Hi all:
I need some advice and perhaps a good reference to fall back on
with a particular adminstrative problem we run into here in North
America.
If a student has a disability, they are generally entitled to
accommodations etc. within educational, training and occupational
settings. It is not a problem to diagnose a learning disability
(dyslexia) or mental handicap (IQ < 70 - 75); it is, however, hard to
gain accommodations etc. for those people who have IQ's in the 75-
90 range. They are often disentitled from accommodations and
academic support because they are "slow learners" and, therefore,
not disabled!
I would like to diagnose these people as "mild intellectual
impairment disability" and attempt to secure reasonable
accommodations for them at post-secondary schools. Is there a
diagnostic category that makes sense to cover this group? What
support is there for using it? We can't use "learning disabled"
because the parent-based LD associations get very upset when we
do. They want entitlement for their own, but are not willing to share
that entitlement with others.
Any suggestions warmly received.
Thanks,
Barry
Barry Cull
Learning Specialist
LOTF Project
Conestoga College
http://www.conestogac.on.ca/spneeds/BarryCourse.htm
Phone: 519-748-5520 ext. 718
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