Maintained by drc@ucsc.edu

Parents

Sending your young adult off to college is an exciting time. Yet, the transition has its challenges, especially if you have been the primary advocate for your child with a disability.

There are many ways you can assist your son or daughter with a successful transition to college. Check out these tips:

• Know the Difference between High School and College
• Encourage Self-Advocacy
• Know Confidentiality Laws
• Help Your Student Access the Disability Resource Center
• Help Your Student Get Connected to Campus Resources
• Helpful Parent Links

Know the Differences between High School and College:

High School	vs.	College
IDEA (focus is on academic success)		ADA (focus is on equal access)
504 Plans		Specific medical documentation requirements
Parent is student advocate		Student is self-advocate
School initiates services		Student initiates services

For further information on the differences between high school and college see:

Office of Civil Right’s Students with Disabilities Preparing for Post-Secondary Education: Rights and Responsibilities

University of Montana’s Comparison of Disability in High School and College and Making the Transition from High School to College.

Encourage Self-Advocacy

One of the best ways to help your son or daughter transition into college is to encourage him/her to develop self-advocacy skills.

This means encouraging your college student to express his needs, ask for help, and engage in personal decision making. For an example, instead of making calls on behalf of your student, coach your son or daughter through the process so they can learn to ask for help and make decisions on their own.

As with anyone learning a new skill, there are bound to be mistakes your college student will make, but these are a natural and important part of development.

Know Confidentiality Laws

A key transition occurs when your child turns 18; federal privacy laws become applicable, protecting the confidentiality of your son or daughter. Specifically, FERPA prohibits the Disability Resource Center from disclosing information to you about your college student.

Without written consent, we cannot inform you what accommodations s/he is receiving or even whether s/he is requesting services from the DRC. Likewise, parent involvement in any DRC meetings with the student, must be at the student’s invitation.

Help Your Student Access the Disability Resource Center

Help Your Student Get Connected to Campus Resources:

There is a wealth of resources at UCSC students can access. Encourage your son or daughter to be proactive in plugging into the support they need. Here is a sample of on-campus resources:

Helpful Parent Links

UCSC Links:

Other Links: