Updated and link-checked, June 2016
As part of a student’s transition planning for life after high school, the student and the other members of his or her IEP team will probably consider the possibility of more education or training. In keeping with the options specifically mentioned in IDEA, the discussion of education/training after high school may focus on:
- postsecondary education at a college, university, or community college;
- vocational education to learn a trade or specific job skill; or
- continuing and adult education.
This resource page will connect IEP teams with organizations and articles that can help team members tackle the education/training question during transition planning.
- Getting started
- These experts can help
- What about college?
- College planning with specific disabilities
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Getting Started
One of the first places to visit is the HEATH Resource Center, the clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities. There, you’ll find online learning modules to guide your exploration of education or training after high school. Start with:
Knowing Your Options: What to do and Where to Go
http://heath.gwu.edu/awareness-postsecondary-options
Vocational Rehabilitation Services: Can It Help You?
http://heath.gwu.edu/rehabilitation-services
Opportunities in Career and Technical Education at the Postsecondary Level
http://heath.gwu.edu/career-and-technical-education
Together, these modules will give you a good frame of reference for thinking about and planning ahead for education or training after high school.
These Experts Can Help
There are many rich resource centers and organizations to visit that can help you and yours explore the possibilities for education and/or training after high school. Try these, for starters, listed in alpha order. We give you their home page addresses, so that you can poke in all the corners according to your interests and needs.
AHEAD | Association on Higher Education and Disability
Resources for parents and students
http://www.ahead.org/students-parents
Disability Scholarships | In this subsection of the scholarships.com website, you’ll find a long list of scholarships based on having a specific disability (e.g., blindness, cystic fibrosis, hearing impairment, learning disabilities).
https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-type/disability-scholarships/
DO-IT | DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) works to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers. DO-IT Scholars is especially for college-capable high school students with disabilities.
http://www.washington.edu/doit/
Study.com | All sorts of tools and info here. Find classes and degree programs in the subject area of your choice. Access quick reviews of key subject matter (a good tool for studying). AND you can find out about the college and university system in each state.
http://study.com/academy/course/index.html
HEATH Resource Center | We’ve already mentioned HEATH, the online clearinghouse for postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities.Come here if you’re looking for information about educational support services, policies, procedures, adaptations, and opportunities at American campuses, vocational-technical schools, and other postsecondary training entities for adults with disabilities.
http://heath.gwu.edu/
PEPNet | Advancing educational options for people who are deaf or hard of hearing
http://www.pepnet.org/
What About College? General Resources
Don’t discount college as an option because the potential student has a disability. There are many very helpful resources that are designed to guide students with disabilities through the process of considering college, applying to college, and succeeding there.
College or Training Programs | How to Decide
http://www.ldonline.org/article/12768
Rethinking College | Video
http://www.thinkcollege.net/training/rethinking-college-the-film
Going to College | A resource for teens with disabilities
http://www.going-to-college.org/
College Planning for Students with Disabilities |
http://www.educationquest.org/11th-12th-grade-students/information-for-students-with-disabilities/
Transition Checklist for Families |
http://www.thinkcollege.net/images/stories/site_docs/family_checklist.pdf
Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education | Know Your Rights and Responsibilities | Office of Civil Rights
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html
U.S. Department of Education | http://www.ed.gov
Find a scad of resources about education after high school, such as:
Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid (in English and Spanish)
https://studentaid.ed.gov/resources#funding
All about college | Why go, what to do, how to pay
Lots of info for parents and students and for teachers and counselors
http://studentaid.ed.gov/home
The Next Step video | This 19-minute video presents personal stories of five Texans with disabilities who enrolled in colleges, universities or technical schools. Available in English and Spanish.
http://tcdd.texas.gov/resources/publications/the-next-step-video-and-discussion-guide/
Succeeding in College and Work: Students with Disabilities Tell Their Story videos
Listen to several students tell their stories: Santara (a college student with spina bifida, explaining the process of negotiating classroom accommodations); Valeska (who has learning disabilities); Alexander (now an engineer at Mathworks); and Danielle (a pediatric nurse who’s missing her right hand). More disability-related videos can be found at the main video page, at:
http://www.newenglandada.org/videos
HEATH modules | As mentioned above, the HEATH Resource Centers offers online modules on a spectrum of topics related to postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities. Access the entire list of topics at:
http://heath.gwu.edu/node/134
What About College? Resources on Specific Disabilities
AD/HD or LD | Resources for College
http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/college-resources-for-students/
Autism spectrum |
http://www.collegeautismspectrum.com/students.html
Autism spectrum |
http://heath.gwu.edu/students-autism-college-classroom
Blindness | see Visual impairments
Intellectual disabilities | Postsecondary Education Options for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
http://www.communityinclusion.org/article.php?article_id=178&type=topic&id=7
Intellectual disabilities | Think College!
http://www.thinkcollege.net/
Learning disabilities | Leaving high school
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/choosing-starting-school/leaving-high-school
Learning disabilities | Colleges with programs for students with learning disabilities
http://www.college-scholarships.com/schools/colleges-with-programs-for-students-with-learning-disabilities/
LD or AD/HD | Resources for College
http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/college-resources-for-students/
Physical disabilities | Colleges for students with physical disabilities
http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Universities_For_Students_Disabilities/
Psychiatric disabilities | Handling your psychiatric disability in work and school
http://www.bipolarworld.net/job_school/js27.htm
Visual impairments | National Alliance of Blind Students
http://acbstudents.org/
Visual impairments | NFB Cafe: For Blind and Visually Impaired College Students & Professionals
https://www.facebook.com/groups/42381613153/
Visual impairments | Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It’s Off to College You Go!
http://www.tsbvi.edu/math/3140-hi-ho-hi-ho-its-off-to-college-you-go
Which Transition Page Would You Like to Visit Now?
- Main Transition Page (Transition to Adulthood)
- Transition Starters for Everyone
- Transition Goals in the IEP
- Students Get Involved!
- Adult Services: What Are They? Where are They?
- Education/Training Connections (you’re here!)
- Employment Connections
- Independent Living Connections