Think College provides technical assistance and training related to postsecondary education options for students with intellectual disability to college and program staff, K-12 educators, families, students, and others. Our goal is to support the development of quality programming for college students with intellectual disability and to empower the individuals supporting them with knowledge on best practices.
Our technical assistance staff and consultants have significant knowledge and expertise in inclusive postsecondary education for students with intellectual disability and provide responsive and high-quality service to assist professionals, students, and families on a wide range of topics. Click here to see our full list of Technical Assistance Providers!
Send a request to the Think College Helpdesk at thinkcollegeTA@umb.edu and one of our experienced providers will assist you.
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Types of Technical Assistance
Grant funding allows us to provide the types of technical assistance described below at no cost to TPSID programs and others.
Universal technical assistance: Through our online Help Desk, we respond to questions and provide resources to get you timely answers to your most pressing questions. We connect people to information and resources, including our online, asynchronous courses and extensive searchable Resource Library, and a library of recorded webinars.
Targeted technical assistance: If you need more than a quick email or phone call, we can set up targeted technical assistance for more complex issues or queries that will take a longer time to fully answer. An organization, program, or family can access up to 3 hours a year of targeted assistance at no cost. Once that limit is reached, you can still access universal technical assistance or consider purchasing additional customized support.
Intensive technical assistance: (TPSID grantees only) Support that involves more frequent, in-depth, and sustained engagement over a period of time. This type of assistance is used when a TPSID program requires substantial support to achieve specific outcomes. There are a limited number of slots for intensive technical assistance each year.
Customized technical assistance: Includes services such as strategic planning, program design, staff training, process improvement, data analysis, and implementation support. The scope, duration, and cost are determined by the level of expertise, time, and resources required.
FAQ
We can provide guidance on how to use Think College resources to search for colleges that best fit your student’s needs, as well as tips on how to help prepare them for college life and expectations. We can share this information through email (Universal Technical Assistance) or by meeting with students and their families via phone or virtual meeting (Targeted Technical Assistance).
No need to worry—just email us at thinkcollegeTA@umb.edu, and our team will help determine the type of technical assistance support that best fits your needs.
The first step is to email us at thinkcollegeTA@umb.edu. You should also check out our Program Development Resource by Topic page. Our technical assistance team will work with you to determine whether we can answer your questions with the existing resources we already have (universal technical assistance), or if we need to schedule a meeting (or more!) to discuss your needs (targeted technical assistance). Each program/organization gets up to three hours of targeted technical assistance per year. If your needs exceed this limit, you can request additional support for a fee.
Remember that each program/organization receives three hours of Targeted Technical Assistance at no cost! However, if you require additional support, you can receive Customized Technical Assistance for a fee- which varies significantly based upon your needs! We do our best to make sure that access to our experts in the field is cost effective. Several factors can impact the cost of services such as travel, duration, and preparation time. Please email us at thinkcollegeTA@umb.edu for a quote and transparent conversation about how we can assist you!
Many professionals in the inclusive postsecondary education community are willing to share their strategies and lessons learned. This community includes many who are willing to provide guidance. Get connected to others in your state and regional by checking out What's Happening in Your State. You can also consider joining our Think College Program Professionals group on Facebook. Additionally, the IPSE Association is a membership organization that facilitates communities and connections within the field of inclusive postsecondary education.