About LDND Foundation
Why LDND Foundation? Why NOW?
Our Rationale:
To provide a comprehensive website with current and accurate Higher Education Resources
The internet washboards people with information about higher education; some is true and much is false or outdated. Things have changed in the last 40 years and continue to evolve daily. What some parents know about higher education is also obsolete. This begs the question, how can you find what you’re looking for, if you don’t even KNOW what information you need?! Identifying what to look for and embarking on a journey to find the accurate information, and that which is relevant to YOU, can be a daunting task! Our solution is to provide a comprehensive, well organized and FREE resource to help students, their families, Educators and other Professionals, to navigate the world of higher education.
To establish a time-saving tool for Higher Education Research
This site is a starting point. Instead of spending indefinite periods of time wading through books and the internet, we have distilled the process down to some basic steps. We accomplish this by providing strategic resources to empower students to explore and choose pathways to develop a career. This website is, in NO way, a replacement for being guided through the pursuit of higher education by a School Counselor or Independent Educational Consultant. If you need more personalized service than what the website offers, you can send us an e-mail with questions and a request for booking hourly time with our Co-Founder and IEC, April Miller. You can also look in our Business Directory for an Independent Educational Consultant (IEC) to hire.
To share pertinent Advancements in Neurodiversity Education
Advancements in understanding how Neurodiverse people think and learn have been transformative in the last four decades. The motivation to design higher education programs and services has fostered a niche within the higher education industry. In 1985, Landmark College was founded in Putney, Vermont as a higher education institution solely for Neurodiverse students. Then in 1989, shortly thereafter, Beacon College was founded in Leesburg, Florida with a similar intention to provide higher education opportunities solely for people who learn differently. There are also now over 400 colleges and universities in the United States that provide a broad continuum of educational services meeting the diverse needs of these students, and empowering them to find access to and success in higher education. For many students, a pre-college Transition Program is necessary to facilitate the development of college readiness skills. Many families are not aware of the breadth and depth of the programs and learning support services offered by both pre-college Transition Programs and by Programs offered through many colleges. Therefore, our Foundation has come into being, inviting students, families and a wide array of professionals, to explore and understand the world of Higher Education for Neurodiverse students.
To shed light on the financial investment in Higher Education
Students and parents need to spend money wisely as they consider a higher education investment. Some parents are going to spend more on their kid’s education than they did on their first house. How do you determine the right-fit career and pathway to that career, that also fits within your budget? Start HERE!!
LDND Foundation Philosophy
Terms Defined
Authority Definition: We define AUTHORITY as the confident quality of someone who knows a lot about something or who is respected by other people. Our Co-Founder, April Miller, brings decades of experience in education working with students who think and learn differently to LDND Foundation. Our other Co-Founder, Michael Daley, engages in continuous research into higher education for sutdents who learn differently, in order to keep up with trends and changes in the industry of college counseling. Together, April and Michael are an Authority on LDND Higher Education.
LDND Definition: Learning Differences and Neurodiversity are becoming more mainstream terminology that we are shifting towards, as we outgrow the label of “learning disabilities.” Our philosophy is that thinking and learning is not a “one size fits all” that everyone must adhere to. We do not subscribe to a belief that there is one right way to think and learn that exists, and therefore it must be sought out by casting aside a myriad of wrong or lesser ways. Optimal learning and thinking is as unique as each individual human being! We acknowledge that people have learning differences. We are not saying that they are broken because of this. We are making a statement that their minds work differently than the norm.
Neurodiversity: It means that people have diverse ways of thinking and learning. An individual person who learns differently is considered Neurodivergent. We also welcome terms like Neurodiversability, Learning Diversibility and Learning Identities. Anything that identifies these differences in an objective or neutral manner, fits within our philosophy as a foundation. We want to both empower the people who identify as Neurodivergent, as well as spread awareness to everyone else to embrace, support and respect Neurodiversity.
Foundation Definition : We define FOUNDATION as an underlying basis or principle upon which something stands or is supported. We are an organization that is created and supported with money that people give in order to do something that helps society. We are also the starting point for students building their own foundations in become self-sufficient citizens as a result of finding their path and their place in the world of work. Our website is the first stop to gather resourceful information, strategies and pathways to higher education. As a FREE foundation for consumers, with information that is thorough and well-organized, self-starters can begin their journey towards developing a career and perhaps a lifelong love of learning. Our foundation has been established to be the authority on higher education for students who learn differently and are Neurodivergent. Our intention is to give people the information that best serves them, and to provide it in a manner that saves people time and money, as they prepare to launch!
Navigating College Planning for Neurodivergent Students
Levels of College Supports for Neurodivergent Students
Students who go to college with diagnosed Learning Disabilities and a track record of having received learning support services in High School, have often had an IEP and/or 504 in place, outlining their accommodations and support services. While these documents may be considered by the college in the determination of which accommodations to approve, that decision is made at the college's discretion. In order to set students up for success in college, the specific supports need to be identified, and the level of supports required must also be clear. The right-fit college is one that will provide the level of supports that will enable them to: perform academically, navigate daily life tasks successfully, and socialize effectively. There are almost 4,000 colleges in the United States, and less than 25% of them provide learning support services or a fee-for-service program that go above and beyond the legally required, and often inadequate, accommodations. Choosing to work with an IEC who specializes in college planning for Neurodivergent Students is the best way to identify the right-fit colleges for each student's set of specific needs. The following information indicates what is legally required, and supplemental services and fee-for-service programs which are offered by some schools.
Required by LAW:
Free Accommodations ONLY!!
No Learning Specialist
Students need to be strong Self-Advocates
Peer Academic Tutoring may be provided: NOT required
SERVICES:
Free Accommodations
Learning Center Staffed by Professional (with a Degree)
Facilitate Student Self-Advocacy
Possible provision of Peer & Professional Academic Tutoring
Possible Executive Functioning Coaching (for study skills and organization)
Possible Workshops / Support Groups
Possible Summer Orientation
PROGRAM:
Free Accommodations
Separate Fee-based Program for LD students
Full-time Director and Staff Members
Staff may be involved in admissions process
Staff may advocate on behalf of students with faculty
Professional Tutors
Executive Functioning Coaching in 3-5 sessions weekly, in groups and/or 1:1
Workshops / Support Groups
Summer Orientation
Possible courses for study skills & Executive Functioning skills
Possible Planned Social Activities & Social Skills support.
Transitioning From High School to College
What You Need To Know!
1. THE LAW: The FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) of 1974 is a United States federal law that governs the access to educational information and record by public entities including Educational Institutions. Colleges can not legally provide information to parents about their student's performance in college classes, and/or use of support services unless the student signs a waiver.
2. ACCOMMODATIONS: They are available to students with diagnosed Learning Disabilities free of charge at colleges in the United States. Students must self-advocate to get the accommodations approved by providing documentation specified by the college. Faculty must then be informed with college documentation regarding the approved accommodations.
3. FREE SUPPORT SERVICES VS. A FEE-BASED PROGRAM: Colleges provide learning support services to ALL students free of charge; these may include: a writing center, math center, peer tutoring and a counseling center. However, both support services and fee-for-service Programs intended specifically for students who learn differently, are only offered at certain schools and vary widely between colleges.
4. ASSESSMENTS, DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT: Public Schools for students in k-12 are required to provide assessments for students with suspected Learning Disabilities and/or Related Disorders. If given an LD diagnosis, the school is then required to provide services to support the student's learning in school. However, once a student is 18 and a legal adult, colleges are not required to conduct assessments, diagnose and/or manage treatment for LD or related disorders, beyond providing accommodations.
Finding the Right-Fit IEC!
12 Interview Questions to ask IECs who specialize in working with Neurodivergent Students:
- What Degree(s) / Certificate(s) have you earned that qualify you to work with ND students?
- What Training have you received for working with them?
- What professional work experiences do you have with them?
- How many years of work experience do you have with them?
- Please describe the differential diagnoses of ND students that you have had experience working with.
- How do you stay updated on research and information about changes with learning disabilities and related disorders?
- Please share about training for, and work experiences with, ND Student College Planning
- How do you assess ND student college readiness?
- How do you gather information about the Colleges / Transition Programs that provide transition options, learning support services and Programs?
- What is the nature and extent of your work experience with parents of ND students?
- Please describe your expectations in the college planning process with regards to the student’s role, parent’s role and your role.
- Why do you specialize in working with ND Students on the College Planning Process?
