International Educational Exchange and Serving Students with Disabilities Erin Evans, Babson College Jeffrey Rathle, School for International Training (SIT) Amir Reza, Babson College Louise Russell, Harvard University David Shallenberger, SIT NAFSA Conference, Nov 17, 2004

Goals of Session  Examine the unique issues that are faced in international educational exchange with regard to disabilities  Provide strategies and recommendations  Provide resources for further exploration and strategies

Imagine this…  Suzy has just arrived at X college and has never been to the United States before now. Her biggest fear about college is that she will struggle to keep up with her reading and assignments. Suzy is a very slow reader and during high school, she would stay up until 2 am if she needed to complete all of her homework. Suzy is a very smart woman; it just takes her longer to complete work. She has now completed one month of college and she is feeling frustrated and overwhelmed because she is falling behind on her studies. When walking through the bookstore, she notices a sign advertising a workshop called “Teaching Reading Strategies to English Language Learners, offered by the Learning Center.” She attends this workshop and later arrives to your office. You are the first person she meets and she wants you to know that she works very hard. What are 3-4 things you think about Suzy?

Traps for Suzy  Notion of Shame: Save face for the collective family Lowered expectations for PWD Lack of Identification of disability Impact of Shame Avoid Resources Experience secondary anxiety or depression Conflicts with instruction Behavioral issues

Traps cont.  Distinction between ESL and LD  Cross-cultural definition of a disability or acceptance  Paying for an evaluation and family support  Assimilation of family members

Traps cont…  Immigration laws Can impact accommodations  ID’ed as student in Disability Office  International Faculty Members Notion of Accommodations is missing Disconnect between laws Faculty may need accommodations

Strategies and Recommendations  Ask student to identify needs  Include a link to disability services on your International Student website (ex., click here to find confidential information about disability services)  Include a disability self-disclosure statement with acceptance letter  Collaborate with the Disability Services staff to understand college policy around disability issues, discuss current trends, and provide them with information about international students

Strategies cont.  Participate on your college’s Disability Advisory Committee to bring attention to international student issues and how they impact disability issues.  Consider accessibility issues and environmental barriers for PWD (ex, is your website or office accessible?)  Refer students to Disability Services and if appropriate, participate in the initial meeting to make the introduction.  Familiarize yourself with different types of disabilities and find examples of positive role models (ex., hang a poster).

Strategies cont.  Collaborate with your Learning/Academic Center and Disability Services to offer workshops on academic skills geared towards international students  When discussing or publishing college resources for international students, include disability services information.  Understand disability documentation guidelines  Collaborate with Health Services or Counseling services on medication issues

Strategies cont…  Seek out professional conferences on disability issues  Co-present with a colleague on these issues at your campus and during conferences  Propose a new budget initiative to fund psychoeducational testing for students with exceptional circumstances  Understand the relationship between immigration laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and accommodations needs–brainstorm with Disability Services

Handouts Include:  URL’s by topic  Disability Self-Disclosure Statement  Variables Checklist  Documentation Considerations  PowerPoint Presentation Slides  Business Cards and Sample AHEAD brochures