Guide to Other Chapters:  
Table of Contents
Introduction
1: What Is Duchenne MD?
2: Getting the Diagnosis
3: Sorting Out The White Coats
4: Your Child's Physical Needs
5: The Future—Research Points the Way
6: Your Child's Emotional Needs
7: Your Child's Education and Future
8: The Family
9: When You Need Help
10: Saying Good-Bye

General MDA Resources >
 
Chapter 7:Your Child's Education and Future
In Chapter 7:
photo: classroom scene
The Individualized Education Plan (IEP) | Adjustment to School | Learning Disabilities |
Assistive Technology | College | The Future | MDA HELPS: Telethon |
Resources for this chapter | General MDA Resources 

COLLEGE

photo: student on campus with dog

A service dog can help enable a student with muscular dystrophy to take a full schedule of college classes and to live in a dormitory.

photo: student with dog in dorm room

Whether your son with DMD chooses to go to college or not depends on his interests and wishes. The number of people with disabilities attending college has tripled in the past 20 years, and colleges are taking steps to accommodate them. Federal law forbids colleges from denying admission to any qualified student on the basis of disability alone.

As the life expectancy of young men with DMD increases, so does their need for higher education, whether it's for career preparation or for their own enjoyment. Like elementary and high school, college offers much more than an academic education. For students with disabilities, college also offers social relationships and opportunities to be involved in meaningful activities. Some students with chronic disabilities enroll part-time, taking as little as one class at a time.

Students applying to four-year colleges must take the Scholastic Aptitude Test or other college entrance exams. They can register for special arrangements, permitted under the ADA, such as wheelchair-accessible space or someone to handwrite test answers.

While all colleges are supposed to accommodate students with disabilities, some have more experience at this than others. See Resources to learn more about programs for students with disabilities, and how well they assist with physical accessibility and support programs.

Your state's Department of Vocational Rehabilitation may be able to help with the costs of college. Every state has a program administered under Title I of the federal Rehabilitation Act, with the goal of helping clients become employed. Most states assist students with disabilities and some pay virtually all in-state college expenses, including tuition, fees and books. (see "Vocational Rehabilitation Services.")

However, Voc Rehab personnel can turn down an applicant for student assistance if they aren't convinced his education will lead to employment. Some students with DMD have encountered this obstacle, and others have received full support for their education. Your son's success with Voc Rehab will depend on the guidelines in your state and his ability to convince the decision makers that his education is a good investment.

The Resources section of this guide lists ways you can find out more about educational rights, the IEP process, helping your child adjust to school, learning disabilities, technological assistance and success in college.

Next... The Future >