Navigating New Waters
Planning for Transition to Inclusive
Post-secondary Education for Students
with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Presentation by
Susanna Miller
February 19, 2014
What is an Inclusive PSE Program?
Why Inclusive PSE?
Happening in Georgia
• Georgia Inclusive Post-secondary Education
Consortium
– Capacity Building
– Advocating to Legislature
– Distributing funding for program start-ups and
exploration
Happening in Georgia
•
•
•
•
KSU Academy for Inclusive Learning
University of Georgia(Fanning Institute)
Columbus State University
East Georgia College
• A couple other colleges & universities are
working on feasibility
Program vs. Individual
• Established Inclusive PSE Program
• Customized Individual Track
A Few Facts…
• 1400+ Georgia students receiving special education services
leaving high school each year without receiving a High School
Diploma
• 220 inclusive Post-secondary Education (PSE) options
throughout the United States
• 1 inclusive PSE program in Georgia at Kennesaw State
University’s Academy for Inclusive Learning and Social Growth
• 3 colleges & universities received Implementation Grants to
start program
• 16 spaces at KSU Academy
• 100+ colleges & universities in Georgia
• 2 programs in Alabama, 9 in Florida, 5 in South
Carolina, 2 in Tennessee, and 8 in North Carolina
• 10 of the over 70 students in South Carolina PSE
programs are Georgia students
• Students who participated in inclusive PSE were
26% more likely to leave vocational rehabilitation
services with a paid job*
• Students who participated in inclusive PSE made
73% higher weekly incomes*
* “Postsecondary Education and Employment Outcomes for Youth with Intellectual Disabilities”
By Alberto Migliore, John Butterworth, and Debra Hart
http://www.thinkcollege.net/images/stories/site_images/pubs/FF_1.pdf
Help Build PSE in Georgia
You can help BUILD inclusive PSE in Georgia and this is how!
• Learn about inclusive PSE through the GAIPSEC and
ThinkCollege!
• Join our mailing list (email smiller65@gsu.edu to have your
name added)
• Share information with parents, students and educators
• Contact your legislator and ask them to support the call for
funding
• Make contact with anyone you have a connection with a
college or university and share with them about inclusive
PSE opportunities.
Setting up for Success
• Student’s choice
• Buy-in from families
• Clear communication
– Everyone on same page
– Honesty around behaviors when completing
transition plan
Setting up for Success
• Clearly define expectations of college life
• Understand age-appropriate behaviors
– Boundaries
– Time-management
• Knowing when student is just not college
ready
– Other options
Strategies for Preparing
• Make sure your child is a regular attendee at
an over-night, sleep-away camp.
• Have your child become comfortable with
electronic communication, including email
and attachments
• Empower your child to manage a schedule
using a cell phone (calendar, timers,
reminders, etc)
Strategies for Preparing
• Strategize a system for independent
medication management
• Help your child practice talking about
disability characteristics, best learning
styles, and needs.
Transition Goals
•
•
•
•
•
•
Education
Development of Employment
Community
Adult Living/Post School Options
Related Services
Daily Living
Transition Plans
• Address the needs of moving from high
school to post-secondary education
• Focus highly on Community & Adult Living
Skills section of transition plans
Community Skills
• Goal Example:
– Joins _____ clubs/organizations per (week/month/semester)
• Activities:
– Reviews list of club/organization possibilities
– Selects __ club/organization(s) of interest base on sport or hobby
preference or career choice
– Contact organizer
– Attend at least two meetings
Adult Living Skills
• Goal Example:
– Advocates for assistance appropriately by completing ___ activity(ies)
• Activities
– Makes and keeps ___ appointment(s) with counselor to review course
schedule
– Makes and keeps ___ appointment(s) with teacher(s) to review
academic accommodations/assess effectiveness per
(week/month/semester)
– Make and keeps ___ appointment(s) with employer to discuss job
accommodations.
Adult Living Skills
• Goal Example:
– Demonstrates understanding of daily schedule, class routines, and
discourse by completing ___ activity(ies)
• Activities:
–
–
–
–
Follows schedule and arrives promptly to class ____% of the time
Follows ___ step class routine
Follows ___ rules of classroom discourse
Makes entry on electronic calendar/software to manage schedule
and assignments ___ times per (week/month/semester)
CHOICE
• College is not for everyone
• College doesn’t have to happen immediately
after secondary completion
Resources
Think College
www.thinkcollege.net
National Center on Secondary Education and Transition
www.ncset.org
Center for Leadership in Disability
http://www.cld-gsu.org
Kennesaw State University Academy for Inclusive Learning
http://www.kennesaw.edu/chhs/centers/aiae/
Contact Information
Sheryl Arno
sheryla@abilitymatters.org
Susanna Miller
smiller65@gsu.edu
GAIPSEC Website: www.gaipsec.org