Somewhere on the syllabus of every course taught at Brandeis appears the same statement: "If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me immediately." This paragraph is targeted at the more than 200 students who receive academic accommodations for mental, psychological and learning disabilities, according to Michele Rosenthal, who coordinates academic accommodations for students with disabilities.

Nine percent of undergraduates nationwide reported having some sort of disabling condition or difficulties with basic physical activities, according to a report published in July 2002 by the National Center for Educational Statistics.

According to federal law, a person with a disability is defined as someone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as caring for oneself, walking, seeing, breathing, learning and working, as stated on Brandeis' Web page for disabilities.

According to Dr. Robert Berlin, the director of the Mailman Psychological Counseling Center, the government stipulates rigorous guidelines in terms of defining disabilities.

Starting with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and continuing with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, people with disabilities are legally guaranteed protection according the Department of Education Web site.

Dr. Jason McCormick is a clinical neuropsychologist from the Children's Evaluation Center in Newtown who has been hired by the University to evaluate students with learning and neurological disabilities. He said that at Brandeis, he most commonly encounters Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), and language-based learning disabilities, including dyslexia and difficulties with oral language.

According to a male student with Asperger's Syndrome, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, receiving extra time on an exam doesn't necessarily help someone who has Asperger's, because Asperger's is not a problem of focusing on material.

"Asperger Syndrome is primarily a deficiency in understanding the big picture versus the smaller details."

"It's not that they have trouble learning, it's just that their pathways for learning are different," he continued.

He said that a professor could help students like him by adding more structure and detail to a class, requiring more class participation from a student with Asperger's syndrome, and taking an initiative to communicate with that student.

One problem that the student cited is that "a lot of professors aren't trained in a lot of learning disabilities like AspSerger's or autism" and thus have a hard time communicating with students with such disabilities.

He said that he would like to see "more of an actual effort on [the] part of the administration to educate professors about learning disabilities" and suggested having a special training program for professors about different learning disabilities.



The process

Rosenthal outlined the specific path by which a student can document his or her disability and request academic accommodations. First, the student must provide documentation about the disability to the psychological counseling center.

From there, McCormick and Berlin are in charge.

McCormick said that he meets with each student and determines whether the documentation is sufficient. If necessary, he runs extra testing on campus.

McCormick emphasized that having a learning disability is not about being less smart but rather about "not really being able to reach your cognitive potential."

Students who have not been previously diagnosed with a disability can also be tested and diagnosed right on campus, according to Rosenthal.

Berlin reviews the diagnosis of McCormick and then conducts evaluations for psychological disabilities, including major depression, anxiety, psychosis, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Rosenthal said that she meets individually with each student after a disability is confirmed in order to determine what accommodations would work best.

During the meeting, Rosenthal and the student compose a letter to present to professors that states that the student has a disability-though not what disability-and clearly outlines the entitled academic accommodations.

"What we're trying to do for students is to really create a level playing field," Rosenthal said.

According to Prof. Bruce Goode (BIO), the letter he receives describing a student's needs is clear and concise. Goode, who teaches a lecture class of about 250 students, said that he has about eight students receiving academic accommodations this semester.



Types of accommodations

According to Rosenthal, students receive a wide range of accommodations in the classroom. Some of the most common approaches include extended time on exams, extended time on papers, low distraction testing where students take the exam in private spaces, allowing tape recorders in class, and employing other students as note takers during class sessions and as scribes on exams.

Extra time on an exam usually means time and a half, Rosenthal said, although some students receive double time.

"Students don't want more than they're entitled to; they just want what's reasonable so that they can be successful here," she said.

Prof. Guy Antebi (HBRW) said that in making academic accommodations, "you've got to use your judgments sometimes, too. It's up to the teacher as well." He noted that Hebrew might be difficult for certain students with disabilities, since the majority of class activities require students to write by hand.



Uniting the accommodations

Beth Rodgers-Kay has been appointed to the new position of Coordinator of Disability Services. Rodgers-Kay has 14 years of experience working with students with disabilities at Northeastern University.

Rosenthal said that Brandeis created this position to bring together the different types of accommodations that a student with disabilities might need, such as academic, residential, or psychological.

"[Previously,] the accommodations were not in one central place. [Rodgers-Kay] will sort of be the point person for all accommodations," Rosenthal said. Her position will involve printing a newsletter about disabilities, providing professors with more information, and working with general university tutors.

Additionally, Rosenthal said that Rodgers-Kay will work individually with students with disabilities "to make them feel comfortable with their disability and the university at large.