By Brianna Burrows

The United States provides world class education and not just for a select few, but for all individuals who seek to better themselves. Fortunately, the USA has some of the best disability and accommodation laws in the world and this extends to the education system as well. Many colleges and universities offer comprehensive resources and support for students with special needs. We’ve highlighted five great schools for students with specials needs:

University of Denver

University of Denver offers two programs to assist students with special needs: They offer the Disability Services Program (DSP) and Learning Effectiveness Program (LEP). The DSP provides students with a range of accommodations such as but not limited to sign language/oral interpreters, testing accommodations, alternate format texts and materials, note takers, course substitution and more. The LEP is a nationally recognized fee-for-service program that provides customized learning support for students with learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or a history of learning differences. LEP offers one-on-one academic counseling, individual subject-specific tutoring, and organizational and time management support. For more information about University of Denver’s DSP and LEP programs for students with special needs, click here.

DePaul University

DePaul University’s Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) provides a range of support for students with special needs. The center provides many accommodations such as adaptive and assistive technology, extended time on exams, enlarged print or braille, sign language interpreting, course selection counseling and more. In addition, they also provide students with the opportunity to meet with a clinician. A clinician is a professional educator with advanced degrees and experience working with students with disabilities. During weekly 50 minutes sessions with a clinician, they will address skill development in self-advocacy, time management, reading strategies, writing skills, organizational and study skills, and more. For more information about DePaul University’s Center for Students with Disabilities, click here.

Seattle Central College

Seattle Central College’s Disability Support Services (DSS) offer students support and resources to navigate student life at Seattle Central College. DSS provides students with an array of accommodations such as admissions assistance, counseling, testing accommodations, note taking services, reader/taping service help, accessibility accommodations, interpreters/readers/scribes, and more. They also provide a variety of alternate material formats for students. In addition, they provide continuous counseling for students during their time at Seattle Central College. For more information on Seattle Central College’s Disability Support Service, click here.

American University

American University’s Academic Support and Access Center (ASAC) provides an extensive support program for students with special needs. They offer many accommodations to students such as sign language and oral interpreters, physical access to classroom and events, materials in alternate formats, note takers, assistive listening devices, testing accommodations and more. They also provide housing accommodations, if needed. The ASAC also includes peer tutoring service, a writing lab and continuous workshops each term. For more information on American University’s Academic Support and Access Center, click here.

Hofstra University

Hofstra University’s Student Access Services (SAS) provides students with a range of typical accommodations for students such as testing accommodations, alternate materials formats, and more. In addition, they have two unique programs for students with special needs: Program for Academic Learning Skills  (PALS) AND Academic Coaching Program. PALS is a fee based program to assist students with learning disabilities like such as Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, with experienced learning specialist for the duration of their time at Hofstra. The Academic Coaching program is a fee-based short-term program similar to the PALS program. For more information on Hofstra University’s Student Access Services, click here.