Think College!
1. Research: Postsecondary education for the intellectually disabled is still relatively new. As such, Think College conducts research to better understand how to help students be more successful in their education at a higher level. Students, parents and teachers all participate in the research, since all are part of the educational process.
2. Training and Technical Assistance: Think College uses print publications, seminars and the Internet to educate students, parents and teachers on new advancements in postsecondary education for the intellectually disabled.
3. Dissemination: A key part of making postsecondary education for the intellectually disabled a norm in the educational system is sharing the wealth of knowledge the initiative has developed through the Internet, publications and face-to-face.
General Requirements for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
Requirements for universities that offer programs for students with ID vary a lot. Here, Cate Weir suggests several things most schools ask for.
1. Documentation of an intellectual disability.
2. A basic level of safety skills.
3. The student WANTS to go to college in order to get a good job.
A high school diploma is NOT part of the requirements for most, if not all, programs.
Where to start the search
There are a lot of universities that offer programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It’s important for your child to pick the right program to ensure his/her academic success and happiness in college.
* Take advantage of college fairs at your child’s school to get acquainted with some of the local universities. Discuss the options available for your student.
* Use websites like Thinkcollege.net to learn more about specific programs for students with intellectual disabilities. It’s important to be well informed about what’s out there.
* Look at college brochures with your students and help them understand their options.
* Start the process early; take your student on several tours of college campuses while in high school so he/she can get acquainted with what a college feels like.
* Meet with guidance counselors and college advisors to talk about the special accommodations your student needs.
* Discuss with your child what he/she wants out of college. What classes does he/she want to take? What experiences are most important?
* Make sure your child is involved in the whole process because, honestly, it’s all about the student.
Having an intellectual or developmental disability no longer prohibits students from a postsecondary education. Universities across the country are developing programs specifically for students with disabilities in order to provide them with the same opportunities as other students.
Valerie Strohl’s daughter has always known she will go to college, no questions asked.
Strohl, from Zionsville, Ind., runs United Media Now, a website that uses new techniques in media to raise awareness about people living with disabilities. Strohl also guest blogs for FC Michigan once a month.
“We’ve always told our daughter ‘You go to college, you get a job, you get married.’ It’s going to be in that order. As a seventh grader she doesn’t think about it much, but she knows it’s going to happen.”
Although this is the same thing many parents tell their children, it means a lot more for Sarah Strohl.
Why? Because Sarah is a 13-year-old with Down syndrome.
New opportunities
Interest in postsecondary education for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities has grown in recent years, as the stigma that used to accompany such disabilities is replaced with thoughts of equal opportunities for all.
“You have this first generation of kids that have grown up at home and not been institutionalized,” Valerie said. “They’ve grown up with siblings, and they want to do the same things as their siblings.”
Much as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion and sex, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 gives civil rights protections to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Changes in the Higher Education Opportunity Act in 2008 resulted in federal grants that funded programs such as Think College at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, Institute for Community Inclusion.
Parents with disabled children want them to have the same opportunities as every other child. They want the chance for their child to grow as a person and an individual. An important part of this process is going to college.
“This is my favorite word. Meaningful life. Everybody wants a meaningful life. You want to be happy and stuff. And that doesn’t always look the same for every person,” Strohl said. “For my daughter personally, she will get a job because I’m going to give her enough experiences to be suited for it. I want her to be well-rounded, and her college experience is just one part of that.”
With increased interest in postsecondary education comes the demand for information about programs that cater to the specific needs of people with disabilities.
“I have been working with people with developmental disabilities for most of my career in one way or another,” said Cate Weir, the project coordinator for Think College. “I was also a college professor and disability services coordinator, and became aware that people with ID (intellectual disabilities) did not have an opportunity to continue their education after high school. This became of great interest to me to try to do something about that, and I worked on some projects related to this area.”
It’s always hard to watch your children go off to college, but for parents of children with disabilities, it can be harder because they have to relinquish the caretaker role they have been in for so long with the hope that their loved one can face the world without them.
That’s where programs like Think College come into the picture.
Think College!
The first things you notice when you log onto thinkcollege.net are the tabs at the top of the page labeled “for students” and “for families.” This distinction highlights one of the main elements of college for all students – the opportunity for independence.
Right away it is clear that this organization seeks to provide intellectually disabled people with the same opportunities as everyone else.
“Think College was started as a result of three federal grants all related to students with ID going to college, primarily because college had become a very important idea for students with ID, and they and their parents really wanted there to be more opportunities,” Weir said. “When the Higher Education Act was funded in 2010, Think College became the National Coordinating Center in this area.”
Weir was hired as the project coordinator for Think College in October 2008.
The most impressive part of the Think College website is the college search option. It provides parents and children with 199 different programs across the country for them to choose from. These programs are offered at state universities; small, liberal arts colleges, and community colleges, so there is no shortage of diverse experiences.
Families are able to sit down together and go through a list of programs to find the one that best suits their child.
“Every child has certain gifts,” Strohl said. “For my daughter, I was looking at inclusion because she’s very, very social and she likes to be around people.
“Can she live in a dorm? Can she actually go into classrooms? What are they going to do to be sure that she meets people and actually gets involved? Are they going to let her actually have the experience of college? This is for me personally. I’m not going to go to a program where all the kids with a disability are in the same room, because I don’t do that now.”
Finding the right college is important for your student to succeed and flourish in a different atmosphere. While Think College does offer a wide variety of programs to choose from, it is not the only resource out there.
The Department of Education’s website offers a college-search function that matches students with colleges that fit them best.
“I think most students make the choice the same way other students do – close to home or a bit away? Residential or live at home? How long is the program? Is it in a rural area or a city? How big is the campus? What supports are available? We try to include that info in our College Search on our website,” Weir said. “For many students, there are not any options that are close to home, and there are not enough programs that offer residential services.”
Talking to your high school guidance counselor and visiting blogs online are ways to find the best college for your student.
The best advice Weir can give to students with intellectual disabilities is to know that college is possible.
“Students should prepare for college if that is what they want to do,” Weir said.
Checklist for Parents
Help your student make the transition from high school to college with these helpful hints!
* Help your student look into all the opportunities available to them. Search online for the best school possible, the one that fits your child the best.
* Help your student set goals for him/herself. Check in to make sure he/she is keeping up with those goals.
* Make sure your student is academically prepared for college courses. Using a tutor is a great way to prepare your child for the rigors of college life.
* Have your student talk to family members in college and visit them to get a feel for the college community.
* Help your student become more independent by letting them stick up for themselves and learn how to take care of themselves. This might be hard, but it is essential if you want them to succeed in college.
* Some colleges require up-to-date documentation of your student’s disability. Don’t wait to the last minute to do this.
* Talk to your student’s high school teachers to learn what special accommodations are necessary for him/her to succeed in the classroom. Make sure the college your student chooses is able to meet those requirements.
* Get to know the disability programs at the college your student chooses. Make sure your student knows what those programs offer in the way of study aids and support.
* Make sure you are aware of the financial aid opportunities available to your student.
* Remember, college is all about independence. You need written consent from your student to be able to access their academic records.
Tips for Students
* Pick courses that interest you – you’re more likely to enjoy and do well in classes that you actually want to take
* Don’t skip class! It might be tempting, but you will miss out on valuable information that could affect your grade.
* Don’t wait till the last minute to start your assignments. It’s a lot easier and less stressful to start papers early. Plus, you’ll do better on them if you take your time.
* Take good notes in class. If you do miss class for an illness or another reason, make sure to get the notes you missed from a classmate.
* Study a lot!
* Schedule time to meet with your professors to ask questions. They will appreciate your interest and your commitment to the course.
* Take advantage of the opportunities available on campus for tutoring.
* Extracurricular activities are fun and a good way to meet people, but make sure to find a good balance between them and your schoolwork. Don’t over commit yourself.
* Note cards are an excellent way to memorize information.
* Stay energized with a good night’s sleep and healthy eating.
* Make a to-do list to budget your time each day.
* Set goals for yourself each week and over the course of the semester. Reward yourself when you achieve a goal!
* Take time to relax and enjoy your college experience. Grades are important, but they aren’t everything.
* HAVE FUN! You’re only in college for a short while, and your parents are right: They are they best years of your life.