SDS Resources for Families

You can best help your student by acting in a supportive role during their transition to college. The college environment encourages the growth of a student’s independence and growth of communication and collaboration skills. In the college setting, students are responsible for initiating their registration and accommodations request with Student Disability Services. You can assist your student by encouraging them to interface with the resources on campus, regularly check their email, help them acquire the necessary documentation, and encourage them to continue to stay connected with resources on campus. 

The best time to begin the registration process is in the spring before the first semester. While students can get registered with SDS at any time, we recommend that incoming first-year students complete the SDS Interest Form and submit documentation as early as March or April. If the student anticipates needing significant accommodations that could take time to implement, the sooner they contact SDS, the better. Getting registered for accommodations before the start of the school year significantly improves the transition to college and ensures the student can access their accommodations on day one. It is important to keep in mind that once the school year begins, our schedules fill up fast. Additionally, accommodations are not retroactive, meaning they only apply from the moment the registration process is complete moving forward.

Insider tip: Getting registered with SDS for accommodations is not the same as registering with an academic advisor for courses. We use the same word (registration), but they are two separate things! We encourage students to register with SDS around the same time as they’re registering for classes. 

If you run into any issues with the SDS Interest Form, please email us at sds@butler.edu, and we’ll be happy to help. 

A 504 Plan or IEP is helpful for establishing a history of accommodations, but it is typically not sufficient on its own. Because these plans are not completed by a treating clinician, they often lack current information about diagnosis, severity, or functional limitations. College accommodations are based on documented functional impact in the current environment, not just a history of services in high school. While students are welcome to submit these documents, additional documentation from a qualified clinician is usually required to determine eligibility. You can find our documentation guidelines and forms online!

The student is the primary driver of their own accommodations, marking a significant transition from the K-12 environment where schools or parents often lead the process. In college, the student must take the lead by self-identifying to Student Disability Services, which includes completing the SDS Interest Form and providing the necessary documentation to establish their need for accommodations. If you receive an error, please email sds@butler.edu, as we may have to set up an account for you.

Once SDS has the appropriate documentation, the student is responsible for scheduling and participating in an individualized intake meeting to discuss their specific barriers to access and advocate for the accommodations that will best support their success. Once registered, this role continues as an ongoing responsibility; if their needs change or an accommodation isn’t working as intended, the student is responsible for contacting SDS to troubleshoot. While you remain a vital source of support, the student acts as the “manager” of their own college experience, developing the self-advocacy skills necessary to navigate their academic and residential needs independently.

Your student will manage their own medication. College students are responsible for taking, storing, and refilling their medications independently. However, Health Services is available to assist with medication management, providing a resource for refills and professional guidance. You can also help by supporting your student in planning for refills and figuring out the logistics of their schedule. By teaching them when and how to order more medication and how to stay organized, you help ensure they successfully handle these responsibilities on their own.

Our offices maintain compliance with federal laws protecting the privacy of student education records. This means that there is no ill intent in withholding student information; rather, your student’s information is protected by FERPA, and we are unable to share information regarding their records or experiences on campus without the student’s permission. Here in SDS, we have a FERPA release separate from the official University release, due to the highly confidential nature of disability itself. Additionally, we will always ensure the student is aware that we are speaking with you beforehand, and we will not share information that the student has expressly asked us not to, even with a signed FERPA release.

If you are concerned about your student’s well-being, whether academically, emotionally, or behaviorally, you should notify the campus support teams who are trained to assess and respond appropriately. At Butler University, the primary way to alert the University about a concern is through the Assessment and Care Team (ACT) by submitting a Student of Concern Form, which is reviewed by members of the ACT.

If you have an immediate concern for a student’s safety, please contact the Butler University Police Department (BUPD) at 317-940-9396. For concerns specifically related to a disability, you are welcome to contact our office directly. While we always appreciate receiving this information to better support your student, please understand that we may not be able to provide much conversation in return due to FERPA privacy regulations.

SDS: Student Disability Services (SDS) at Butler University provides holistic, one-on-one support to students with documented disabilities by ensuring and facilitating individualized, equitable access to learning environments throughout the Butler community.

Health Services: Butler University’s Health Services is staffed by a highly-skilled team of medical professionals who are dedicated to the health and well-being of all current students. They treat a variety of ailments, including primary care, acute and minor illnesses or injuries, minor excision and laceration repair, sports/fitness physicals, and much more.

CCS: Butler University’s Counseling and Consultation Services is committed to providing mental health services to students in order to help them achieve their academic and personal goals, promote their holistic well-being, and enhance their college experience.

SSC: The Student Success Center uses a holistic approach to help students be successful from day one of their college journey through graduation. The staff of the Student Success Center partners with faculty, other staff, and students to help students be successful and make the most of their Butler University experience.

Accommodations intended to provide equal access and an opportunity to succeed, not guarantee success. They cannot fundamentally alter a course or program, substantially modify program requirements, or create an undue administrative or financial burden. Because of this, some services provided in high school may not be available in college. Accommodations help create a level playing field, but students must still demonstrate their own skills and knowledge.

The ways a disability impacts a person’s ability to perform certain tasks or participate in activities. In an academic setting, functional limitations describe how a disability affects a student’s learning, concentration, communication, mobility, or other aspects of functioning that may create barriers in the educational environment.

A change that significantly modifies the essential requirements, learning outcomes, or core components of a course, program, or activity. Accommodations cannot result in a fundamental alteration because they must maintain the academic standards and integrity of the program.

An ongoing, collaborative conversation between the student and the disability services office to determine appropriate accommodations. At the college level, this process is student-led, meaning the student is responsible for requesting accommodations, providing documentation, communicating their needs, and working with faculty and disability services to implement approved supports. This process ensures accommodations address the student’s functional limitations while maintaining the academic standards of the course or program.

A set or combination of circumstances or conditions that make it possible for individuals to access and participate in opportunities without unfair barriers. It refers to situations or conditions that allow people to pursue or accomplish what they want or need to do, ensuring that everyone has the possibility to act and the chance to attain their goals under fair and favorable conditions.

The permission, liberty, right, or ability for individuals to enter, approach, communicate with, or make use of places, people, information, services, or resources. Equal access ensures that everyone has the opportunity and ability to obtain, use, or participate in something without barriers.