I'm in special education and want to go to university soon??...?

Question

i'm a freshman in high school i do not have severe disabilities i just have a learning disabilities. and i'm still worried about of i'm goin into bigger college (central michigan university) not community college because i wanted to be an anesthesiologist when i grew older, am i knew that i have to get a 4 year undergraduate degree, 4 year medical school, and a 4 year residency program... i was just wondering that is there such thing as a special education diploma. and still does special education has to do a ACT???

Answer 1

You will not be in Special Education all through High School...Right now is a very good time for you to build your reading and math scores up.  Try really hard on your IEP tests.....bring those scores up.   I teach 7th grade special ed.  I move many of my students at the end of the year into regular classes. You are a very bright student to be thinking about this...keep it up...Best to you

Answer 2

In Virginia, there is a Special Diploma. My cousin earned one. But you will not get in any college with one! You will get a job where other adults with special needs work if you earn a Special Diploma. There is also a modified standard diploma. Since this diploma is modified, you will miss out on taking many difficult classes required to enter many colleges.

Answer 3

Don't fret!! If worse comes to worse you can start off at a community college by taking classes that will transfer over to Central Michigan University and earn your Bachelor's Degree, get accepted into medical school, do your residency program, and still become an anesthesiologist. To prove a point I graduated this past spring with an Associates Degree in Engineering at a local community college and office of admissions from big named universities like the University of Virginia, Columbia, University of Maryland, University of Illinois...... all contacted me with the idea of transferring there this past fall and earn my Bachelor's Degree. As long as I graduated with at least a 3.0 GPA, most universities prefer the graduate to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA in undergraduate school, when I earned my Bachelor's Degree I could elect to attend graduate school and work on earning my Master's Degree.

BTW, just like you I was also in special education in high school, I'm currently earning dual Bachelor Degrees in Computer and Electrical Engineering, and maintaining a 4.0 GPA while working full time.

If you want to go straight into a 4 year university without first starting off at a community college then yes you still have to take the ACT. There is a special education diploma but for high school only not college.

Answer 4

No, there is no Special Education diploma.  You may have to work harder than other students, but if it's what you want, go for it.  There is help, as public universities must have an office of Disabled Student Services.  You need to take your IEP and your most recent evaluation with you and they can help you get the accommodations you may need.  They even do reevaluations for you if you need them and will offer tutoring and test taking services.  They wil not handhold you, but will offer you some support.   Make sure your current evaluation is no more than 3 years old before you go to college, it will make things go smoother for you.

Yes, you have to take the ACT, but any testing accommodations you get on your current IEP will need to be followed.

And ignore the person who believes LD = lazy.  I've never called a child LD who was more unmotivated than anything else- that shows up pretty quick.  That doesn't do anyone any favors, and that kid would just take up space from someone who truly needs it.  Honestly, truly lazy kids may end up looking retarded more than anything.   Once I tell them that (and I do!), they usually straighten up!

Answer 5

I would ask during the next IEP for a full evaluation (re-do all the testing that put into special education in the first place).  Two reasons for this - The more recent the scores, the more accurate they are likely to be.  Secondly, you will need recent test scores to receive accommodations on the ACT or SAT.

If you expect to accomplish all that you listed, you need to be working toward passing AP and Honors courses by junior year.  It may take you a year to really develop good study skills, but colleges will expect outstanding grades and ACT scores to admit you to a pre-med program.  

Furthermore, colleges are NOT required to follow the accommodations in your IEP.  More than likely, they will only give you additional time and possibly a note taker. You need to have the other accommodations removed from your IEP or refuse them (You can do this!).  

The medical track that you have chosen is one of the most competitive and probably at the top of the "most likely to be sued" list.  My hats off to you for being so ambitious.

Answer 6

get rid of your labels unless you start using "learning abled".  you can do anything you want AND succeed.  talk to your school counselor and your parents.  get a mentor.

Answer 7

You have a lot of options for college as well as HS. Being a student with a disability may require a bit more advanced planning on your part but it's definitely worth it.

There are many different types of diplomas. I would work wtih your school, teachers and counselors to make sure that you graduate with a college prep. diploma. This means different things in different schools. Tell your HS counselor you want to take college prep coursework. You are still eligible to have all of the support you need for your disabilities while taking college prep. coursework.

When you have your next IEP team meeting make sure to request an evaluation. If you want an idea of what to make sure is included check out:

http://www.cmich.edu/student-disability/...

I would recommend printing off the documentation information for the ACT and sharing it with your parent(s), a counselor or an LD teacher at school to make sure everything is up to date

The ACT does allow accommodations for students with disabilities. Information on this can be found at:

http://www.act.org/aap/disab/chart.html

Information on documentation is available at http://www.act.org/aap/disab/policy.html

I would recommend printing off the documentation information for disability services in college and sharing it with your parent(s), a counselor or an LD teacher at school to make sure everything is up to date

Here are links to the disability services offices at some schools you might want to consider looking into:

Central Michigan University (the school you mention in your question)- http://www.cmich.edu/student-disability/

University of Michigan- http://www.umich.edu/Disability/

the University of Arizona- http://www.arizona.edu/home/disability-a...

Augsburg College (Minneapolis, MN)- http://www.augsburg.edu/accesscenter/

University of California at Berkeley

http://access.berkeley.edu/

http://dsp.berkeley.edu/

University of MN (Saint Paul, MN)- http://ds.umn.edu/

There are also some schools specifically designed for students with learning disabilities as well as AD/HD. They offer degree programs as well as as pre-college programs and summer programs for current college students.

Landmark College (Putney, VT)- http://www.landmarkcollege.org/

Beacon College (Leesburg, FL)- http://www.beaconcollege.edu/

LDonline also offers resources for students with LDs who are planning on higher education.

http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/college

Remember- that if you end up attending two years at a community college it does not mean you will not continue on to medical school. Thaty said- having an LD is no reason not to be able to go to whatever institution of higher education you choose.

Good Luck!

Answer 8

you should speak to someone from your school about this, l'm not quite sure..you could take out books from the library or see the student services department in your highschool to ask these questions or do more internet research. And remember, you could still pursue your dreams even if you went to community college because you could transfer to a 4 year school after a couple semesters there. Good luck

Answer 9

You will not be eligible for college with a special education diploma.  If the school believes you are a good candidate for a special education diploma and you believe you are a viable candidate for a doctoral degree, one of you is very, very wrong.  Best for you to figure out your potential now, and to steer your education in a reasonable direction.