Rights and Responsibilities
Student Conduct
Students with disabilities are subject to the same Student Conduct Code as students without disabilities. This typically forbids behavior that is disruptive to “the processes of teaching, learning, research, and service.”
What should you do about a student’s involuntary behavior that may be percieved as disruptive by the instructor or other students? The key component is whether the behavior is involuntary and is disability related. One option is to ask the student to sit near an exit so when the behavior occurs the student can step out easily. The student should be provided with a notetaker so they do not miss content. The student should be allowed to make up credit for time not participating.
Note: Some institutions are finding that more and more students are being disruptive. This behavior should not be condoned. As an instructor you may want to review your institutions code of conduct policy with your students at the beginning of each class. By informing all students of the conduct code and expectations, you may limit a student’s capacity to file discrimination charges later.
