and concerns don’t go away, and I understand. Mine haven’t, so, I’m right there with you.

Yet, those fears can be less intense. When I read this fear as expressed by a parent, I was struck by the perception that this is a K-12 perspective. I don’t have that perspective. Yes, I’m a dad of a son who went through the IEP process and I’m familiar with the K-12 issues. However, my perspective is college, and parents need to shift to a college perspective.

In this Episode learn how and why parents need to make that shift, why it’s important, and how it relates to supporting your student’s self-advocacy and college success.

#12 Self-Advocacy Week Day 2: Students who don’t want others to think of them differently.

In this episode, I tackle another common barrier to self-advocacy and requesting accommodations in college: students wanting to be seen as just any other student, not as someone who is disabled.

This desire can hinder a student from seeking the accommodations and assistance they need. I give some practical advice and information so students can feel more at ease with self-advocating for their accommodation needs.

#11 Self-Advocacy Week Day 1: Students who won’t ask for the help they need.

On my Instagram a few months ago, I asked a simple question. “What are you most afraid of regarding your child advocating for their learning disability when they get to college?”

There were three answers that seemed to illustrate the most common fears. Other answers fit into the three answers or were variations on them.

This first episode this week is about the fear a parent has about their child not asking for the help they need.

#10 Beyond the Brochure: The Ultimate Guide to College Tours for Students with Hidden Disabilities

Touring a college you may be interested in attending is exciting. It should be. However, college tours for students with hidden disabilities (ADHD, learning disabilities, and mental health issues) take on a much more important focus. Services.

Choosing the right school for you is important, but as I have said before, the right school is more about what you need versus what you want. It all comes down to what services you anticipate needing.

This episode may give you some insight to help you decide which college has the right services for you.

#9 Choosing the Right College: Essential Tips for Students with Mental Health Challenges

When it comes to college choice, considerations for students with learning disabilities often get the most attention. Mental health doesn’t. In fact, students with mental health issues are the fastest-growing population of students seeking accommodations.

Yet, mental health is not a frequent subject for a college search, and it should be. In addition, mental health issues occur with learning disabilities a lot.

#8: Anxiety in College Students: Unpacking the 5 Most Common Triggers

Anxiety is by far the top issue for college students regardless of disability status. In this episode, I break down the top five causes of anxiety for college students.

#7: The Power of Routine: 3 Key Benefits for College Success

College is not like high school. The structure is way different. The different structure comes with some benefits and some pitfalls. If you are not prepared for it, it can catch students off guard.

In this episode, I review the reality of college life, what goes wrong most of the time, how to avoid those pitfalls and the positive effects of a good routine and structure.

#6 How to Get Disability Accommodations for College Students

Confused about how to get accommodations for a hidden disability in college? Listen in to get the basics on what to do and when. I also include a special free download that will help you manage and organize your request.

Disclaimer: The accommodations discussed in this episode may or may not be appropriate for your student. It is up to each college’s accessibility staff to determine reasonable accommodations. The content of this episode and others like it should be used for information purposes only.

#5 Common College Accommodations for Dyslexia

Dyslexia comes with its own set of issues and needs. Although it may share some characteristics with other learning disabilities, students with Dyslexia often have specific needs. Those needs get even more significant due to the high prevalence of other disabilities coexisting with Dyslexia.

Some research suggests that comorbidity is up to 50%. It may seem complicated to figure out what can work, but it’s not. In this episode, I break down the most common accommodations for Dyslexia.

#4 ADHD Accommodations That Create Opportunities for Success

We continue our discussion about accommodations for ADHD. These are not often discussed nor widely known. They can lead to more success in college if used appropriately and if they are reasonable for you.

#3: Common College Accommodations for ADHD

Learn about the common accommodations for ADHD in college. Each has a specific purpose for those with ADHD that can lead to a better college experience.

#2: Demystifying College Disability Documentation: A Guide for Parents and Students

Disability documentation requirements for college accommodation requests can be confusing and for some quite upsetting. In this episode, I review the role of the ODS office, and reasons documentation is required, and what some of the OCR guidance states that helps guide ODS office decisions.

This is not to review or debate documentation issues, but this episode should give a background by which to view those issues from a new perspective.

#1: Empowering Students with Hidden Disabilities: A Personal Mission and Passion

Learn more about me, the show host, why I do what I do, how it all started, and what my mission is.