Referring Students to Student Accessibility Services

If a student identifies as having a disability:

Refer any time you judge appropriate
Don’t be forceful; some students choose not to use an organized service like Student Accessibility Services (SAS). Our role is to help students acquire the information that might better inform their choices, while always remembering and respecting that the choices are indeed theirs to make.
It is appropriate to note to the student that there are services, including academic accommodations, which are only available to students via SAS. This may serve as an appropriate incentive.
Contact SAS if you feel any need to discuss beforehand
SAS serves students with temporary circumstances. For example, students who cannot effectively or speedily use a computer keyboard because of a broken hand.

If a student has not identified as having a disability, but is struggling in some way that is not readily explainable:
The key concept when trying to assist students who are struggling in some way is to encourage them to take some sort of constructive action. Reasons for struggles can range from lack of study skills (not uncommon among students at a school with such competitive admissions standards), unsettling life circumstances, certain disabilities that affect the efficiency or method of learning, cultural dissonance with respect to the Dartmouth experience, selected poor academic skills, etc. These things are difficult to discern, and you should not feel like you must land on one perfect referral.

For example, if a student seems like s/he might be depressed, depression could be the main reason for academic difficulties [and, thus, referral to Counseling and Human Development (CHD) at Dick’s House would be the “perfect” referral if the student is ready for it] or it could result from the experience and frustration of – unknown to the student, perhaps – poor study skills or a so-called “learning disability.” It could stem from many other things as well.

A key is to discuss the matter enough to find out what sort of resource appeals to the student, something that will have the best chance of the student following up! Don’t worry too much about whether that turns out the be the perfect place . . . campus resources like CHD, the Academic Skills Center (ASC), Deans, Student Accessibility Services, and OPAL, are quite used to – and good at – cross-referring and ultimately getting the student matched with the right resources.

With respect to Student Accessibility Services:

If a student believes s/he struggles with academics in a way that belies effort, knowledge, and ability, there are disabilities that fit this pattern. If a student is open to exploring that with us, referral to SAS is appropriate. If not, refer to either of both of ASC and CHD.
Other tell-tale circumstances that SAS could help a student explore: poor test performance, even when well-prepared and not nervous; inability to focus or sustain attention, even when interested in the subject at hand; poor performance in “drill” for a foreign language class; or overall history of difficulty when trying to learn a foreign language.
Not all students are ready to consider the possibility that SAS may be a good resource for them.
Avoid any approach that might suggest you assume, or have in some way predetermined, that a student has a disability.
Always feel free to contact SAS to discuss individual decisions about referral. Blitz Ward Newmeyer or call 646-9900.