High School to College

The Interactive Process for College Accommodations

College accommodations are determined through an interactive process (but may vary by institution):

Step 1: Student Self-Identifies - Student contacts the Disability/Access Services office to identify as a student with a disability and request accommodations.

Step 2: Student Provides Documentation – Documentation requirements vary by college.  Third party documentation serves to inform current disability barriers and is not necessarily prescriptive.

Common forms of documentation include:

• Recent psycho-educational or neuropsychological evaluation
• IEP or 504 Plan (as history, not as a college plan)
• • Either an IEP or 504 will carry equal weight in establishing a history of accommodations.
  • Declassification has no bearing on college admission or accommodation determination
• Medical documentation from a licensed provider outlining functional limitations that impact major life activities, such as learning

Step 3: Interactive Meeting - Student meets with disability coordinator to determine reasonable accommodations. Students should be prepared to talk about: 

• Their disability and how that impacts them in the classroom
• Past experiences with accommodations (if any).

Step 4: Accommodation Determination – The Disability Office determines accommodations and creates a letter for faculty that includes the approved accommodations (no diagnostic information is included).

Accommodations vs. Success Strategies

In college, accommodations are meant to remove disability-related barriers. Some requests are not accommodations—they are success strategies that all students are encouraged to use.

Access means opportunity. Success means the outcome.
Colleges must provide equal access, but students are responsible for their own success.

Table 2 helps clarify the difference between disability-related accommodations and general academic success strategies. Accommodations remove documented barriers; success strategies support study skills, organization, time management, grade achievement and work completion for all students. Accommodations are made through an interactive process and are determined on a case-by-case basis.

Table 2: Example Accommodations versus Success Strategies

Accommodation (Disability Barrier Related)	Success Strategy (Not an accommodation)
Extended time on exams due to processing or attention-related, or medical barriers	Extra time and extension for all assignments
Use of assistive technology (screen readers, speech-to-text)	Help staying organized or managing time
Reduced-distraction testing environment	Excused participation in group work, presentation, etc.
Note-taking support due to documented motor, auditory, or cognitive barriers including permission to record lectures due to disability related need.	Asking for copes of notes when notes are not provided to any student.
Accessible housing based on disability needs	Choosing a private room for personal preference or study convenience.

Many colleges have resources to support success, some of which are available to all students. Some of these may include:

• Academic coaching or executive functioning support to assist with time management, planning, organization, etc.
• Visiting the Writing Center, tutoring, or academic coaching
• Meeting regularly with professors during office hours
• Using campus workshops on study skills or time management

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