National Coordinating Center

Think College staff presented six sessions at the DCDT 2017 Conference.  Powerpoint handouts for all sessions are included here.

This Fast Fact #13 examines data from the model demonstration projects focused on how many college students with disabilities access the Disability Supports Office (DSO), and what services they receive from the DSO. The findings suggest that more students are requesting services from the DSO, in general, with higher numbers being reported from 2-year institutions of higher education (IHE) than 4-year IHEs. 

Think College Insight Brief #32 focuses on the unique perspective of a rural, large state program. Think College Wyoming has students enrolled multiple campuses, and enjoys the support of multiple national and state agencies to make this program work. To develop the most appropriate program considering the resources available, a survey was sent to potential students, families, educators, and others. This publication describes the program that was developed based on those survey results and highlights strengths and areas for improvement. 

This Think College Story from September 2017 features two college students making history.  Holly Sheetz and Joe McNeil were the first students with intellectual disability (ID) to participate in the commencement ceremony at Minot (North Dakota)State University. Students have been attending the ASTEP program since 2011, but this was the first time students with ID were included at commencement. Through mentorship of and interviews with Holly and Joe, staff from the ASTEP program share many of the students' experiences, memories, and dreams in this Think College Story. 

This online Research Summit from February 2017 focused on the topic of mentoring and peer relationships among students with and without intellectual disabilities. The presenters were Cindi May, Ph.D., from College of Charleston and Brian Freedman, Ph.D. & Laura Eisenman, Ph.D. from University of Delaware.

This online Research Summit from June 2017 featured two researchers who recently completed their doctoral dissertations in the area of postsecondary education for students with intellectual disability.  They presented their research and led a discussion on conducting doctoral research during the summit.

In the postsecondary education (PSE) community, the inclusion of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in postsecondary education is viewed as a human right with benefits that extend through campus communities (Jones et al., 2015; Kelty, 2014). Inclusion in a PSE community requires a minimum of two socially engaged partners (e.g., friends, classmates, club members, etc.). Direct accounts from social participants offer insights into the construction, meaning, and perceived impact of social interactions as they relate to PSE for students with I/DD.

This 2010 Fast Fact presents the results of a survey of postsecondary education programs on what services are offered for students with intellectual disability. Details on admission, courses and programming, housing, and more are presented. 

In 2010, the Office of Postsecondary Education awarded grants to 27 institutions of higher education (IHEs) to create or expand access to higher education for students with intellectual disabilities in 23 states. These model demonstration projects, known as Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSIDs), were asked to create meaningful credentials for students who completed their programs. This Fast Fact reviews what kind of credentials are available to students with ID in college.