DISABILITY ADVISORS

Learner Analysis

The content of CDSP 101 and the delivery methods are informed by characteristics unique to College Disabiliy Services personnel. 

CONSIDERATIONS

• • Demographics: male & female; over age 19, work in university services office

  • Entry behaviors: careful to follow school protocol; record analysis & advising, 

  • Prior knowledge of the topic: minimal general legal; used to formulaic advising; content is new to managers, directors and staff. 

  • Attitudes: Content is suspect: "if dyscalculia  existed, I would have learned about it in school, I would have heard about it! Staff safely avoid learning about topic unless employer mandates it.

  • Preferred method of instruction: Paid conference with earned CEUs & Certificate. 

  • Educational & ability level: staff hold Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral degrees

  • General learning preferences: Paid training funded/ mandated by employer in social setting, small groups, seminar/conference style.

  • Attitudes toward the organization giving the instruction: Curious about instructor credentials, and profit motive. 

  • Group characteristics: careful not to set precedent of academic permissiveness; cautiously guard academic integrity of institution; avoid bold actions for fear of industry and institutional repercussions. 

DSP PERFORMANCE CONTEXT - WORKING ENVIRONMENT 

(A) Locate your institution's policies & procedures for 

     (1) obtaining services for a learning disability

     (2) obtaining a course waiver

     (3) obtaining a course substitution

     (4) obtaining remedial math services

(B) Locate your institution's criteria for 

     (1) evaluating documentation of a learning disability

     (2) analyzing historical standardized test data 

     (3) transcript evaluation

     (4) evaluating college placement test data

(C) Locate your institution's programs for:

     (1) Disabled Student Services

     (2) At-Risk or Low Income Student Services

     (3) Remedial Math

     (4) Instructional / Assistive Technology

     (5) Mathematics Ed Tech Service providers (ALEKS, MyMathLab, etc.)

     (6) Educational Psychology & Assessment

     (7) Educational Neuropsychology & Neuroimaging

(D) Office politics: supervisors, managers & peers' attitudes toward content:

     (1) Enlist managers in need analysis

     (2) Enlist managers in creating program goals

     (3) Ask managers to serve as mentors and supporters of staff adopting new practices. 

     (4) Ask managers to keep statistics of MLD students served and ways served for followup study. 

(E) Site Visits to college Disability Services offices:

     (1) interviews with learners, data gathering

     (2) interviews with supervisors, data gathering

     (3) reward system: what, who, how

DSP TRAINING ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS

RESOURCES TO SUPPORT INSTRUCTION

• • computer lab, conference rooms, webinar, wifi.

CONSTRAINTS THAT MAY INHIBIT INSTRUCTION

• • finances, personnel, time, facilities, equipment, and attitudes.