Co-Presenters: Michael Lawler, MS Laura McCullough, PhD Gracia Larson, MS, CRC, PVE

1. Helping STEM Students
with Disabilities
Kathleen M. Deery, PhD, CRC
Michael Lawler, MS
Laura McCullough, PhD
Gracia Larson, MS, CRC, PVE
Support provided through The National
Science Foundation grant # 1129682

2. Why Are We Here?
Part I

3. Here are the facts….
• National need for more STEM professionals
o Need to draw from underrepresented groups (women, minorities
& PWD)
• Low rates of success among students with
disabilities in STEM workforce (7%)
o 14% of the entire US labor force (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
2009)
• The problem is widespread…therefore the
solution needs to be widespread

4. Evolving Needs
We are teaching
a more
challenging
student
Better
Accommodations
However…They aren’t necessarily going into STEM programs

5. Disabilities in STEM programs……
• Learning Disabilities (LD)
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD)
• Mental Health Disability
o depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive
disorder
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

6. What does that look like?
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7. Your
Turn!

8. Student Perceptions
Here’s What They’re Saying About Instructors….
• Lack of Awareness
• Indifferent Attitude
• Unrealistic Expectations
• Poor Response to Feedback
• Unwillingness to Share Responsibility
(fear of favoritism)

9. Millennials and Generation Y

10. How are they different?
• Product of ‘power-parenting’
• Feel special
• Highly social – need to connect
• Seek partnership & consensus
• Expect social promotion

11. Generational Challenges
• High expectations - can feel like entitlement
• Multi-tasking is a way of life
• Zero tolerance for delays
• Crave immediate feedback, reinforcement &
structure
• Not used to speaking for themselves
• Fear of failure

12. Digital Learning (OMG)
And the Impact on
Communication
IK,R?

13. Bridging the Gap… A
Study of Perceptual
Differences

14. Pilot Study
Perception of ‘Readiness’ for Employment
Student
Perception
(N= 40)
Employer
Perception
(N= 680)
Difference
Technical Knowledge 98% 53% 45%
Job Seeking Skills 75% 46% 29%
Cover Letter & Resume 94% 53% 41%
Oral Communication 86% 50% 36%
Reading & Writing 87% 52% 35%

15. Next Steps….
• NSF Grant: Soft Skills – Hard Science
• Value of mentoring
• Use of modern technology
Program Method
Element 1 Soft Skills Learning Modules
(Critical thinking, Interpersonal
effectiveness, Problem solving)
Element II Work-Based Learning
(Co-op or Internship)
Element III Mentor-Protégé Experience

16. Break time….(sort of)
Blindness Simulation

17. Accommodation: Level the
Playing Field,
Don’t Lower the Bar
Part III
Gracia Larson, MS, CRC, PVE
Minnesota State Services for the Blind

18. Accommodation:
The Letter(s) of the Law
504
ADA
508
UDL

19. Educational Accommodation Strategies
Two Levels of Accommodating Students
1. UDL: Universal Design for Learning
• Accessible Design of Facilities and Environment
• Digital Formatting of Material/Content
• Preparing students and teachers to apply UDL concepts
2. Individualized Accommodations for Students
• Needs identified through specialized assessment
• Non-device approaches/strategies
• Commercially available devices
• Commercially available with modifications
• Custom designed products
Lawler, 2008

20. The UDL Model
Key Ideas:
•Student diversity, high standards, and
accountability challenge teachers to help all
students achieve.
•New insights into the learning brain shed
light on learner differences and effective
uses of technology.
•UDL seizes opportunity of evolving
technologies to create flexible methods and
materials that can reach diverse learners.
•Instilling flexibility into methods and
materials maximizes learning opportunities
•UDL is not "just one more thing;" it is an
integral component of improving student
learning, compatible with other approaches to
education reform.

21. Flexible Instructional
Media
Key Ideas:
•Learners’ capacities are defined
by abilities and tools.
•Traditional materials and
media, come in “one size” for all.
Inflexible media actually create
barriers to learning.
•New classroom media, like
digital text, sound, images, and
the World Wide Web, can be
adjusted for different individuals
and can open doors to learning.

22. Universal Design for
Learning
Key Ideas: The key to helping
students achieve is
identifying and removing
barriers from our teaching
methods and curriculum
materials. The UDL
framework proposes three
kinds of flexibility:
• To represent information in
multiple formats and media.
• To provide multiple
pathways for students’ action
and expression.
• To provide multiple ways
to engage students’ interest
and motivation.
The three UDL
principles, implemented with
new media, can help us
improve how we set
goals, individualize
instruction, and assess
students progress.

23. Human Performance Model
Context
PsychoSocial - Physical
Human
Sensory – Cognitive - Motor
Activity
Self Care – Work – School
Leisure/Play Assistive Tech
Human/Technology Interface
Processor – Environmental Interface
Activity Output
Context
Human
Activity Assist
Tech
(Bailey, 1983)

24. Who’s responsible for
accommodation?
• Entitlement versus Eligibility
• High School and College Differences

25. Under- & Over-Accommodation
• Who decides what’s reasonable?
• Pressure for Social promotion
Middle Ground Solutions
• Cost, time, access
• Negotiation

26. Dexterity & Learning
Instructions:
1. Place two pair of gloves on (one over the other)
2. Duct tape together three middle fingers on each
hand
3. Form a small group and select one person to be
the ‘instructor’

27. Persistence
Part IV

28. Cumulative Issues
It’s not just one thing – disability, perception,
generational differences, soft skills, or
accommodation…
….it’s EVERYTHING in combination.

29. Reaching Out
• If they don’t know there is a problem, they can’t
change it.
• Don’t overlook the elephant in the room
• Stepping lightly around sensitive issues
• Tough love vs. setting up for failure

30. Nobody Said Life Was Fair
• Provide authentic feedback
o NOBODY like constructive criticism…so
don’t do it
o Find a way to examine the issue and
brainstorm together without judgment
• Relationship matters
o How you say it as important as What you
say.

31. Be human. Be forgiving.
Be honest.

32. Additional Resources
• Searchable Online Accommodation Resources
https://askjan.org/soar/disabilities.html
• National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)
Online Accommodations Bibliography
http://www.cehd.umn.edu/NCEO/OnlinePubs/Acco
mmBibliography/AccomStudies.htm
• Reasonable Accommodations for People with
Psychiatric Disabilities (Center for Psychiatric
Rehabilitation)
http://www.bu.edu/cpr/reasaccom/
• Academic Supports for Individuals with ASD
http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/?pageId=3417
• Universal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to
Practice (Burgstahler & Cory, 2010)
http://www.hepg.org/hep/Book/83