Jane Jarrow

Angela, There has actually been a lot of research on how people -- all people -- choose their areas of interest when it comes to work. With one exception, students with disabilities tend to gravitate to their strengths. They either move toward areas that depend on the things they are best at, or they move toward areas that are of high interest for them, and therefore places where they are willing to work harder to overcome their limitations. Surprisingly, the exception is students with disabilities. They sometimes choose their majors on the basis of what they DON'T do well. They… >>>

Batu, The fact that information in the Letter of Accommodation is minimal does not limit you, as an instructor, from seeking out more information from the student, so long as it is done in the right way and with the right intention -- which it sounds like you have. I wouldn't hesitate to approach a student privately and say, "I have the accommodation letter here, and I understand that you are going to need x, y, and z. If you are comfortable sharing some more information about your disability, there may be other ways I can help as well." Dr.… >>>