Meeting the Transition Needs of College-Bound Students with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

This article presents the Project ASSIST high school to college transition program, developed at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, which assists high school students with learning disabilities in adjusting to the university setting. The transition from a structured, controlled environment to a less structured, open setting can be overwhelming. In an effort to facilitate the students' abilities to cope with the issues and activities facing them during the transition period, this fiveweek, noncredit, posthigh school/precollege summer model program emphasizes six components including: affective support, diagnostic evaluation, academic reinforcement and instruction, strategy training, awareness of support services available on campus, and a general campus awareness.