Productive Learning u Strategies

Accommodations, Services & Fees

All DePaul University students with a recent (within the last three for AD/HD and five for LD years) psychoeducational evaluation which includes a diagnosis of a Learning Disability and/or Attention Deficit Disorder are eligible for PLuS services.  The testing should include measures of intelligence (such as the WAIS-III), measures of academic performance (such as the WJ-III, WIAT-II, etc) and measures of information processing.

After the PLuS director has reviewed the student’s documentation, and after all PLuS application materials have been received, the student will be admitted into PLuS.  If the testing is incomplete or outdated, the student will need to have his/her testing updated to be eligible for services.  Students may choose to be tested through the PLuS Program.  Failure to notify PLuS about the need of accommodations because of the LD, and/or AD/HD will result in delays of providing those accommodations.  PLuS strongly recommends making your initial contact upon being accepted at De Paul.

Initial recommendations for accommodations (extended time on tests, etc.) will be made by the PLuS diagnostician (if the student was tested through PLuS) or by the PLuS director after reviewing the documentation provided by the student.  Subsequent changes in services or accommodations can be recommended by the PLuS clinician in consultation with the director.  PLuS follows the guidelines of The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and The Rehabilitation Act, Section 504 to determine the most appropriate accommodations for the students.

The PLuS Program provides the following accommodations: test proctoring, priority registration, advocacy, weekly sessions with a PLuS clinician (LD specialist) based upon availability, and updating of diagnostic testing.

There are three levels of participation in the PLuS program:

4 Full Time (two one-hour sessions per week with a clinician)

4 Part Time (one one-hour session per week with a clinician), and

4 Independent Status (no weekly meetings; the student receives all the accommodations required by the law, and meets with the PLuS director on a need basis)

A description of these services and accommodations follows.

For a 'printer-friendly' version

of this page:

Go to 'PLuS Forms'

and click on PLuS Services & Fees

For any questions regarding these accommodations & services,

please contact the PLuS Director,

Mr. Stamatios Miras:

at 773-325-4239

or at smiras@depaul.edu

For any questions regarding

accommodations provided by the

Office for Students with Disabilities,

please visit OSD's website

4 Test Proctoring

This service is provided to eligible students with Learning Disabilities and/or Attention Deficit Disorders in accordance with federal and state laws. Recommendations are made after reviewing each student’s information on file, and after establishing eligibility of the accommodation.

These accommodations are designed to assist students in demonstrating their skills or acquired knowledge to the best of their abilities, and to ensure that the students are being evaluated on the same basis as the rest of their classmates.

The following alternative test administration accommodations may be provided by PLuS:
4Extended time on the exam
4Separate room to eliminate distractions
4Reader to read the exam’s questions
4Transcriber to type the student’s responses
4Computer for the student to type his/her responses

Students’ responsibilities: At least a week before the date of the exam, the student should notify the professor that s/he will be taking an exam at the PLuS office. At the same time, the student should sign up to take an exam at the PLuS program using the electronic form available at the 'Exam Sign Up' page.  Failure to do so may result in PLuS not being able to provide test proctoring as PLuS has limited space and resources. For a detailed description of these procedures, please go to: PLuS Forms and click on Exam Proctoring Procedures.

4 Priority Registration

Upon reviewing the student’s documentation, PLuS may recommend for a student to receive priority registration. This accommodation is reserved for those students whose medication schedule may interfere with their class schedule, or those whose processing deficits require specific considerations.

  
Students’ responsibilities: students should make an appointment to see their academic advisors, and then meet with their PLuS clinicians, or the PLuS director if they are on Independent Status.  The purpose of these meetings is to design the most appropriate schedule for them. The PLuS clinicians are not advisors, but they can help the students make appropriate and manageable decisions when choosing a schedule, based on their strengths and weaknesses, the courses’ demands, and the professors’ teaching style if the information is available. If a PLuS student regularly ignores the recommendations of the PLuS clinician and/or the director, and becomes “at risk” or on probationary status, the PLuS director, the clinician and the student will meet to discuss the status of the student with DePaul University and/or the PLuS Program.

4 Advocacy

PLuS provides advocacy for all registered students. In the event that a PLuS student feels that because of lack of communication, and/or other reasons s/he cannot handle by her/himself a situation with a DePaul University faculty or staff member, PLuS can provide advocacy to resolve the issue.
  
Students’ responsibilities: In order for the director, or the PLuS clinician to be able to help the student to the best of their abilities, the student must contact the PLuS Program as early as possible to avoid situations reaching a point beyond repair.

4 Weekly sessions with a PLuS clinician

PLuS students may choose to have weekly sessions with PLuS clinicians once or twice a week for the duration of the quarter. The sessions last for an hour during which the students work on developing skills and strategies that will help them complete the quarter successfully.

These sessions are not for doing homework nor are the clinicians tutors for specific subjects. Examples of what these sessions may be used for are: time management, organization skills, writing skills, reading strategies, etc.  Please note that availability of clinicians is limited. In the event that a clinician is not available, the students may choose to be placed on a waiting list.

There is a fee associated with this service:

4One hour per week (Part-time) $350.00 per quarter

4Two hours per week (Full-time) $600.00 per quarter

Students’ responsibilities: If a PLuS clinician is available, and the student has arranged to have weekly sessions, s/he must attend all of these meetings. If the student is unable to attend a regularly scheduled session, s/he should notify the clinician at least 24 hours in advance of the scheduled meeting.

Un-notified absences (“no shows”) and excessive absences (more than 2 for part time students, and more than 4 for full time students per quarter) will be reviewed by the director and the PLuS clinician to determine if the service should be terminated, and placement of the student in Independent Status is necessary.

4 Diagnostic testing

Testing for learning disabilities can be arranged through the PLuS Program on a case-by-case basis.  If a DePaul University student's has not been updated within the last five years, the student may choose to be tested by the PLuS Program.  On rare occasions, a DePaul student who has not been tested before may be tested by the PLuS Program.

The testing is done in two stages; the first one establishes the student’s potential and provides information which is used as an indicator in the decision making process of proceeding with stage two.  The second stage determines the existence of a LD comparing this information to the student’s performance.

There is a fee associated with this service:

4Stage I - $300.00

4Stage II - $300.00

Please note that PLuS does not provide testing for AD/HD; if testing for AD/HD is deemed necessary for a student, then several referrals to educational institutions, hospitals, and private practitioners are available.

4 Services through the Office for Students with Disabilities

Upon reviewing the student’s documentation, PLuS may recommend for a student to receive some or all of the following services which are provided in collaboration with the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD):

4 Books on tape: PLuS students can have their course readings put on tape. The students should contact OSD and inform them that they are members of the PLuS Program. OSD will then fill a Needs Assessment Form, and make the necessary arrangements. Please ask the director of PLuS or a PLuS clinician for further details.  NOTE: this is a time consuming service that requires the effort and time of a lot of people; failure to follow PLuS’ and OSD’s procedures for this service will result in inability to provide books on tape.

4 Activation of student’s ID card to copy class notes: PLuS students who need to copy notes for their DePaul University classes may contact OSD, and their DePaul University ID card will be activated and work as a copy card to selected copying machines throughout the University.  NOTE: Neither PLuS nor OSD provide note-takers at this time.

Additionally, OSD may be consulted as a resource regarding assistive technology in computers and students’ rights and responsibilities as students with disabilities at DePaul University.

For further details regarding these services, please ask your clinician or the PLuS director, and contact OSD.