Taylor, Allison

The knowledge and attitudes of faculty and instructors greatly influence the experiences of all college students, including college students with ID. As the number of institutions of higher education enrolling students with ID grows, faculty and staff must be prepared to support the learning needs of all of these college students. We conducted qualitative interviews with 10 college faculty teaching inclusive courses at 7 colleges and universities across the U.S.

In addition to academic programming, Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) have a directive to ensure that enrolled students with intellectual disability (ID) are prepared for gainful employment. One study found students with ID who obtained a paid job while enrolled in a college or university program were almost 15 times more likely to have a paid job at exit than those who did not obtain a paid job while enrolled (Grigal, Papay, Smith, Hart, & Verbeck, 2018).

Students with intellectual disability (ID) are increasingly attending postsecondary education institutions and acquiring work experiences while completing their studies. One of the main motivations for students with ID to seek higher education is to broaden and increase their chance for finding fulfilling, paid employment in their communities.

Powerpoint from a presentation describing a qualitative study investigating faculty experiences in teaching students with intellectual disability in their college classes, including benefits, challenges and strategies for providing effective instruction to students with ID.  Presented at the 2019 AHEAD Conference.