PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
- Do you suspect you have or have you been diagnosed with physical or mental condition?
- Concerned about the transition to college?
- Have problems with procrastination?
- Struggle with task management? Organization?
- Feeling overwhelmed with school? Work? Life?
- Never learned how to study? Take notes?
- Struggle with comprehension and recall?
- Want to take charge of your own life?
The Steps-2-Success program will help students develop strategies that will help them with self-management of the academic, personal and career aspects of their life.
The program includes several components including a unique learning strategies program, career development activities, as well as a program of cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness, combined with a type of motivational enhancement.
The learning strategies program introduces a system of simple, student-friendly strategies to help students organize, study, and complete work efficiently. Students will learn strategies designed for those with learning differences and includes how to:
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Read textbooks quickly & efficiently
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Manage time
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Take notes
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Organize papers, backpacks, other spaces
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Study for tests
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Work with teachers
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Write papers
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Complete homework
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Communicate effectively with teachers, peers, and others
Students with executive function challenges as often seen with ADHD and who want to develop skills for self-management of the academic, personal and career aspects of their life will find the Steps-2-Success Advanced Program offers just such an opportunity. This program provides specialized tools and resources to smooth the initial transition to college. It also can help you develop independence, self-confidence and skills for academic and career success. Using resources designed for individuals with ADHD, the program strives to provide a solid foundation for better academic and career results.
The program was developed as the Disability and Accessibility Resources staff became keenly aware of the struggles that emerging adults with some conditions were experiencing in college. One prominent feature was the pervasive impact of the symptoms of these conditions, interfering not only with students' academic functioning, but also with their personal, social, emotional, and vocational functioning. Even though many of these students were receiving disability accommodations and other campus support services, they were continuing to struggle. These observations suggested that something more was needed to address the needs of our college population.
FOUNDATIONAL PROGRAM
All qualified students have access to this resource. It is from this starting point that components are built as the student transitions to and persists at State.
Our students work with their Coach/Mentor to cover the following areas:
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Specialized academic advising
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Connection to resources within our program support system
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Linkage with campus organizations and offices.
Students in the foundational program will engage in the following:
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Enrollment in GED 101 (Section 07) a course designed for students with learning differences
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Access to the Technology and Academics Lab
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Access to technology equipment loan program
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Preferential/priority registration for courses the first three semesters
ADVANCED PROGRAM COMPONENTS
The advanced program is designed for students with ADHD or a related condition impacting their executive function abilities. This program is ideal for students who struggle with time and task management, getting tasks done and meeting deadlines. This intensive, individualized resource was developed from research on the transition and persistence of postsecondary students and from self-regulated learning theory.
The heart of the program is the student relationship with the Coach/Mentor. Our students work with their Coach/Mentor to cover the following areas:
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Specialized academic advising
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Development of academic, organizational, and self-monitoring strategies
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Discussion of priorities and motivational outlook
The program is composed of the following elements:
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GED 299 (Section 01) - a college success strategies course
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Strategic content tutoring and organizational mentoring
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Uutilization of a structured study area in the Technology and Academics Lab
The program is provided over two semesters and follows the foundational program.
For the 1st semester of the advanced program, students will engage in the following:
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The GED course is the primary vehicle for delivering new information during the fall semester.
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The weekly mentoring and coaching component of the fall semester has three complimentary objectives:
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monitor and fine-tune what you learn in the FYE course
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assess your need for disability accommodations and other campus support services
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work collaboratively with you to identify and monitor attainment of personal goals
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The weekly academics lab gives students the opportunity to receive assistance with organizing and planning their study sessions as well as the tools and structure to implement their plan.
The student enrolled in the Advanced program will meet with professional and paraprofessional staff several hours each week to organize and carry out coursework preparation. The strategic content tutoring sessions focus on the student learning the content and managing the pace of specific coursework. The organizational strategy sessions will train the student to develop, continue, and adapt overarching plans for the semester.
During the 2nd semester, you will be helped to refine and master the knowledge and skills acquired during the fall semester through one group session and seven (7) bi-weekly individual mentoring and coaching sessions. In addition, you will be guided through a gradual process of taking on increasingly greater responsibility to help prepare you for functioning on your own after your participation in Steps-2-Success ends.
A strong emphasis will be on actively using the knowledge and skills in your everyday academic and career activities. The program will be using a program of cognitive behavioral techniques (CBT) and motivational enhancement. The CBT is a goal-oriented process that takes a hands-on, practical approach to problem-solving. We will focus on practical implications such as meeting obligations or completing work on time. We also will look at encouraging endeavors that provide personal fulfillment and well-being, such as sleep, exercise, hobbies, and campus involvement. We will be talking about ADHD, reinforcing the message that ADHD is not a character flaw by demonstrating the neurological underpinnings of your neurodiversity and the resulting daily challenges. Using this framework, we will break down the tough task of “managing ADHD” into specific tactics for navigating throughout the day. We also will be simultaneously be focusing on mindfulness. This portion of the program will help students cultivate self-regulation of attention, emotions and behavior; awareness of ADHD challenges; self-acceptance; and self-compassion.