A pretty black young woman intently reads a textbook.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.

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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.

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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/

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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

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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

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Which Transition Page Would You Like to Visit Now?

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