Post Secondary Options
Every parent has hopes and dreams for their children, just as every child has hopes and dreams for themselves and their futures.
In this section, we have included resources that will help you and your child/ren with special needs realize their hopes and dreams through attending a post-secondary institution or program.
Included in these resources are helpful guides that will walk you and your family member with special needs through the process of preparing for college in high school, choosing the right college, preparing to transition from home life to independent living, and figuring out how to pay for your education. In addition, it also contains tips and guidelines that will help you figure out how to access resources that are put in place to assist and support college students with disabilities (i.e. longer exam times, accessibility issues, funding grants, etc.) and ensure that each individual has equal access to the opportunities that exist in the post-secondary community.
For more information on post-secondary options for your child, specifically in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia areas, please contact us, or register for the workshop we have designed specifically to help families with special needs plan for their children’s post-secondary experience, “Transitioning Planning and a Discussion of Post-Secondary Options.”
A Guide to College for Students with Disabilities: This article contains helpful information and a number of resources that focus on the disability rights law in the United States as it pertains to equal access to education. The guide to College for Students with Disabilities is a comprehensive resource guide that will help you and your family understand your rights under the law, and help you to choose, plan, and pay for your child’s post-secondary education.
Think College!: Think College! is a national organization dedicated to developing, expanding, and improving inclusive higher education options for people with intellectual disability. With a commitment to equity and excellence, Think College supports evidence-based and student centred research and practice by generating and sharing knowledge, guiding institutional change, informing public policy, and engaging with students, professionals and families.
Going to College: The Going to College website “contains information about living college life with a disability. It’s designed for high school students and provides video clips, activities and additional resources that can help you get a head start in planning for college.”
Association of Higher Education & Disability: The Association of Higher Education and Disability, AHEAD, is “a professional membership organization for individuals involved in the development of policy and in the provision of quality services to meet the needs of persons with disabilities involved in all areas of higher education.” Their website contains articles, information on their publications, and information on events, workshops and organizational committees.
Heath Resource Center of George Washington University: The Heath Resource Center of George Washington University is “a web-based clearinghouse that serves as an information exchange of educational resources, support services and opportunities. The HEATH Resource Center gathers, develops and disseminates information in the form of resource papers, fact sheets, website directories, newsletters, and resource materials. HEATH Resource Center is a collaborative effort among a network of professionals in the areas of disability, counseling, transition and postsecondary education.”
College Support Resources for Students with Disabilities: College Support for Students with Disabilities is a user-friendly guide (written and published by bestschools.com) that explores rights and protection provided by law, the many different education opportunities as well as in-depth grants and scholarship programs designed specifically to support higher education. This guide is intended to answer common questions that individuals with special needs may have about college, to make it easier for those living with disabilities to leverage the educational benefits they have earned.