College Students

In college, your student is responsible for his or her own accommodations, including the process of requesting and ensuring he or she receives them. This is often a foreign role to parents and it can be a difficult transition.

For example, Ellen has a son who has a unilateral cochlear implant and a hearing aid. She was very involved in helping her son find a college that was right for him and working with the Office of Disability Services to provide documentation for accommodations. Ellen described the change in her role with her son as a “light switch” – one day she was able to work with the school and then next it was all up to her son.

Despite your changing role, you can still encourage your student to use his or her self-advocacy skills, especially if he or she experiences accommodation challenges, and you can make sure he or she is prepared for orientation and has a cochlear implant maintenance plan. Your student may rely heavily on you when issues arise with his or her cochlear implants and may still turn to you while he or she is at college, but you can equip them to handle most issues with preparation.