Last updated 4/17/07

Please note, you do not need to register for Single Sessions ahead of time. Also note the level of the session appears in parentheses after the title. Please select your attendance accordingly.

Thursday, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Students with Psychiatric Disabilities (all levels) ~ Laura DiGalbo, M.Ed., Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, Department of Social Services, State of Connecticut. This session should be considered by those who attended the Strand on students with psychiatric disabilities. The format of this session will be case study roundtable to provide a forum for discussion of individual student situations. Participants may either bring case studies from their campuses or discuss issues presented during the Strand.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Lessons Learned About Delivering Tech Strategies to College students with LD/ADHD in a Digital World (all levels) ~ Manju Banerjee, M.A., Educational Testing Service and University of Connecticut & David R. Parker, Ph.D., University of Connecticut. Participants will learn about the risk factors that college students with LD/ADHD increasingly encounter on college campuses where technology proficiency is an increasing expectation. Results of a recent study on undergraduates with and without LD/ADHD regarding their technology competencies will be presented. Findings from the survey will be used to highlight key changes in service delivery model at the presenter’s institution. The session will conclude with an interactive discussion regarding the interface between growing demands for tech competencies and the role and resources of disability service providers.

As The CD Spins: Using RFB&D as an Effective Resource for Students with Print-Related Disabilities Who Require Audio as an Accommodation (all levels) ~ Annemarie Cooke, B.A., Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, NJ. Whether you are a newcomer to the field or a seasoned service provider, this session will furnish useful information for anyone who must provide audio textbooks to students who se disabilities limited or prevent effective use of standard print. 2007 is a milestone year for RFB&D. In just a few weeks after this Institute, the old technology of four-track tape cassettes will no longer be produced. As RFB&D produces more DAISY-format audio books with extraordinary user-friendliness and navigation capabilities, the organization looks to the near future for mainstream audio products. This session will also present an overview of the first six months of the NIMAS/NIMAC effort that will provide full-text, full-audio books to K-12 students from DAISY-ready files made available by publishers. While this does not directly affect postsecondary book production, it does have important ramifications for any professional in the disability services field. Participants in this interactive presentation will have the opportunity to hear the very latest news from RFB&D and how it will impact professionals who provide services to postsecondary students with disabilities.

Implementing College Prep Programs (intermediate) ~ Tamara Massey-Garrett, M.S., Auburn University Montgomery, AL; Linda Hames, M.Ed., Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services; Daniel L. Miller, M.Ed., Jacksonville State University, AL; & Keyonna Dailey, M.S., Auburn University, Montgomery, AL. The presenters will address current trends and describe key components of college preparatory programs offered in Alabama for high school students with disabilities preparing for postsecondary settings. Descriptions of programs, data, curricula, and future program plans will be offered.

Through the Looking Glass: Empowering Students with Disabilities through Learning Style Metacognition (all levels) ~ Kyle Cushman, M.A., Goddard College, VT & Anne Connor, M.A., Woodbury College, VT. What does it mean to become aware of one’s unique learning profile in the broadest sense? When people hear the phrase "learning style," many think of the well-known visual, auditory, kinesthetic model (VAK), or maybe Howard Gardner’s "multiple intelligences," or the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator (MBTI). Learning style certainly encompasses all of those models; however, to these presenters, learning style covers a wide range of unique processes for writing, reading, note-taking, time management, and other academic endeavors. Thus, learning style can mean whether a student is a morning person or late night person, can read for long periods of time or needs frequent breaks, can grasp large concepts but forgets the details, or remembers all of the details but has trouble synthesizing them to grasp the big picture. In this workshop, participants will take part in hands-on activities and discussion designed to inspire a greater understanding of this broader perspective of learning style. The goal of learning style metacognition is to empower students to take control of their own learning while fostering academic growth. Participants will explore the concept of learning style metacognition; identify strategies for coaching students with disabilities to better articulate and advocate for their unique learning styles; explore ways to pinpoint academic skill areas where a student may be getting "stuck" in the learning process so that service providers can better help students target key academic skills; and look at how metacognition might benefit students who have learning, attentional, physical, or psychiatric disabilities. Participants will leave with a comprehensive learning style profile designed by the presenters that can be used in their work with individual students.

Friday, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Integrating Assistive Technology with Learning Strategies (intermediate) ~ Marlene McIntosh, MBA & Diane Berzins, M.Ed., Cambrian College, Ontario. Assistive technology can become more beneficial to students with learning disabilities if it is combined with appropriate learning strategies. After eight years of teaching both assistive technology and learning strategies to students with learning disabilities, we have discovered that assistive technology on its own is not the answer. Experience has shown that learning strategies integrated with assistive technology is the key to success. The presenters will demonstrate how they integrate and teach learning strategies with assistive technology to students with learning disabilities.

Transition to College: A Class for Freshmen Women with Disabilities (beginner/intemediate) - Carolyne Chirichello, M.S., Monmouth University, NJ. In this session, participants will learn how an elective course can assist students with the process of transition from high school to college. This model has many benefits for both students and staff. It allows staff to meet with a number of students at one time, and promote services offered by the department. Students learn critical time management, organizational and study skills. Being in a class with other students with disabilities promotes peer interaction and potentially reduced feelings of isolation due to disability.

Enhancing Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities (intermediate) ~ Deborah Fairchild, B.A. & Kelly O’Brien Mann, M.A., Southern Connecticut State University. Statistically, students with disabilities are not employed at the same rate as their peers. Too often universities wait until a student’s senior year to address career issues which, for students with disabilities, is too late. This interactive session is designed to discuss these issues and provide solutions to enhance students’ job marketability.

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