From the Winston-Salem (NC) Journal –

A new program called Beyond Academics will teach independent living skills to students with developmental disabilities as they live side-by-side with typical college students. Organizers say it is the first program of its kind in the Southeast.

The opening class is composed of eight students with mild to moderate developmental disabilities. One has Down syndrome; two have autism. The program is located across from the campus of University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Although UNCG is providing students to help with recreational therapy, literacy and other learning experiences, Beyond Academics is not a UNCG program.

One of the models for Beyond Academics is a program at Taft College in California. Jeff Ross, the director of student support services at Taft, came to Greensboro in March to help organizers set up the program here.

The Taft program has 48 students, and a waiting list of three to four years for those wanting to take part.

Ross said that when the program started in 1995, he thought about 75 percent of students would go on to live on their own. School officials have tracked the 135 students who have completed the program, and found that 98 percent were able to live on their own, and the employment rate of the graduates was 95 percent, with many of them finding work in stores and supermarkets.

“The successes have astounded most everybody,” he said.

But there have been barriers to other colleges adopting the model, Ross said. Some may not have an appropriate place to house students with developmental disabilities. Other colleges may not see educating people with developmental disabilities as part of their mission.

See earlier story about the Pathway Program, just opening at UCLA.

Also, see www.thinkcollege.net for a listing of postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 13th, 2007 at 6:06 am and is filed under Down syndrome, autism, disabilities, intellectual/developmental disabilities, post-secondary education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post