Some students work with educational coaches who support them in college. The role of the educational coach is to assist as needed. That might mean helping to learn where everything is on campus. Or it might mean helping to put organization and study strategies into place to complete course assignments. Or, in some cases, it might mean either sitting in the class or standing outside of class, prepared to give extra assistance. An educational coach can be a big help, especially when you first start college. There's a lot to learn in the beginning, including how to take responsibility for yourself. An educational coach can make everything a little easier.

Now, let's talk about that concept that education coaches can "make everything a little easier". Making things easier for you should not mean doing things for you that you could and should do for yourself. A good education coach is finding ways to help you take as much responsibility for yourself as possible. This is very important because this is one of the most important things students in college need to understand. From the moment you start college, everyone who works at the college is instructed to talk to you directly about everything. Not parents, not educational coaches, not teachers. Just you.

Now, if you give permission for some of the people just mentioned to discuss any issues about your college participation with others, that can be arranged. However, to the extent possible, try to speak for yourself.You need to make it clear to others that you can talk to people directly and take responsibility for discussing problems or concerns with appropriate people at the college. Otherwise, those people at the college will start to think that you are incapable of taking responsibility for yourself.

Sometimes students with intellectual disabilities face this issue almost as soon as they get to college. People mistakenly think that the educational coach can and actually should speak for the student. Sometimes even the educational coach thinks that’s the case. The important thing for students to do is to work out with educational coaches exactly how they should work together.

The chart below lists some of the points that students and their educational coaches should work out before the college semester starts. It can be adjusted as changes occur but it should stand as an agreed way of working together.

Download the chart below as a Word document.