By Leilani Auna

Aim of Special Needs Assistance

Services for students with special needs exists to assist students in functioning in and graduating from BYUH in spite of physical, learning, or other challenges.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Requires that equal access and reasonable accommodations are made for students with disabilities. It is designed to eliminate discrimination based on disability.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

no otherwise qualified individual with a disability shall solely by reason of his/her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity of a public entity.

Mission
Services for Students with Special Needs exist to assist students in applying to, functioning in, and graduating from Brigham Young University-Hawaii in spite of physical, learning, or other challenges.

We develop, provide, and seek, facilitate, and coordinate efforts, services and programs that are assistive, supportive, and empowering.
We aim to always allow students to do for themselves all that they can do and then encourage and support them in expanding their unique capacities and gifts.

Mission

Special Needs Students

Services for
Growth of Unique Capacities & Gifts

Special Needs

Personal Effort

Assistive Supportive Empowering

What can be considered a disability?

Chronic Pain and Illness Disabilities

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Emotional / Mental Health Disabilities

Learning Disabilities and ADHD

Mobility Impairments Visual Impairments Temporary Medical Conditions

Current Diagnosis of Special Needs Students

Learning Disabilities Medical Disorder
Reading & Writing Disorder Mathematics Disorder

Sleep Apnea Stroke & Epilepsy Asthma Visual & Hearing Impaired Quadriplegic (Wheelchair Bound) Cerebral Palsy Depression Anxiety (Claustrophobic) Bipolar Disorders

Physical Disabilities

Psychological Conditions

Others

ADD/ADHD Temporary & Permanent Physical Injury/Illness

How faculty can facilitate learning for students with special needs?
The suggestions are to. Ask students for feedback Use aids to improve learning and use alternative modes of evaluations Make lecture notes available on the Web to allow students to review them

after class
Regularly evaluate students progress Make sure your room is accessible to wheelchair users and persons that

have a physical disability

* Refer students that have identified themselves as having specific challenges or disabilities to Services to Students with Special Needs

Emphasis
Emphasize in your syllabus how students can seek help from Services for Students with Special Needs. Please advise also that all information disclosed is kept confidential.

Services Offered
Class Room Accommodations (i.e. front seat priority, wheel chair

accessibility, etc)
Testing Accommodations (i.e. distraction free room, extended time, oral test taking, alternative modes of evaluations etc.)

Assistive Technology (e.g. hearing amplifiers, tape recorders,

carbon paper, kurzweil 3000, etc.) Case Management (teach learning strategies, follow up with students progress, advocate for the student, etc.)

Process of Services
Students will identify they have a disability prior to the term/semester. If not, they will identify themselves when they are ready preferably the earlier the better.

Special Needs Services(SNS) will deem eligibility and send Letters of Accommodation to professors after the add/drop deadline. Students will receive an accommodation card from SNS.

If testing accommodations are needed (the student is responsible to inform his/her professors and to present the accommodation card to the testing center.)

Accommodation Card
The accommodation card is wallet size and has an expiration date.

 Letters of Accommodations

Note Taker (Volunteer)

Accessible Classrooms Sign Language / Oral Interpreters Videotape/Audiotape Lectures Case manager Tutors

 Extended Time for Exams Staggered Exams or Exam Breaks Alternative Evaluation Modes Distraction-Free Rooms for Exams Test Reader/Scribe

Audio Textbooks

Time Management Goal Setting Measuring Progress Grade Checks Tutoring Programs Note Taking Skills Reading Strategies

How can a student qualify to receive these services?

Make an appointment to meet with a Special Needs Service Counselor
Phone: (808) 675-3518 or (808)675-3999 Email: Leilani Auna at aunal@byuh.edu

Submit official documentation of disability and/or special needs to Special Needs Services. It will be reviewed for validity and applicability.

Student should carefully consider services and assistance that will be appropriate for their disability.
Student will brainstorm to create a service plan with their SNS Counselor This should start as quickly as possible (1 semester prior) so that appropriate resources and staff can be arranged.

Changes to the service plan are made each semester as academic and other challenges change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who can/should be tested? A: If you are a student at BYU-Hawaii and have

concerns about the possibility of a learning disability or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHA), you may complete a full learning disabilities assessment.

If you have been diagnosed previously, you may be required to complete additional testing (depending on how current and complete your previous test results are) in order to receive accommodations from SNS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is the testing process initiated?
A: If the student would like to be tested, set up an appointment to speak with an SNS counselor. The student and his/her counselor will discuss his/her difficulties and decide if a full assessment is appropriate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does the Assessment Involve? A: The testing process at BYU-Hawaii usually involves meeting with the university psychologist several times and performing numerous, diverse testing activities. The entire assessment usually takes between six and ten hours. Most people prefer to break this time up into two-hour sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does it cost? A: The only cost is your time. A similar assessment performed in the private sector would cost several hundred dollars. This is a free service to full time BYU-Hawaii students when an SNS counselor or Counseling Services staff makes an appropriate referral.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the process the same for learning disability and ADHD concerns? A: Since a physician must make a diagnosis of AD/HD, the psychologist
works closely with a medical professional at the BYU-H Student Health Center. The SNS counselor asks that students complete a full assessment as it provides several indicators of attention/concentration problems. After you have completed an assessment, you and the psychologist can discuss whether a referral to the physician seems appropriate based on the results of the testing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What will the student learn from the testing? A:
Regardless of whether or not the student is diagnosed with a learning disorder or AD/HD, the results of the assessment can be very helpful. The testing examines many different aspects of learning (e.g., reading, writing, math, memory, information processing, problem solving, attention, concentration, etc.) and can help the student understand where his/her strengths and weaknesses are. If diagnosed with a learning disability or ADHD, the results of the assessment can be helpful to the student. The counselor and student will know how the student learn best so that accommodations can be most appropriately matched to the students needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will the student receive a copy of the result? A: Each student who completes the full assessment can receive a student copy of the report. This includes results of the test, conclusions reached, recommendations, and possible accommodations.

Ask Questions, Request Services

Services for Students with Special Needs

BSW
Post Graduate Intern (assistant to coordinator)
Phone: (808) 675-3518 / 4988

Email: whi99005@go.byuh.edu

Ask Questions, Request Services

Services for Students with Special Needs

Phone: (808) 675-3518 / 3999

Email: aunal@byuh.edu
Room: McKay #181F

Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto

one of the least of these my

brethren, ye have done it unto me
Matthew 25:40