Episode 2: Transition Tuesday - Preparing Your HS Student With a Disability for College Success

Thank you to everyone who tuned into our live video! Who We Are Kelley Challen is a transition specialist and founder of Challen Education & Transition Services. She supports teens, college students, and young adults with diverse learning and developmental profiles in planning meaningful futures and navigating the path from high school to adulthood. Kelley also writes Planning Beyond the IEP, where she shares insights on transition assessment, college readiness, and self-determination. Elizabeth C. Hamblet is a national expert on college disability services and author of Seven Steps to College Success. She also authors the Elizabeth C Hamblet, LD Advisory Substack, where she offers perspectives on questions that have come up in her day-to-day work. Elizabeth helps families understand how accommodations work at the postsecondary level and what skills students need to successfully advocate for themselves in college. Overview of Our Conversation In this Substack Live, we unpacked one of the most confusing aspects of transition planning: the difference between accommodations and modifications in K–12—and how those distinctions change completely when students move into college, where IDEA no longer applies. We discussed: Why misunderstanding these terms can lead to gaps in preparation. The legal landscape: how IDEA frames specially designed instruction and supplementary aids and services, and how ADA/Section 504 shift expectations in college. What “reasonable accommodations” actually mean in higher education. The increasing need for students to self-advocate, communicate their needs, and manage their own accommodation process. Practical examples from our work that highlight where students struggle and what families and IEP teams can do now to build essential readiness skills. The heart of the conversation:Understanding supports in high school is crucial for preparing students for the independence they’ll need in college. Further Reading & Resources Kelley’s Substack: Planning Beyond the IEP (https://kelleychallentransitions.subs...) Elizabeth’s Substack: Elizabeth C Hamblet, LD Advisory (https://echamblet.substack.com/) Elizabeth’s Free Blog: ldadvisory.com (https://bit.ly/LDBlogHome) Elizabeth’s book: Seven Steps to College Success: A Pathway for Students with Disabilities (https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Steps-Co...) 31 Must-Have College Readiness Skills (https://kelleychallentransitions.subs...) College Disability Accommodations Request Preparation Form (https://bit.ly/LDAF2x) When College Disability Services Offices or Professors Say No to an Accommodation (post) (https://bit.ly/LDBlog144x) FAQ #19 Can professors refuse an approved accommodation? (video) (https://bit.ly/ECHFAQ19) Moving From High School To College Accommodations: Changes in Vocabulary and Expectations (https://bit.ly/LDBlog132x) Study and Planning Tools and Advice for College Students (https://bit.ly/LDAT) Get full access to Planning Beyond the IEP at kelleychallentransitions.substack.com/subscribe (https://kelleychallentransitions.subs...)