(Most content above obtained from Davis School District .)
What does Transition Planning for Post-Secondary Education mean?
Post-Secondary Education (PSE) can take on many different programs. PSE planning covers skills and preparation needed to attend a variety of settings (universities, community colleges, technical school, military, etc.). These skills may be in areas such as choosing a major, class selection, assignment completion, test-taking, organization, study skills, etc.
Why is Transition Planning for Post-Secondary Education important?
Further education past a high school diploma, whether at college, technical school, or job-specific, is a major key leading to increased pay and security, and often the difference between a job and a career.
Organizations report that students with disabilities often come unprepared for the requirements and rigors of the many forms of post-secondary education. It is imperative that students with disabilities receive the support and education necessary to transition to PSE settings.
What are Post-Secondary Education settings looking for?
While there are different requirement for different settings, there are some common themes:
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Students must have knowledge of their disability. More specifically, they should have knowledge of their specific disability, their strengths and weaknsses, learning styles, accommodations they have used and may need, etc. They also need to be willing to discuss these items, as well as provide documentation and evaluation, in order receive services for their disabilities.
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Students who advocate for themselves. As the students are usually over 18, parents are no longer the legal guardian, and students need to be able to talk for themselves. Parents will often be allowed to attend meetings as a courtesy, the focus shifts to the students themselves. Additionally, the student must assume responsibility to become proactive and advocate for themselves (as opposed to public education, where the school assumes most of the responsibility).
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Students who are otherwise qualified. This means that even when the accommodations are identified and used, the students must still be able to meet the organization’s academic and other standards.
How should a student prepare for Post-Secondary Education?
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Learn about and be comfortable with your disability. (Applies to students and families.) This includes how it affects you, what accommodations help you, and recognize that it doesn’t have to control your life. The earlier you do this, the better off you will be!
What services are available for students with disabilities in Post-Secondary Education settings?
Special Education services under IDEA end at graduation (whether at the end of high school, or the end of the 18-22 program). However, students with disabilities may still be able to receive some services at various post-secondary education settings under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These settings require different documentation and offer different services than public grade schools.
Many post-secondary education settings have disability resource centers. Contact them for information about their specific programs and requirements. Below are links to some commonly attended schools in Utah:
What programs are available for students with significant disabilities in Post-Secondary Education settings?
A national movement is gaining momentum to open up access to the college experience for students with intellectual disabilities.
Think College!, a natonal program developed by Meg Grigal, PhD, is committed to research and expanding opportunities for those experiences. There are dozens of college programs across the United States that can be located by visiting the
Think College! website.
Utah State University has launched
Aggies Elevated, Utah’s first college program for students with Intellectual Disabilities, which is slated to begin Fall 2014 or Fall 2015.
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