Undisclosed Disability

Right Now

  1. Make note of the student's behaviors in relation to your class that you believe are impacting/may impact the student's learning. THESE are the focus of your interactions with the student, NOT any suspected disability. Examples – not participating in group work, written work much less cohesive and developed than spoken ideas, difficulty staying focused on in-class tasks, quiz/test scores not reflecting quality of work in other areas, challenges with social skills/interaction.
  2. Speak with the student in a confidential environment, describing the BEHAVIORS that you are observing.
  3. Ask the student what challenges s/he is experiencing in the class and what strategies s/he has used successfully in the past and use these to inform your instructional practice.
  4. DO NOT ask the student if s/he has a disability. Why? See Rights and Responsibilities.
  5. If the student discloses that s/he has a disability, thank him/her for sharing that information with you, and treat that information as confidential.
  6. If the student has an accommodation plan from DSPS, review and discuss the plan with the student.
  7. Also discuss any concerns you have that the student has not already raised, based on your observations and your knowledge of your upcoming assignments and curriculum. Then strategize with the student how to address these. You may wish to refer to the Teaching Strategies page for ideas.
  8. If the student does not have an accommodation plan: While you can't directly refer a student to the DSPS office or inquire whether the student currently works with DSPS, you CAN recommend a RANGE of campus services to the student. Discuss student support services on campus including tutoring at CAS, workshops at CAS, the DSPS office, Counseling, and other services as appropriate, and offer to refer the student as s/he wishes, using Early Alert. Let the student know that the DSPS office offers some limited testing services for determining eligibility.

Next Steps

  1. Ask colleagues for strategies they have used successfully when dealing with behaviors like those you are observing, but be careful to maintain the student's confidentiality.
  2. Review the Teaching Strategies and Help By Disability pages (tabs for these are at top of this page) for information that seems to be most relevant to your student's situation for help.
  3. Check your instructional materials for ADA, 504, and 508 compliance using this Checklist and begin retrofitting your materials to meet these federal requirements.
  4. Contact the DSPS office to request any resources they may have available to support your working with a student exhibiting the behaviors you are observing. They may have media or print materials specific to your concerns, or they may be able to refer you to a campus colleague who has had success working with similar students. 
  5. If you develop concerns regarding the safety of your student, your class, and/or yourself, contact your department chair, your dean or director, or the Vice President for Student Services for guidance.

For Future

To expand your knowledge base for working with students with disabilities:

  1. Review the Teaching Strategies page for specific strategies.
  2. Explore the Further Resources for Teachers page for links to additional guides, information, and materials to build your skills.
  3. Mine the Disability Awareness page for books, films, online video clips, and other materials to provide context to work effectively with these students.

 

Material provided for information purposes only. For legal advice, consult a legal professional.