Navigating the Transition from High School to College for Students with Disabilities

Navigating the Transition from High School to College for Students with Disabilities provides effective strategies for navigating the transition process from high school into college for students with a wide range of disabilities. As students with disabilities attend two and four-year colleges in increasing numbers and through expanding access opportunities, challenges remain in helping these students and their families prepare for and successfully transition into higher education. Professionals and families supporting transition activities are often unaware of today’s new and rapidly developing options for postsecondary education. This practical guide offers user-friendly resources, including vignettes, research summaries, and hands-on activities that can be easily implemented in the classroom and in the community and that facilitate strong collaboration between schools and families. Preparation issues such as financial aid, applying for college, and other long-term planning areas are addressed in detail. An accompanying student resource section offers materials for high school students with disabilities that secondary educators, counselors, and transition personnel can use to facilitate exploration and planning discussions. Framing higher education as a possible transition goal for all students with disabilities, Navigating the Transition from High School to College for Students with Disabilities supports the postsecondary interests of more than four million public school students with disabilities.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Section 1 Chapter 1: The Lived Experiences of College Students and Recent College Graduates with Disabilities Kim Elmore, Hetsie Veitch, and Wendy S. Harbour Chapter 2: Expectations for College Meg Grigal and Clare Papay Section 2 Chapter 3: Planning for a Successful Transition to College Zachary Walker; Elizabeth E. Getzel; Lyman Dukes, III; and Joseph W. Madaus Chapter 4: Foundational Skills for College and Career Success Debra Hart, Molly Boyle, and Melissa Jones Chapter 5: College Pathways for Students with Disabilities Meg Grigal and Judith S. Bass Chapter 6: Applying to College Adam R. Lalor, Stefania D. Petcu, and Joseph W. Madaus Section 3 Chapter 7: Collaboration and Support Strategies to Create College Access L. Danielle Roberts-Dahm; Lyman Dukes, III; and Debra Hart Chapter 8: Strategies to Increase College and Career Readiness for all Students through Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Allison Lombardi, Mary Morningstar, and Laura Kern Section 4 Student Resource Section

About the Author :
Meg Grigal is a Senior Research Fellow and Co-Director of Think College at the Institute for Community Inclusion at University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA. Joseph Madaus is Director of the Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability and Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at University of Connecticut, USA. Lyman L. Dukes III is Associate Dean of the College of Education at University of South Florida St. Petersburg, USA. Debra Hart is Director of Education and Transition at the Institute for Community Inclusion at University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA.

Review :
"This book fills an important need in the transition from high school to adulthood literature for students with disabilities. The strength of the text is the incredible array of teacher, student, and family resources and tools that can be used in the long-term planning and preparation for the transition to college or university for all students with disabilities." —Dr. David W. Test, Professor of Special Education and Child Development, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, USA "An important and timely contribution to the ongoing and critical discussion about creating postsecondary education opportunities for students with disabilities. From the introductory chapters on students' lived experiences and professional expectations to practical strategies colleges can put into action, this is a must read." —David R. Johnson, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, USA "This outstanding book provides the critical detail and specificity that educators, disability support service staff, and, perhaps above all, parents and students with disabilities must have for college planning. Postsecondary education is very different than what most families and students experience in high school. There is no IEP, the accommodations may be different, and college policies operate under a different set of laws, including access to financial aid. Thousands of students with disabilities could go to college but they do not know how to navigate the challenges in accessing the postsecondary world. This handbook, the first that I am aware of, provides unique assistance in the form of tables, forms, and real life case studies, all of which are extremely reader-friendly. This book is a specific guide that will assist students in the lengthy and at times very frustrating process of transitioning to college. I highly recommend that every high school transition specialist have access to this book." —Dr. Paul Wehman, Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, USA