Invention:
The Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques (SALT) Center is an international leader in developing and providing personal, educational, and mental health/wellness services to support higher education students who learn differently. Through direct service, research, and thought leadership the SALT Center provides a replicable model through which to support the success, retention and graduation of neurodiverse individuals with mild to moderate impairments in higher education. The SALT Center has the opportunity to serve a diverse range of students, working to alleviate educational disparities in higher education.
Background:
By some estimates, as many as 15% of college age students have learning and/or attention differences. These students are among those at highest risk for academic failure. Yet, with the right kind of support, degree seeking college students can build their ability to independently meet and exceed university academic performance standards.
While the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act require institutions to make academic adjustments to provide equal access, they do not require postsecondary institutions to diminish academic rigor. Ensuring that students have access to both the accommodations to which they may be legally entitled as well as supplemental programming that can strengthen academic outcomes and prepare them for success after graduation.
The institutional commitment to ensure that ALL students, especially those with learning and attention differences, have the personal and academic support can have a significant impact on an institution's overall persistence, retention, and completion outcomes.
Applications:
- Higher education
- Disability accommodation
- Learning support for neurodiverse students
Advantages:
- Addresses educational disparity in higher education
- Tailored to the needs of every student enrolled in the SALT Center
- Provides overall wellness support in addition to education support
