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8 Tips for Finding the Right College When You Have Cerebral Palsy

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I graduated from high school when I was 18 and decided to go to college to continue studies in creative writing. Luckily, my parents and I found a college that was suitable for me and my cerebral palsy.

Here are some tips for finding the right college when you have cerebral palsy like I do:

1. Do your research. 

Researching potential colleges will give you a clear idea of what the school has to offer you and your needs as a student with a disability.

2. Take it day by day. 

Finding the right college could be emotionally exhausting. It’s important to be patient and take your time so that you can have a clear mind when choosing where to go.

3. Set up a campus visit.

A visit to the campus will give you an idea of whether the campus is accessible for you and your needs, and it will also give you an idea of what the classroom environment would be like if you were to attend the college.

4. Have a flexible schedule that works for you.

Planning to visit college campuses could be stressful, especially when you add in doctors’ appointments to the mix. So make sure you take the time to sit down and write down a schedule that is flexible for you and your needs.

5. Look into room and boarding accommodations.

If your someone who’s looking into moving into a college campus away from home, it’s important to look into the accommodations. Find out if the college campus has the room and the space for you as a student attending the campus.

6. Sit down with your professors and discuss your disability with them.

It’s important to sit down with your professors to discuss your disability and how it affects your abilities to be in a certain classroom environment. For example, I suffer from testing anxiety and get overwhelmed easily, so there are certain things I would need to do to stay claim in a situation where I’m taking a test. For me I like being able to wear headphones and listen to country music while taking a test.

7. Look into local healthcare options if the campus is far from home.

If you’re looking into going to college far from home be sure to look into healthcare options and see what choices are out there for you as someone with a disability. This is important if you’re leaving the healthcare system you are use to and going somewhere new that you don’t much about.

8. Have a plan in place when the transferring process to college begins.

Having a plan in place when leaving for college is the most important thing you could do that way you’re not overwhelmed during the process of moving to a college campus. A plan will keep you form being stressed out over the little things and then you can just enjoy the process of reaching this milestone of being a college student.

Finding the right college campus could be tough, but I hope with these tips you will be able to find the right college for you.

Would you add any tips to this list? Tell us in the comments.

Photo credit: michaeljung/Getty Images

Originally published: March 15, 2020
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