Referring Students to SAS | Student Accessibility Services

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Students share a variety of concerns with faculty regarding their academic and personal lives. For instance, if a student references wondering if they have a disability or otherwise seems uncertain what services or support they may qualify for, please refer them to Where to Start. This page summarizes a range of available supports, many of which may provide relief of symptoms such as test anxiety and difficulties with focus (e.g., Student Wellness Center, Academic Skills Center, and Counseling Services), and may be more appropriate than a referral to SAS. Other resources include information on disability prescreenings.

As faculty, you have good instincts about student learning, and at times you may be in a position where you believe a student needs additional support and/or wonder if they have a disability that is interfering with academic performance. If this happens, here are a few recommendations:

  • Invite the student to schedule a meeting with you to check in about how the course is going.
  • Share with the student your performance-related observations, not speculations. For example, "I notice that you do very well on your homework but are having more difficulty with exams," or "I notice you were participating in discussion less the last two weeks" instead of "I think you may have a disability."
  • Students will often open up to you in these situations and may even share that they have wondered about a disability. These meetings present a great opportunity for you to connect students with resources. If you list a range of resources (and we hope you include SAS) in your syllabus, it normalizes help-seeking and makes your recommending a resource to the student just part of your course.

    • Always feel free to contact SAS to discuss individual decisions about referrals. Email student.accessibility.services@dartmouth.edu, or call 603-646-9900.

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