How then, do we prepare students who, given appropriate supports, have the potential to be successful in PSE? We know there are strategies and evidence-based practices (EBPs) and other practices that have demonstrated efficacy in improving PSE outcomes for SWD. Amongst them are the following (evidence-based practices are noted with an asterisk):

inclusion in general education*

understanding of one’s disability, their legal rights, and the accommodations which facilitate access to content

effective self-determination skills (including self-advocacy)*

ability to use appropriate assistive technology (AT).

Although special education law (i.e., IDEA, (2)) requires PSE goals be included in students’ individualized educational programs (IEPs), often these prerequisite skills are not explicitly taught to students with hidden disabilities. Therefore, it is important for us to find ways to incorporate these practices into the coursework and experiences of SWD preparing to transition to PSE (6), (7). Including SWD in the general education curriculum enables them to participate in college preparatory coursework, facilitating their preparation for the more rigorous demands of PSE (6). However, research demonstrates that often students do not understand the nature of their disability and the ways in which it impedes their academic progress. Further, students may not understand the changes in the law when they transition from secondary to PSE (8), (9) (10), (11). For example, students often do not think their disability is severe enough to necessitate support services (i.e., accommodations) in college (9). According to data from NLTS-2, 63.1% of students enrolled in PSE did not consider themselves to have a disability (5). Additionally, the same report found 87.1% of students reported receiving accommodations in high school; yet, only 10.3% accessed the accommodations to which they were entitled (5).

While in high school, students are provided access to services and accommodations (i.e., teacher’s notes, extended time for testing, assistive technology) through an individualized education program that is required by IDEA. The student’s IEP makes sure that they receive the services and accommodations necessary to facilitate their academic progress. Protections under IDEA end when the student graduates; therefore, the way in which the student receives services changes in college where the student’s accommodations are provided in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA; (12)). In addition to the shift in the law (i.e., from IDEA to ADA), there is a shift in the purpose of the law: IDEA is designed to facilitate success, whereas protections provided under the ADA are designed to provide access. Given the shift in laws and changes in responsibilities, students must not only understand their disability, they must also be aware of their rights and responsibilities for acquiring accommodations if they are to succeed in more challenging educational settings.

And finally, while research has demonstrated that the use of accommodations in PSE results in both increased grade point averages and persistence rates for SWD (13), (14), (15), often SWD are hesitant to utilize academic accommodations. A number of reasons have been identified for students’ reluctance; however, often it lies in the students’ lack of self-determination (i.e., self-advocacy) behaviors (10), (16).