Toto, I have a feeling > Intro to the Land of Oz
As parents, we watch our kids go through enormous changes, changes that seem to turn the world on its head -- at least for us. After those first steps, nearly everything in the house is within reach and, without warning, the pace of life suddenly leaps into warp speed. Or how about when our child first begins to read, learns to drive, or starts dating? Again, everything seems to change almost overnight.
For parents whose children have disabilities, however, the changes may come when a child doesn't reach these developmental milestones as expected. A child with physical disabilities doesn't learn to walk. A student with a learning disability struggles with reading. A blind teenager doesn't get a driver's license.
Another of those world-tilting events is about to happen. Your young adult is starting college. They might feel much like Dorothy and Toto in the Wizard of Oz -- one minute in good old Kansas, the next in the Land of Oz. Everything may seem completely unfamiliar, both terrifying and wonderful all at once.
Once your child turns 18 years old, they are legally an adult, responsible for their own actions and decisions--and free to make them. As they leave secondary school to enter a career in higher education, fundamental changes occur with respect to their education as a person with a disability. Any child who attends public schools has, for the most part, a legal entitlement to an education, regardless of a disability. They must also receive their education in the least restrictive environment possible . But they are children, and as such warrant care, guidance and sometimes are separated from their peers for special attention if needed.
In higher education, your student has a civil right to have access to their education. The fundamental principle at work is the assumption of integration and that the individual student is responsible for themselves, and is not the responsibility of the institution. It's a distinction that can make all the difference.
We hope this handbook will help you to better understand some of these distinctions and provide tips on how best to support your new University student on this exciting new road.
