METUCHEN — Students in middle and high school with learning disabilities can learn what skills and strategies they need to develop to be successful in college at a workshop that will held on May 11 held at the library of Metuchen High School, 400 Grove Ave.
The workshop, sponsored by the Metuchen Special Education Parent Advisory Council, will begin at 7 p.m. and it will feature Elizabeth C. Hamblet, a learning consultant with Columbia University.
Middle school and high school students are encouraged to attend. The event is also open to families in other school districts.
Hamblet, a New Jersey resident, is the author of “7 Steps to Success: High School to College Transition Strategies for Students with Disabilities.”
She will explain the personal skills shown by research to be linked to achieving success at college; the academic skills necessary to function in the college environment; differences between the high school and college environments such as increased academic expectations and the need for self-monitoring; how the system for accommodations works at the college level and students’ rights and responsibilities within that system. She also will offer some tips for students’ college search.
“The transition from high school is challenging for any high school student, but for students with disabilities, it can be even more difficult as they navigate a disability services system that is very different from the one they knew in high school,” said Hamblet. “But with the proper preparation, students can enjoy success.”
Paul Nadler, of Metuchen, said Hamblet’s advice was highly valuable for his family when their son was just beginning high school.
“[Hamblet’s] tips helped us understand the skills he needed to thrive and to find the college where he’s now succeeding,” he said.
Hamblet has worked both ends of the college transition. She began her career as a high school special education teacher and case manager, and then worked as a learning disabilities specialist at Simmons College and Rutgers University.
As a consultant at Columbia, she helps students with time management, organization, reading, and study skills. Her work has appeared in numerous journals and online platforms, including Understood.org.
For more information visit www.LDadvisory.com.