The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of peer mentors who served in a mentor role for students with intellectual disabilities in a university-level educational program. The study used face-to-face interviews with eleven general-population students who had worked at least one semester as a peer mentor with students with intellectual disabilities. The interview transcripts and participant characteristics formed the study data. The qualitative transcript data was analyzed using the constant comparative method of joint coding and analysis.
Academic / Peer-Reviewed Article
A biblography of research published or in process of being published as of June 2015, compiled for the June 2015 Capacity Building Institute, held in Boston, MA.
Project
National Coordinating Center
Postsecondary education (PSE) is increasingly becoming an option for students with intellectual disability. Postsecondary education offers the promise of pursuing a valued social role (that of college student), enhanced social networks, and, most significantly, increased employment options. To date, research and practice in the area of transition to PSE for students with ID has focused primarily upon the sending (public school systems) and receiving (colleges or universities) agencies.
The purpose of this article is to propose an expanded conceptual model, Transition to Community College (TtCC). Based on a review of the literature, the proposed model extends the work of Garrison-Wade and Lehmann as a revised transition framework to be used to guide the development and evaluation of disability policies, practices, and programs. Exemplary changes in the laws, policies, practices, and responsibilities from the secondary to the postsecondary setting are presented. Recommendations for secondary and postsecondary leaders and researchers are offered.
This article describes the core concepts of U.S. disability policy and their utility for national and international policy development. It compares and contrasts the core concepts with the articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), and then describes implications of the alignment of these two approaches. There is significant overlap among the core concepts and UNCRPD articles. Aligning the core concepts derived from U.S.
High school redesign (HSR) efforts currently focus on helping schools prepare all students to be college and career ready. As these initiatives are provided within thecontext of high schools, students with Individualized Education Programs are impacted by any effort to reform high schools. As a result, policies designed to improve the college and a career readiness (CCR) of all students should simultaneously improve the CCR of students with disabilities.
Youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience poor outcomes in the areas of independence, employment, and postsecondary education. This article provides a critical review of the key aspects of the transition process and identifies recommendations for policy and practice. The review highlights the literature and explores recommendations across the manifold elements of this transition, including social and psychological development, high school curriculum, work, and college.
This article discusses the recent changes to the Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA), P.L. 110-315, which have resulted in providing greater access to college programs to students with intellectual disabilities (ID). Prior to the amendments to HEOA, only students who were enrolled full time in a degree bearing program were eligible to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) under title IV of Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA form is the gateway to all federal student aid including Pell grants, Stafford and Perkins Loans, and Student Work Study Programs.
Individuals' attitudes impact the decisions they make in life. These attitudes are often formed early and are maintained by individuals throughout their lives. Attitudes toward individuals with disabilities were compared for undergraduate students enrolled in introductory special education and political science courses. This population was selected as policy makers typically enroll in introductory political science classes as undergraduates.
This study investigated the efficacy of a writing (ANSWER) strategy to improve the essay test responses of students who were enrolled in a campus-based, postsecondary education program for individuals with developmental disabilities. Random assignment to treatment or control groups and a pre- and posttest design were employed. Students used the six-step ANSWER strategy to analyze essay test prompts, construct outlines, generate essay responses, and revise as needed. The results were evaluated using a strategy scoring rubric.