Thursday, November 17, 2011

Josie's Going to College

Yes, I realize that she's not even in preschool yet but we're already planning on Josie going on to higher education.  Did you know that all sorts of colleges around the nation have programs for individuals with special needs?  I didn't either - until recently. 

Many colleges have added customized curriculum's designed not only to educate individuals with special needs, but to offer an opportunity to acquire valuable life skills through independent living on campus while obtaining the same social experience that other college students have.  I find this to be an incredible testimony to the way our society now values people with disabilities. 

As parents we owe it all to the generation before us - those trailblazers who brought their babies with special needs home instead of institutionalizing them.  Pioneers like my parents, who advocated for my sister's education instead of keeping her isolated at home without stimulation.  Society has come a long way in terms of our perception of individuals with disabilities and what they're capable of. 

As a result, I have every intention of sending Josie off to college alongside her typically developing peers.  And as plentiful as the higher education opportunities for individuals with special needs are today, I am so excited to see what they will be like in 17 years!

Here are just a couple of links highlighting universities around the nation that offer these types of programs:

Now, how cool is that?!

7 comments:

  1. This was a very cool post. Thanks! Also, wow!, Josie is getting so big and is so cute too!

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  2. Incase Josie is looking for a roomie, Emily is going to college too (and yes, I too am thinking that far in advance!).

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  3. We are also planning on Abbie attending college. My husband's school has a program that is currently serving a small number of students with special needs very successfully. I cannot wait to tell everyone that Abbie will be following in Daddy's footsteps. :-)

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  4. Yay!

    My college, George Mason University, has something called Mason LIFE. My friend Erin who has DS graduated from there. Her favorite part was living on campus!

    Brooke
    www.TheAnnessaFamily.blogspot.com

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  5. Not sure why but my last comment didn't take. Had to buy a new computer and am still figuring it out. Thanks for posting that website! It looks like a great resource and I'll be looking it over carefully for my "typical" Sophormore in high school, as well as her little Sis. Roo is only 8, but we do have big plans for her! What we as a community need to keep doing is pushing for funding and support for all possibilities for our kiddoes and also getting the message across to institutions of higher learning the value our kids would bring to their communities.

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  6. Thank you for sharing! I am so happy to learn of these programs. I also look forward to see the improvements in 17 years!

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  7. So awesome that you are looking forward to Josie's college experience already! Nowdays there are so many more opportunities for everyone to attend college, most certainly including students with disabilities. This guide http://www.onlineschoolscenter.com/navigating-online-education-for-students-with-disabilities/ provides a lot of information and resources too, as well as advice for self-advocacy, which is so important!

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