PLUK News feed

UT Grad Overcomes Substantial Learning Disabilities To Get Degree

Link: UT Grad  History major Clayton Tauscher is achieving his goal of getting a college degree, but he's had a long list of hurdles to overcome. Clayton was diagnosed with autism at 3 years old, then later ADHD, as well as other learning and speech disorders. "All the specialists and the people that we encountered said that Clayton would never get this far, and he's gotten this far, and I'm just incredibly proud of him," Clayton's father Karl Tauscher said. Clayton started going to the Pediatric Language Clinic on the UT campus, then worked his way through several different schools. He was among the first graduates at Grace Christian Academy in 2005. Clayton is now among GCA's first students to achieve a college degree.

An Educator's Journey Toward Multiple Intelligences

Link: Journey What has become a powerful force in the world of education all started in 1983, when Harvard University professor Howard Gardner began his book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences with some simple but powerful questions: Are talented chess players, violinists, and athletes "intelligent" in their respective disciplines? Why are these and other abilities not accounted for on traditional IQ tests? Why is the term intelligence limited to such a narrow range of human endeavors? From these questions emerged multiple-intelligences theory. Stated simply, it challenges psychology's definition of intelligence as a general ability that can be measured by a single IQ score. Instead, MI theory describes eight intelligences (see below) that people use to solve problems and create products relevant to the societies in which they live.

One Class Increases Odds Of College Graduation For Struggling Students

Link: One Class A researcher at Ohio State University has developed a course on learning and motivation strategies that actually increases the odds that struggling first-year students will graduate. Students in academic difficulty who took the “Learning and Motivation Strategies” course in their first quarter at Ohio State were about 45 percent more likely to graduate within six years than similar students who didn’t take the class. Average-ability students who took the course were also six times more likely to stay in college for a second year and had higher grade point averages than those who didn’t take the class.

Students With A.D.H.D -- Easing the Transition to College

Link: Transition  The transition from high school to college is tough for most students. But for those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, university life poses a host of academic, medical and personal challenges. Students with A.D.H.D. struggle to stay focused on their studies and to meet the organizational demands of schoolwork.

Although some children appear to outgrow the disorder as they age, doctors say that as many as two-thirds have symptoms that persist into adulthood. Medications help, but students need a support system of family, teachers and friends.

Last year, The Journal of Pediatric Nursing published a report in which college students with A.D.H.D. recounted the role family members played in their academic success in high school. Mothers made flash cards, gave them books on tape, proofread papers and helped them prioritize. Even school friends would tap them in class if they “zoned out.” When teenagers leave for college, that personal support system disappears. To ease the transition to college, plan long before arriving on campus.

Music Reveals Blind UM Student’s Life Path

Link: Life Path On Sunday morning, Kiira DeVries goes to church at the Christian Life Center. As hundreds of people file in, some in slacks and buttoned-up shirts, others wearing sandals and T-shirts, inspirational music fills a room as wide as the building through state-of-the-art sound equipment. DeVries is in the third row on the far-right side of the worship center, singing with her friends from the Christian campus ministry Chi Alpha, where she is the student leader. She has been blind since birth because her eyes didn’t fully develop. Her eyelids have formed into tight creases that open only a little. But DeVries is a living, laughing contradiction to the statement that the eyes are the windows to the soul.

thinkcollege.net: The New Frontier

Link: thinkcollege.net
Youth with intellectual disabilities have not had many chances to go to college. This is changing as individuals across the country begin to create opportunities for these youth to reap the benefits of postsecondary education. This website will provide information and links to anyone interested in finding out more about the possibilities. 

going-to-college.org: New Website for College-bound Students with Disabilities

A new website - http://www.going-to-college.org - has been developed to help high school students learn about living college life with a disability. The site provides video clips, activities, and resources that can help students get a head start in planning for college. Video interviews with college students with disabilities offer a way to hear firsthand from students with disabilities who have been successful. Modules include activities that will help students explore more about themselves, learn what to expect from college, and equip them with important considerations and tasks to complete when planning for college.

As Disabled Students Move in Greater Numbers to College They Need to be Informed

Link: Rights and Responsibilities
More and more high school students with disabilities are planning to continue their education in postsecondary schools, including vocational and career schools, two- and four- year colleges, and universities. As a student with a disability, you need to be well informed about your rights and responsibilities as well as the responsibilities that postsecondary schools have toward you. Being well informed will help ensure that you have a full opportunity to enjoy the benefits of the postsecondary education experience without confusion or delay.

College students dealing with ADHD and ADD

Link: Attention in College
Dr. Thomas Kirts, psychiatrist at DeKalb Clinic Chartered, said it is not uncommon for ADHD or ADD (attention-deficit disorder) to be diagnosed in college-level students. “Usually it surfaces in junior high or at least in high school,” Kirts said. For some, the change of environment may contribute to a student’s inability to focus. “It is harder to pay attention in an auditorium rather then a small classroom,” Genereau said. “There is less structure here to stay on track and be organized.”

Website: Free Online College Textbooks

Link: College Textbooks
Website not fully up and running, but will be shortly. For more information click on the link above.