Educational Guide: Pathway to Post-Secondary Education

Educational Guide: Pathway to Post-Secondary Education

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Rights and Support Provided to Children with Disabilities in the United States

• What is IDEA?

• The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a legislation that guarantees the provision of services to children with disabilities across the United States. It establishes guidelines for states and public agencies regarding the delivery of early intervention, special education, and related services to eligible infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. IDEA ensures that appropriate support is provided to individuals with disabilities throughout their developmental and educational journey (Department of Tennessee, n.d.).

• What is ADA?

• Once students leave high school, individuals are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (Department of Tennessee,n.d.). 
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a legislation that safeguards against discrimination towards individuals with disabilities in various aspects, including employment, public accommodations, communication, and access to state and local government programs and services. It ensures that individuals with disabilities have equal opportunities and accessibility, promoting inclusivity and eliminating unjust treatment based on disability status (U.S. Department Of Labor, n.d.).

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Who Should Be Involved During Post-Secondary Education Transitioning Meeting?

• Administrators

• Administrators play a crucial role in post- secondary education by establishing partnerships with both post-secondary institutions and community organizations. They advocate for inclusive practices to create an environment that supports students with disabilities. Administrators also assume the responsibility of monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of transition planning, ensuring continuous improvement in services and outcomes for these students.

• Teachers

• Teacher's can provide valuable insight on students academic performance, potential necessary accommodations, and they can also provide them strategies to help them become successful during education.

• School and guidance counselor

• They can provide guidance, resources, and expertise on post-secondary education options, career exploration and vocational training.

• Therapists (OT, PT, SLP)

• Therapists can collaborate with the student, their family, and educational team to develop meaningful transitioning goals related to the student's therapy needs. 
• Overall, therapists bring their expertise in accessing functioning abilities, recommending accommodations, and promoting independence to the post-secondary educational transitioning process.

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Who Should Be Involved During Post-Secondary Education Transitioning Meeting?

Service provider agencies: 

• Service providers provide their expertise in supporting students with disabilities. These agencies collaborate with the student, their family, educators, and other professionals involved in the transition planning process. They contribute their specialized knowledge to develop transition goals, accommodations, and supports tailored to the student's needs. They work closely with post-secondary institutions, ensuring appropriate accommodations and support services are in place.

Student: 

• It is important that the students themselves participate in the meeting. They can advocate for themselves by talking about their interest, preference, needs and goals.

Caregivers: 

• Caregivers can provide valuable insight on their child's interest, needs, and strength. They can contribute by advocating for their child, discussing their goals, and necessary accommodations to help support their child's successful post-secondary education transition.

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Advocating for Your Child During IEP Meetings

• Start by understanding the IEP process: https://www.tn.gov/education/families/student-support/special-education.html
• Familiarize with the state's special education laws and regulations

• Tennessee Department of Education:https://www.tn.gov/education/families/student-support/special-education.html

Prepare for IEP meeting: 

• Review their child's current IEP thoroughly.
• Gather any relevant documents and assessments related to their child's education and needs.
• Write down any questions, concerns, or goals they want to discuss during the meeting.

Communicate with the team: 

• Establish open and collaborative relationships with the team, including special educators, therapists, administrators, and teachers, to ensure effective communication and collaboration throughout the IEP process.

• Active participation in IEP meetings for effective advocacy.

• Caregiver's should share their observations, opinions, and goals for their child's education.
• Ask questions, clarification, request modification, and request modification if necessary.

• Collaborate

• Collaborate with the team to develop meaningful and measurable goals for your child.

• Request appropriate accommodations and services

• If you believe certain accommodations and services would benefit your child, it is important to advocate for them. By doing so, you can ensure that your child receives the best possible learning experience within their educational setting.

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Things to do for successful post-secondary education for your child

• Get involved

• collaboration between family, child, and the team is extremely important for student success.
• Hold higher expectations during post-secondary education meetings to help them become successful in education endeavors.

• When to start discussing post- secondary options during IEP meetings?

• Start early on.
• Start exploring career paths as soon as possible.
• If a student is interested in a career path, the IEP team should look at all the options for obtaining the training needed for the career.
• The IEP team should make sure that the guardian takes an active role in the transitioning process.

• When should the process of post-secondary education begin?

• It is NEVER too early to start however the formal timeline begins when the child is a freshman in high school.
• Advocate to meet with the school counselor to set up a four year plan for coursework.

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Pathway to Post-Secondary Education for Student with Intellectual Disability

• Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP)

• Students are eligible to apply for financial aid.
• This program usually requires students to take academic classes, life skill classes, internship and participate in extracurricular activities within campus.
• Students are often paired with a peer support network within the campus.
• CTP is designed to support students with intellectual disorder to support students in academic, career, and independent living.
• Factors considered for CTPs: Age (18-29 yrs old), earned one of the four high school diplomas, Health insurance, access to transportation to and from campus.
• Skills needed to attend CTPs: Ability to use different electronics devices, ability to sit independently through class periods for approximately 2 hrs, Emotional stability and independence, ability to follow rules. 
• Public Higher Education: some text
  • IDEAL at Lipscomb University: two years certification program designed specifically for students with intellectual disabilities to help them prepare for their future, the program includes academic coursework, support for internship, employment skills training, nutrition and exercise classes and on campus social activities. https://www.lipscomb.edu/student-life/student-services/access/ideal-program/program-details
  • Next Steps at Vanderbilt: 4 year inclusive higher education program for students with intellectual disabilities.Provides post-secondary that helps students with ID in academic, social and career development and independent living. https://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/departments/nextsteps/
  • ETSU East Tennessee State University: The program is for students with an intellectual disability who want to promote and enhance their academic, career, and social skills among their peers. 2 year inclusive higher education program for students with intellectual disabilities.

Eligibility criteria: https://www.etsu.edu/coe/access/prospective-students.php

• TigerLIFE at The University of Memphis: 2 year certification program for students with intellectual disabilities to help them find meaningful and lasting employment, provides individualized programs for students in education, social skills, and vocational training. Additional resources https://www.memphis.edu/tigerlife/admissions/index.php
• Tennessee College Of Applied Technology (TCAT): A college program that provides access and accommodations for all qualified students with disabilities. Student should be the one to initiate the process of reasonable accommodations.

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Pathway to Post-Secondary Education for Student with Intellectual Disability

• Orange Groove

• The center serves students between the ages of 5 and 22, typically referred by the IEP teams within Tennessee and Georgia counties.
• It offers a range of services including art, music, and physical recreation, enabling students to explore creative outlets, express themselves, and discover their individuality. Additionally, students may receive additional services such as

occupational, speech, or physical therapy, assistive technology, and behavioral support based on their individual needs (Orange Grove Center, 2020).

• The staff and orange groove team align their efforts with the Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals to prepare students for increased independence in their daily lives and future work opportunities. These goals encompass a range of areas, including pre-vocational and vocational skills, language development, social skills, self-help skills, functional academics, and community exploration. By incorporating these diverse goals, the team aims to support students in acquiring the necessary skills to thrive in various aspects of life (Orange Grove Center, 2020).

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References:

Tennessee Inclusive Higher Education Alliance. (2023, February22). Programs in Tennessee. https://tnihealliance.org/

Transition TN. (2016, April 16). Diploma pathways. https://transitiontn.org/downloadable/diploma-pathways/

Transition TN. (2023). Supporting strong transitions for youth with disabilities. https://transitiontn.org/

Department of Tennessee. (n.d.). The individuals with disabilities education act (IDEA). https://www.tn.gov/education/districts/federal-programs-and-oversight/idea.html#:~:text=The%20IDEA%20(reauthorized%20in%202004,school%2C%20or%20secondary%20school%20education

Department of Tennessee. (n.d.). Accessibility. https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/environmental/healthy-places/healthy-places/health-equity/he/accessibility.html#ADA

U.S. Department Of Labor. (n.d.). Americans with Disabilities Act. https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/disability/ada#:~:text=The%20Americans%20with%20Disabilities%20Act,local%20government%27%20programs%20and%20services

Orange Grove Center. (2020). Services for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. https://orangegrovecenter.org/102.13/services-for-children-with-intellectual-and-developmental-di

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