ABSTRACT
Harris, a high school student with disabilities nearing the completion of his freshman year, has heard both students and teachers talk more and more often about the importance of college. He’s decided that he’d like to go as well, but he isn’t sure what he needs to do in order to be college-ready. He has recently let his parents know of his college interest and they’re excited but also unsure whether Harris can be successful. Frankly, many of his teachers have implied that he probably wouldn’t succeed in a college setting. They are concerned, for example, that professors might not provide extra time for Harris to complete exams, and they also wonder if colleges have services like Individualized Education Plan (IEP) teams and guidance counseling for students with disabilities. The most immediate concern, however, is whether Harris has enough time to plan for college so that, once there, he can be successful. His parents decided to schedule an appointment with Harris’s school counselor and also e-mail his case manager to request that the IEP team address his college interest at his upcoming IEP meeting.
