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High School College
Services provided under IDEA or  Section 504. Services provided under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
School district responsible for identifying and evaluating disability at no cost to the student or family.

Student must self-identify and provide documentation of disability.
Student must pay cost of evaluation.
Postsecondary institution responsible for most, but not all costs involved in providing accommodations and/or essential auxiliary aids.
Postsecondary institution not legally required to provide special programs with comprehensive support services.

Fewer responsibilities. More independent living.
Student is assisted with decisions. Increased number of decisions.
Limits set for student by parents and teachers. Increased number of decisions.
Student expected to make independent decisions.
More self-evaluation and monitoring required.
More independent reading and studying required.
Student more responsible for managing time commitments.
Student establishes and attains own goals.
Student determines when they need help.
Interest in learning generated by student.
Motivation to succeed generated by student.
Attendance and progress well monitored. Student responsible for attendance and awareness of progress or lack thereof.
Student's time structured by home and school. Student manages own time.
Special education teacher liaison between student, parents, teachers. Student responsible for self-advocacy.
Summary for High School Summary for College
Students labeled as in “special education” and possibly served separately from other students. Student must self-identify disability and request services from postsecondary institution.
Student required to provide recent documentation of disability and 
documentation must clearly support desired accommodations.
Student not labeled or served separately from others.
Other students and faculty will not know about student’s disability unless student elects to reveal such information.  Faculty only notified about required accommodations. 

Adapted from St. Louis Community College, compiled from:

  • Claire E. Weinstein, Karalee Johnson, Robert Malloch, Scott Ridley and Paul Schuls, Innovation Abstracts (vol. X No. 21; Sept. 30, 1988) 
  • National Institute for Staff & Organizational Development; the University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 78712
  • F. Shaw, L.C. Brinckerhoff, J. Kistler and J. M. McGuire, 1991, Learning Disabilities A Multidisciplinary Journal 2, 21-26.
  • The Postsecondary Learning Disabilities Primer, Learning Disabilities Training Project, Western Colina University, 1989.
  • Vogel, S. A. Alderman, P.B. 1993, Success for College Students with Learning Disabilities.
  • Brinckerhoff, L.C., S.F. Shaw and J. M. McGuire, 1993, Promoting Postsecondary Education for Students with Learning Disabilities.