The transition to college creates a natural evolution in the roles and
responsibilities of students with disabilities and their parents.
Parents play an important role in supporting their children's
progression to the adult roles they'll assume during their college years.
The McBurney Center encourages students to manage their own services to
the greatest extent possible. We provide the necessary information so
students can make informed decisions. We recognize and value students'
rights to confidentiality and self-determination. We encourage
parents who have played active roles in their students' accommodations
in K-12 to join us in encouraging and supporting their students' abilities
to self-manage their own accommodations and services.
Parents can help by encouraging and reminding students to do the following:
- Send disability documentation to McBurney as soon as possible.
It is often easier to obtain documentation from high school staff before the end of the senior year. Even if students
aren't sure they'll be requesting services at UW-Madison, they may want to have documentation on file to avoid
delays should they decide to request services later.
Disability documentation sent to the Testing and Evaluation Office to
request placement test accommodations or documentation sent during the
Admissions process is not shared with McBurney. Disability documentation
must be sent directly to McBurney in order for a student to begin the
service eligibility process.
- Send the completed Accommodations Request Form to McBurney as soon as possible.
This form lets McBurney staff know what services students are interested in using. It is important that students, not parents, complete
the Accommodation Request Form. This is one of the first opportunities for students to advocate for themselves.
- View the McBurney Verified Individualized Services and Accommodations (VISA) form during the summer.
The VISA lists all the services the McBurney Accommodations Specialist is recommending based on disability documentation and
other data provided to McBurney. A "Y" to the left of the service name indicates the student has been approved for the service.
- Check the personal email account (provided during the application process) and the new UW email account regularly.
Students should activate their campus email account as soon as they are eligible to use it. Most communication from McBurney and
other campus offices takes place via the UW email address.
- Learn more about the differences between high school and college, especially the differences in disability-related
services.
Pages 5-7 in "Planning for Life After High School: A Handbook for Students, Teachers, Counselors and Parents" provide an excellent summary.
"Transition of Students With Disabilities
To Postsecondary Education: A Guide for High School Educators", from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) also provides helpful information for parents.
- Read through Transition Services and Prospective Student Information for other
important information and directions that will assist you in your transition to campus.
One significant change from high school to college occurs in access to students' educational records. Because
university students are covered under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), McBurney staff cannot discuss
students' educational records with parents without written consent from students. Since maintaining open
communication between parents and students is important, McBurney staff encourages parents to discuss any questions or
concerns they may have directly with students.
Examples of educational records that McBurney staff could not discuss with parents include the following:
- Whether students are using their accommodations
- Grades or class performance
- Whether students are meeting with their Accommodation Specialists
Further information on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is available on the
Registrar's FERPA web page.
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