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LIT Procedure FAQ's
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At L.I.T., how does a student with a disability register with the Access Service?
- When students initially apply through the CAO, they submit supplementary information regarding their disability. This information might include supporting documentation from their secondary school, documentation from the State Examination Board, a psycho-educational assessment (which ideally will be no more than three years old), reports from consultants and occupational therapists, and a statement from the student as to how he/she has been affected by the disability.
- Once a student accepts a position at LIT, the Access Service then downloads the supplementary information from the CAO and the students are contacted for a registration appointment with the Disability Officer or the Dyslexia Support Tutor as soon as possible. This appointment involves a comprehensive overview of the student's documentation and input from the student to determine need. If a student is transferring from another third level institution or did not disclose their disability to the CAO, he/she can present to the Access Service of his/her own volition, with the required documents.
- Once the Needs Assessment form has been completed and signed by the student, the Disability Officer and/or Dyslexia Support Tutor then prepare detailed Course Director Notes outlining the student's needs (for exams, assignments and daily learning) as well as strengths, weaknesses and any additional information relating to the student's learning. These notes are then forwarded to the relevant Head of School, Head of Department and the department administrator, who retains them on record and forwards them on to all relevant course leaders, lecturers and tutors. If any changes occur, Revised Course Director Notes will be forwarded by the Disability Officer and/or Dyslexia Support Tutor. Otherwise, the notes stand for the duration of the student's studies at LIT and must be carried over year to year.
What accommodations can registered students avail of?
Depending on the needs evidenced by their documentation, students with a disability can avail of the following accommodations for exams:
- Extra Time
- Spelling & Grammar Waiver
- Own Room
- Quiet Room
- Reader
- Scribe
- Answers On Tape
- Voice Activated Software
- Instructions Required
- Rest Periods
- Printer
- Use of minidisk
- Instructions Required
- Access to toilet
- Access to food
- Fan required
Other services and supports available include:
- Lecture notes in advance
- Personal Assistant/Notetaker (PA) – this accommodation is normally only relevant to students with a physical disability
- Formal Assessment – although only a qualified Educational Psychologist can complete an official psychological assessment
- Extra Tuition (Subject Specific)
- Dyslexia Tuition (1:1) for any of the following areas: memory and concentration, study skills, scheduling and time management, learning styles, reading for 3rd level, spelling for 3rd level, mind mapping, creating study notes, revising and exam skills
- Access to Assistive Technology (AT) including laptop computer, Texthelp software with read/write capabilities and digital voice recorder
- A.T. training
- Weekly sessions with an educational support worker provided by the Access Service to check progress and help maintain daily organization – this is normally put in place for students with Aspergers Syndrome. At times students with severe dyslexia might also avail of this support.
It's important to note that a student's needs can change over the course of their third level education and periodic progress checks are carried out to ensure that the student's Needs Assessment accurately reflects his/her needs.
What about Apprentices who are completing a phase at
LIT and may not be able to present at the beginning of the
year?
This is not a problem, as students are welcome to present themselves to the Access Service at any point during their studies. Apprentices are entitled to all of the same accommodations as other students. It is important to note that, as the CAO does not provide the Access Service with any supplementary information on students in apprenticeship phases, each student is responsible for providing adequate documentation as to his/her SLD.
It should also be noted that any apprentice exam accommodations approved by the Access Service apply only to written, "classroom-style" exams and do not apply to practical exams.
How can I ensure that students with disabilities can access my
lectures/tutorials?
This is the single most common question that we are asked. Most likely you are already doing everything you need to do to make your lectures/tutorials accessible. Here are some ideas to help you if you are unsure:
- Incorporate as many of the five senses as you can into your lectures/tutorials. In particular, images of any kind – graphics, pictures, charts, flow-charts, graphs, Venn diagrams and mind maps – will be of great benefit, as many students with dyslexia are extremely visual.
- Ensure clear and adequate lecture notes are provided before the lecture. Due to difficulties with the working memory, many students with an SLD find it difficult to remember the oral content of lectures – this, coupled with poor spelling and written expression, means that taking their own lecture notes will be a waste of time. Furthermore, while a student with an SLD is scrambling to create lecture notes that will be useless to them later on, they will not be able to listen and retain anything you say.
It is the student's responsibility to ensure that they obtain the notes from you or from Moodle before the lecture. This way, they can follow along as the lecture proceeds, and can add in bits and pieces as they see necessary.
- Provide clear structures for lectures, assignments and, if possible, tests and exams. Having an SLD can make getting started on an assignment especially difficult, and dyslexic students in particular may need additional guidance or points in the right direction before they can fly with something and make it their own. One strength of dyslexia is that it often coexists with extraordinary creativity, so once they understand what is expected of them most dyslexic students will enjoy their assignments.
- Be willing to listen! Your students with SLDs need to know that you care about their progress and that you will do what you can to support them.
- Be patient. As SLDs affect memory and retention, it can often feel as though the student is taking two steps forward and one step back. But it is important to remember that slow progress is still progress. Further to this, try to avoid putting your students with SLDs "on the spot" in front of their peers, as memory and retention difficulties can cause them to "blank" when put under pressure. You've likely found that students with SLDs are generally quite articulate (many have verbal comprehension scores in the eightieth percentile or higher). Consequently, they are often happy to volunteer knowledge, views and opinions without being asked.
- Be willing to take the student's disability into account. Above all, flexibility and adaptability are key. In the same way that you would not expect a visually impaired student to take notes off the board, SLDs are genuine barriers to learning and must be taken seriously and accommodated for. Although it is ultimately the student's responsibility to ensure that they implement all the necessary learning strategies and avail of all the accommodations and supports available to them at LIT, there is a lot you can do to help.
How do I assist students with an SLD if they approach me
with any concerns?
Many students with SLD have developed excellent self-advocacy skills and will be able to clearly articulate specific ways for you to assist them. Generally, their suggestions will be practical and easy to implement. If you are confused by their requests or feel that they are too taxing on yourself, please contact me immediately so that we can determine the best way forward.
However, it's important to remember that for every dyslexic student who is forthcoming with his/her needs, there is another who might be hesitant, shy, afraid of being "labelled" or nonchalant. They may have had bad experiences in the past that might hold them back from stating what they need. Therefore, if a student whom you have been informed has dyslexia is falling behind, you might take the initiative and approach them first with a general query as to how they feel they are doing in your course and if they are experiencing any difficulties.
What do I do if a student with SLD approaches me for an
extension?
Although the student might be of a different opinion, extensions are usually not useful and can in fact be detrimental to a student with learning needs. However, some students with dyslexia will require a short extension on an assignment at some point in their academic career. This should not be a regular event and should not be taken lightly or seen as an entitlement by the student. Deadline extensions for students with dyslexia should be arranged well in advance and for a specific reason that relates directly to their diagnosed difficulties. It is unlikely that a dyslexic student would require an extension of longer than a few days or a week at the most. However, if a student with an SLD should approach you requesting an extension, please ask them to call us for an appointment, so that we might check their progress and offer them tuition in time management or writing support if necessary. Should a student require extensions on a regular basis, their Needs Assessment will have to be reviewed by us, in consultation with the student.
What can I do to assist a student with SLD who is not
Meeting course requirements?
Although the student's particular disability must be taken into account, there will be cases where the student genuinely cannot meet course requirements, regardless of accommodations and supports. If a student is falling behind and/or failing to pass assessments and exams, there are several options:
- The student should be referred to the Access Service, even if they are already registered with us. Regular progress checks are carried out, but if you have concerns please insist that the student make an appointment with the Dyslexia Support Tutor.
- Refer to the student to the Learning Support Unit for extra tuition relating to course content. Forms requesting tuition can be completed in the Learning Support Unit (Block 12) and submitted to Marian Twomey (ext.147). The student is then sent an email confirming who their tutor will be, along with contact details.
- Refer the student to the Careers Officer, Joanne Holland (ext.295) if they are unsure whether or not their course is right for them.
- Make an appointment with the Disability Officer or the Dyslexia Support Tutor and, if possible, your department head to discuss your concerns
8) What Professional Development is available in regard to improving my understanding of SLDs and ensuring that my lectures/tutorials are accessible to students with SLDs?
The Access Service is happy to offer training to interested lecturers/tutors or departments. Please contact for more information. |
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Frequently Asked Questions Disability's Policy Documents
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