I’m unsure why the word “college” needs to be used. I agree wholeheartedly that there needs to be post-secondary options for students that age out of the school district or graduate. With all the budget cuts in NJ, the two state departments that formerly supported such students conduct very few day programs, sheltered workshops, job coaching… the list goes on and on. So there are very few things for folks with intellectual disabilities (ID) to do day-to-day for the remainder of their lives. This type of schooling definitely has a place, and there is a gigantic need, so I think there will be a waiting list, or there may already be a waiting list! It takes someone famous with money having a son with an ID to see the need for a school like this… it’s a good start. These folks do not belong in general academic classes at open-enrollment community colleges.
Miami Dolphins Legend Dan Marino Starting College For Developmentally Disabled
FORT LAUDERDALE — The Dan Marino Foundation’s plans for a downtown college for the developmentally disabled could give students the real-world experiences they need to make it on their own.
For the foundation started by the former Miami Dolphins quarterback in 1992 after his 2-year-old son Michael was diagnosed with autism, the first-of-its-kind college in Florida is a natural next step.
The Dan Marino Foundation Florida Vocational College would help those with developmental disabilities move into adulthood. Marino’s own son, now 23, has himself finished college and works as a DJ, performing under the name DJ 1 Tre.
Many of the college’s students would live in nearby apartments and use readily available public transportation as they develop their independence. The school’s goal is to get students jobs or to prepare them to be successful in a traditional college program.
“We’re here to teach the skills, provide the supports and reduce the supports as the program goes along,” said Kerri Parmelee, the foundation’s transition program director.
A state analysis last year found that of 7,920 developmentally disabled students who left school district programs in 2008, only a fifth of them entered a post-secondary or adult education program the following year.
“A lot of our young adults are sitting at home, doing nothing,” said Susan Morantes, the foundation’s vice president for disability services. “We need to prepare them.”
The foundation’s endeavors for the developmentally disabled include Weston’s Dan Marino Center — a partnership with Miami Children’s Hospital — as well as a research institute and a summer job program for teens and young adults.
To house the college, the foundation paid $2.75 million last year for a three-story building in the 400 block of North Andrews Avenue. The school would be for students ages 18 to 28 who have been diagnosed with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other disabilities.
Federal and state-mandated services for the developmentally disabled are only available up to age 22. The college would be open to those who have graduated from high school or those who did not graduate and are too old to be eligible for school district services.
See also Dan Marino Foundation plans downtown Fort Lauderdale college for the developmentally disabled
On 12 Feb 2012, I was asked the following question regarding post above:
“I am the Coordinator of a public school transition program in [a public Arizona] School District. I would be very interested in your rationale and thoughts as why you think they do not belong.
Much appreciated.
Coordinator, Community Transition Programs”
My response:
Over the past three years, I have seen more and more intellectually disabled (ID) students enrolling in community college. I believe there are several reasons for this, the number one reason being massive cuts to our state’s developmental and vocational departments. I work at an open-enrollment institution, so everyone that applies gets in. Students without SAT scores are then required to sit for ETS’ Accuplacer placement test. These test scores place students in their initial classes. 80% of the people who sit for the Accuplacer test into our developmental sequence; non-credit earning, pre-college level courses to bring students up to college levels. When the majority of the general population test below college-level, or as I would call them UNPREPARED (not under-prepared, a ridiculous notion in my opinion), we can safely assume almost all the students who self-identify with the disabilities are placed below college level. Students begin to take out federal & private loans to pay instruction they should have received prior to graduating from K-12 institutions. It continues to sicken me to see students with ID paying for developmental reading/writing/math courses two, three, sometimes four times before calling it quits after racking up thousands in financial aid. Students are disserviced K-12, and then disserviced again in “college” all for what? There is no ability benefit. These students need to learn all sorts of other survival and workplace skills to live a successful, independent life. However, the classes that teach these skills have been all but wiped out from the high school curriculum in New Jersey. So the least we could offer are post-secondary programs geared specifically for these students, instead of merely allowing them the “opportunity to fail” out of academic courses that do not have the supports necessary for such students to succeed. Since IDEA ends, and ADA rules, academic supports are not mandated based on students’ disabilities. It is a shame that the, “Everyone should/must/can go to college,” message has permeated all facets of U.S. society. My questions are endless. The systems are all broken, and seem impossible to fix… it’s all very disturbing to me.
Why would we set students up for frustrating experiences that cost too much money, to teach things they should have learned for free before earning a high school diploma? It seems completely unethical, and a gigantic waste of so many precious resources already spread too thin.
