This document discusses various post-secondary education options for students after high school, including 2-year colleges, 4-year colleges, technical schools, apprenticeships, and alternative programs. It outlines the skills needed to be successful in college and differences between IDEA, ADA, and college disability services. Accommodations, disclosure, and documentation processes for college are covered. Specific program examples are provided for students with disabilities at various colleges.

1. Visions of Post-Secondary
Education
• Julie Smith
Transition Specialist

2. COLLEGE

3. Life Long
Learning Alternative
Work Post-
Secondary
2 year POST HIGH Technical
College SCHOOL School
4 Year
College Community
College
Apprenticeships

6.  What kind of skills do you need in order to
be successful in college?
◦ Strong self motivation in college prep courses
◦ A full scale I.Q. in the average range of
intelligence
◦ Solid ability to understand verbal concepts and
symbols and to communicate ideas and thoughts
both orally and in writing
◦ Understanding of your learning style, including
an awareness of your academic strengths and
weaknesses
◦ Ability to function independently in the academic
environment

7.  IDEA  ADA
◦ Schools’ ◦ Individual
responsibility Responsibility
◦ LRE, quality and free ◦ Focus on
accommodations
◦ Individualized ◦ Focus on
Planning and related nondiscrimination
services and undue hardship
◦ Applies until student ◦ No link between
graduates of reaches federal funds and
age of 22 compliance with the
◦ Transition services law

8.  No IEP
 No IDEA, working under ADA and 504
regulations
 Pay for services
 Students must self identify

9.  Understand the disability and needs
 Understand the student’s strengths and how
he/she learns best
 What strategies are beneficial
 Practice becoming a self advocate
 Know your rights!

10.  Encourage student to be active in the IEP
process and other decision making situation
 Help student identify future goals or desired
outcomes
 Develop a list of strengths and areas of need
 Develop a list of accommodations
 Understand learning styles

11.  For students with disabilities, decision
making is complicated by limited choices and
the tendency for others to tell the student
what to do.

12.  Should you disclose? How?
◦ Personal Statement
 accommodations student has used
 what made the student successful
 examples from CHOICES booklet
 Be careful to not “over-disclose”
 Talk with your counselor and/or Transition
Counselor to discuss how and what to
disclose

13.  At most schools you need to meet the
admissions requirements to be accepted.
After you are accepted you work through the
disability support centers to gain
accommodations.

14.  In order to get accommodations, you need to
provide the school or program with
documentation of the disability
◦ Sign off on consent to disclose
◦ Ask Case Manager/Transition Coordinator to send
the documents directly to the school
◦ Private testing?
◦ Remember that students files are held by the the
district for 5 years after graduation

16.  Case Management Model – Schools work on
an individual basis with students to insure
success.
 Services Model – School provides appropriate
accommodations for students based on their
needs.

17.  Decisions regarding the exact
accommodations are made on an individual
basis.
 College selects the services
 Colleges are not required to provide
aides, services or devices for personal use or
study
 Requirements for graduation are the same as
general population.

18.  UW – Oshkosh (Project Success)
 UW- Whitewater (Project Assist)
 Southern Illinois University (Achieve
Program)
 Lynn (Comprehensive Support Program)
 Loras (Learning Disabilities Program)
 University of Arizona (SALT Program)
 U of Indianapolis (BUILD)
 Vincennes University (STEP)
 Lincoln College

19.  Landmark – specifically for students with LD
or ADHD
 Beacon – specifically for students with LD

20.  University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
 University of Illinois
 University of Wisconsin – Madison
 Purdue
 University of Arizona

22.  College of Lake County, Harper, Oakton
 Offer a variety of programs both technical
and academic
 All schools have offices for students with
disability
 Remedial classes are sometimes necessary
 Some students will not be eligible for CC
coursework

23.  Vincennes (STEP Program)
 Lincoln (ADHD) also good for LD
 Ferris State (some two year programs)
 Kirkwood

25. Some programs focus on basic skills review and
reinforcement of independent life skills.
 usually have their own contained facility or
separate facilities on traditional campuses.
 strong vocational component.
 An experiential approach to skill building and
vocational planning leads to non-degree status
upon graduation from the program.
 These programs are designed to accommodate
students whose options may not include traditional
college

26.  PACE Program (National Louis)
 ELSA (Elmhurst College)
 Career Foundations (Harper College)
 Personal Success Program (College of Lake
County)

27.  Chapel Haven; Westville, Conn.
 Lesley College- Threshold Program;
Cambridge, MA
 Life Development Institute; Phoenix, AZ
 Minnesota Life College; Richfield, MN
 New York Institute of Technology - VIP Program;
 Riverview School - GROW Program; East
Sandwich, MA
 Univ. of Alabama - Birmingham; Horizon Program.
 Supported School to Work Transition
Program, Lewis and Clark Community
College., Godfrey, Il
 Reach Program, University of Iowa

28.  A good choice for students with special
needs?
◦ More “hands on” programs
◦ Requirements vary but most require subject based
tests to assess potential for success in the chosen
program
◦ Most schools require a similar work ethic and
academic component as college
◦ Many do not offer anything more than mandated
accommodations

29.  Community College Certificate Programs
 Certificate programs are also available
through vocational programs that are not
taught in a community college, such as
through adult education programs or
specialized vocational schools. In addition,
some high schools offer vocational classes to
adults.

30.  Environmental Technical Institute (ETI)
 Universal Technical Institute (UTI)
 Full Sail
 Flash Point Academy
 Aveda Institute
 Pivot Point Academy
 Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago
(CHIC)
 ORT Institute

32.  Usually held on campus and give students a
“feel” for what college is like
 Both academic and social components
 Not always limited to graduating seniors or
students who have been accepted to the
college

33.  College Living Experience (CLE) -The CLE Summer Program
Denver, CO
 Colorado Mountain College (CMC) Summer College-Prep
Program Alpine ADVANTAGE Steamboat Springs, CO
 George Washington University - The GW Summer Scholars
Washington D.C.
 St. Ambrose University - Davenport, IA
 Curry College -The Learning Academy Milton, MA
 Landmark School -Preparatory Summer Program Prides
Crossing, MA, South Putney, VT
 Southern Illinois University -Carbondale, IL
Other programs can be found in Naviance

35.  Keep the students interest in mind
 Do not set the student up for failure
 Apply to a range of programs
 Research
 Campus/Site visits
 Know how student learns and operates
 Help the student to make smart decisions
regarding college

36.  CHOICES Fair
www.postsecondarychoices.org
 OPTIONS Fair
 Transition Coordinator
 Naviance/CareerCruising
 College and Career Center
 College Visits/Internet Exploration
 Heath Center http://www.heath.gwu.edu
 Glenbrook Transition Website
www.glenbrooktransition.org