Fialka, Janice

Who among us doesn’t have a tribe, or a village, or a network of friends and family that supports us? In good times and challenging ones, we use circles of support to help us out. The same goes for people with disabilities, only they are sometimes even more intentional in seeking out just the right people to be part of the Circle. In this webinar recording from March, 2020 a parent (Janice) and sibling (Emma) talk about how they have used Circles of Support with their son and brother, and how it’s also a model that has been used in schools and communities around the country.

This is the story of Micah, who has an intellectual disability, his community, and his ground-breaking journey to full inclusion in K-12 schools, college, work and life. It is told by Micah, as well as his parents, his sister, friends and colleagues in essays, poems and interviews.

This chapter from Think College!: Postsecondary Options for Students with Intellectual Disabilities, includes guidance for families as they consider college options. There is information about opportunities and challenges, what to expect, what motivates a student to go to college, how best to navigate the process, and more. Throughout this chapter there are vignettes from students and families to illustrate the points made.

This article provides guiding principles for families wishing to support the dreams of their sons and daughters to have an inclusive college education.

This special issue of Impact explores what we know, and what we still need to know, about what works to support increased participation of students with disabilities, especially those with intellectual disabilities, in postsecondary education and why that participation is important.

An article about a young man's dream and his fight to live in the dorms at the University he was attending, written by his mother. This article reviews his journey and the lessons learned.