Mt. San Jacinto College

“Transitioning from High School to

College. . .

. . . Putting the Pieces Together”

Presentation by:

Disabled Students Programs & Services

And

Learning Skills Program

THE PURPOSE

Facilitate the process for transitioning

high school seniors with special needs to Mt. San Jacinto

College

Learning Outcomes

Better understand the range of services that college students qualify for.

Obtain a clear understanding of how to craft the transition IEP/504 to most benefit your student.

Be guided through the enrollment/matriculation process.

Hear from a panel of students who have successfully transferred from your schools.

Be introduced to alternate community resources.

Commitment

MSJC and the instructors are committed to access and opportunity for all students. DSP&S shares this commitment by helping provide access to educational opportunities for students with disabilities.

What is DSP&S and

Learning Skills Program?

DSP&S provides support services for students with physical, learning andpsychological disabilities.

Learning Skills Program offers specialized services to students who are identified as having specific learning disabilities. 

What Support is Provided?

DSP&S provides a wide range of supportiveservices to help compensate for limitations

thatthe disabled student may have.

The primary objective is to integrate persons with disabilities into the general college community.

All support services for students withdisabilities must relate to the specific

disability of the student.

SERVICES

Students may qualify for counseling, note-taking, interpreters, registration assistance, specialized equipment, test accommodations and many other services.

Disabled students also have access tocomputer support services through theHigh Tech Center.

RECOMMENDED READINESS CRITERIA

To best utilize DSP&S support services and/or instruction, a prospective student should demonstrate the following

abilities:

• Potential to benefit from instruction in a group setting.

• Ability to work independently with some cues/assistance.

• Ability to follow directions and to attend to learning tasks for a reasonable period of time.

• Adequate attention span to profit from an hour of continuous instruction in a setting with distractions.

• Sufficient language comprehension skills to benefit from courses offered by the college.

• Ability to perform meaningful classroom activities, using both receptive and expressive language.

• Behavior and emotional responses that are appropriate to the situation.

• Sufficient independent living skills to allow independent on‑campus function, unless provided a personal assistant to perform necessary “activities of daily living” functions.

THE PROCESS

Students must provide documentation of

a disability which substantially limits a major life activity.

Eligibility and Services are determinedwhen meeting with a DSP&S Counselor for an intake interview.

A student served in K-12 “special education” or “resource classes” is already eligible for some DSP&S Services, providing that verification of a history of special education is submitted.

This verification can be a copy of the most recent IEP, 504 plan or multi-disciplinary report/psycho-educational evaluation.

• Acquired Brain Injury• Learning Disability• Visually Impaired• Mobility/Orthopedic Impairment• Developmentally Delayed Learner• Speech/Language Impaired• Psychological Disability• Hearing Impaired• Other – health impairments such heart

issues, diabetes, arthritis, etc.

Disability Categories used at

all California Community Colleges

Learning Disabilities in a Community College

Myth:Students who have been identified with aspecific learning disability in K-12 are automatically identified as LD at the community college level.

Fact:The criteria for a learning disability is different at the community college level than in K-12.

To receive services by DSP&S in the Community College System for a Learning Disability,

The student must first meet the college system’s definition of being a student with a Learning Disability.

This would mean K-12 records would be reviewed and the student probably would need to be tested by the college’s Learning Disability Specialist.

LD Testing Referral

IF necessary, the DSP&S Counselor will make a referral for the student to meet with the Learning Disabilities Specialist.

During the intake interview with the student, the DSP&S Counselor determines if LD testing is necessary.

LD Criteria at a

community college

Must have average or above average intelligenceMust have a cognitive processing deficitMust have an aptitude-achievement discrepancyMust have an educational limitation

The Learning Disability Assessment

Usually takes from 8-10 hours, including intake and testing.

Students must enroll in LNSK 071to be evaluated for learning disabilities.

Results are usually available 2-3 weeks after the student has finished the final assessment.

The LD Specialist will review the results of assessment with the student.

If the student DOES meet the community college definition of being Learning Disabled. . .

. . . The student is entitled to specific services and specific recommendations will be made to accommodate the academic limitations that result from the specific learning disability.

Assessment Results

• The assessment results and the LD Specialist recommendations are forwarded to the DSP&S Counselor.

• The DSP&S Counselor will meet with the student to review services for which the student is eligible for and discuss how to receive these services.

What if the assessment results DO NOT

meet community college LD eligibility requirements?

• The information is forwarded to the DSP&S Counselor.

• The DSP&S Counselor will meet with the student to review services for which the student is eligible to receive based on a history of disabilities.

• The DSP&S Counselor will discuss with the student how to receive these services.

Questions

“Transitioning from High School to College. . .

. . . Putting the Pieces Together”

Mt. San Jacinto College

DSP&S Menifee Valley Campus28237 La Piedra Road, Bldg. 1019 Menifee, CA 92584-8947   (951) 639-5305 DSP&S (951) 639-5491 Learning Skills Program  (951) 672-2548 FAX (951) 672-9357 TDD

Email: dspsmvc@msjc.edu

Thank You• Lynn Nusbaum-Haines, M.Ed.

DSP&S Counselor

• James Decker, Ph.D., NCSP

Learning Disabilities Specialist