The resources listed here include reports, briefs, peer-reviewed journal articles, and federal guidance on the topic of credentials. As knowledge about credentials available to students with ID continues to develop, it is important to consider the context of the credential landscape nationally. This annotated bibliography offers a summary of information and insights that can be drawn from existing credential resources.
The Transition and Postsecondary Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) model demonstration program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education was implemented initially from 2010 to 2015. During this time, 27 institutions of higher education were awarded grants to develop programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to access higher education. TPSID programs were charged with developing model demonstration programs that would lead to gainful employment.
One of the strongest predictors of post-school employment for students with intellectual disability and/or autism (ID/A) is obtaining work experiences while in high school. There is growing evidence of a similar effect among college students.
In 2014, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) mandated significant changes to the workforce development and vocational rehabilitation (VR) systems. One of these changes was a requirement that state vocational rehabilitation agencies set aside at least 15% of their federal funds to provide pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) to students with disabilities who are eligible or potentially eligible for VR services.
Significant changes were made to the state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency services program with passage of the 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). These changes, which include specific resources to help individuals with disabilities find, obtain, and maintain meaningful competitive integrated employment, may lead to more optimal employment outcomes for youth and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), who are often faced with under- or unemployment in adulthood.
Successful completion of college requires more than attending to coursework, it also requires the development of foundational skills and personal competencies such as working with others in a collaborative manner, effective communication, problem solving, and self-direction skills. These same skills are also needed to support future career success.
Over the past decade, the field of inclusive higher education has expanded considerably, offering a growing number of options for students with intellectual disabilities and/or autism (ID/A) to access college experiences that include career development and employment. This focus on employment spurs many of these programs to partner with state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies. However, these partnerships require staff from both entities to develop an understanding about each partner’s role to work together effectively.
A new population of college students is emerging on campuses across the United States: students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). With this new and growing population of college students, an important question persists: are their health and wellness needs being identified and met? The authors concluded that research on this unique population should continue, and the etiology of health and wellness issues of college students with IDD should be established to develop and implement evidence-based programing.
Article absract: Our nation currently has a total of 264 postsecondary education programs that are specifically designed to serve college students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) on college and university campuses. The total number of these programs has experienced an increase of approximately 67.5% in the past six years, and this new population of college students will continue to grow.
This paper from the University of Minnesota makes the following points:
