College Experience for Students with IDD and Autism
How is college different than high school?
Following the rules in high school:
- High school is required and free
- Your schedule is structured for you
- High school is a right
- Parents and teachers will remind you of your responsibilities
- Each day you go from one class to the next
- You are told what to do and corrected if your behavior is out of line
- The school year is 36 weeks
- Classes usually have no more than 35 students
- You are usually told in class what you need to learn from an assigned reading
High School Teachers:
- Teachers check that you are doing your work
- Teachers will remind you of your incomplete work
- Teachers provide you with the information you missed if you were absent
- Teachers carefully monitor class attendance
Tests in High School:
- You are given frequent tests
- Makeup tests are often available
Grades in High School:
- Grades are given for most assigned work
- You can pass with a D or higher
- If you don't pass a class, you still have to go to high school
Choosing responsibility in college:
- College is voluntary and costs money
- You manage your own time
- College is a privilege; you have to use great effort to be here
- You must take responsibility
- You will have free time between classes
- You are expected to take responsibility for what you do and don't do, as well as for the consequences of your decisions
- The academic year is divided into two semesters, each 16 weeks long
- Classes may have up to 100 or more students
College Professors:
- Professors do not check to see if you are doing your work
- Professors may not remind you of incomplete work
- Professors expect you to get what you missed when you were absent (usually from another classmate)
- Professors do not take attendance
Tests in College:
- You may only have 2–3 tests
- Makeup tests are seldom an option
Grades in College:
- Grades are available for all assigned work
- You can pass if you have a C or higher. In CCS, you must maintain a grade point average of 2.0
- If your grade point average goes below 2.0, the college will remove you
What is a requirement to be in the CCS program?
Career and Community Studies is a four- or two-year college experience. It is a non-degree program that offers 120 or 60 credits to receive a Record of Completion. It is tuition-based plus addition support fees.
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Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP)
Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP)
Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP)
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Must hear student's voice — primary focus
Must hear student's voice — primary focus
Must hear student's voice — primary focus
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Increasing Self-Determination Skills
Increasing Self-Determination Skills
Increasing Self-Determination Skills
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Career Focused
Career Focused
Career Focused
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Assessments & Evaluations
Assessments & Evaluations
Assessments & Evaluations
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Strong Alliance Between Parents & Program
Strong Alliance Between Parents & Program
Strong Alliance Between Parents & Program
- Career and Community Studies is non-degree, meaning you will be "majoring" in life skills. CCS is a place to learn what the student can do, with the ultimate outcome of developing career skills for competitive and entry-level employment positions.
Admission Criterion for the Student
- Intellectual and development disability or autism
- Aged 18–26 and has exited from high school
- Motivated
- Transition goal in IEP
- Emotional and behavioral stability
- Minimum of 4th grade reading level
- Can cross the street independently and safely
- Must manage medication and medical needs independently
- Basic safety skills in an unsupervised setting
Parent Admission Criterion
- Parent must acknowledge their student is an adult and wants them to be
- Parents must allow the CCS program to hold the student accountable as he/she learns how to make better decisions and to learn how to direct their own lives
- Parents must work with CCS to provide opportunities for student to become more independent
- Parents must understand the importance of reducing student dependency on them
Parents understand that student need to use their voice, and the student must understand their disability and can speak to it.
Communication with CCS
- Expect less communication than high school
- Communication goes through the student
Four Types of Mentors
CCS has four types of mentors—academic, social, dorm support, and job coaches.
Academic Instructors
- Support students as they attend KSU classes
- Tutor in Academic Support Labs (ASL)
- Assist in CCS classes
- Monitors skill development and fade processes
Job Coaches
- Support student in work environments
- Challenge student to master more tasks
- Communicates with employer/supervisor for additional tasks
- Monitors skill development and fade processes
Social Mentors
- Attend campus activities
- Invites to lunch, cup of coffee
Independent Living Instructors (ILI) and Dorm Support
- Support residential students evenings and weekends
- Provide opportunities to practice independent living and social skills
- Teaches how to get involved in KSU clus and events
- Support students as they become independent in managing their own schedule
- Parents of dorm students share the cost of ILIs and/or dorm support
Course Timeline
For more information on our four- and two-year course timelines, visit our program pages:
What is Effort?
Self-Determination Skills:
- Problem-solving
- Choice-making
- Decision making
- Goal setting
- Self-regulation
- Goal attainment
- Self-advocacy
- Self-awareness
- Self-efficacy
Good Habits:
- Energy
- Willing to try and do
- Persistence
- Using resources
- Taking ownership and responsibility of tasks
- Committed/motivated
The Five Ps of Effort
- Punctuality
- Participation
- Preparedness
- Performance
- Propriety
KSU Primary Classes
- Students identify classes of interest and classes that match career choice
- CCS registers students into KSU primary classes
- Syllabus is modified
- Living Syllabus contract
- Graded with S or U on effort
Examples of Courses Taken
- Intro to Nursing
- Investigating the Human Figure in Ceramics
- Principles of Athletic Training
- Intro to Conflic Management
- Intro to Computer Science
- Understanding Young Children: Typical
- Intro to Entrepreneurship
- Exercise Leadership for the Older Adult
- Georgraphy of the US/Canada
- Interpersonal Relationships and Family
- Lodging Operations
- Business Management
- Techniques of Food Production
- Elementary Photography
- Issues in Law & Society
- Fundamentals of Meteorology
- Applied Music – Voice
- Social Media
- Science of Human Nutrition
- Intro General Psychology
- Intro to Child Psychology
- Community Development and Recreation
- Sport in Society
- Fundamentals of Broadcasting
Work Experiences
- 9 hours a week
- Start sophomore year
- On-campus: can be any job
- Purpose is to evaluate and develop work skills (the five Ps!)
Practicum – 12 hours/week
- Junior year
- Two semesters
- On- or off-campus
- In the career field of interest
- May or may not be paid
Internship – 15 hours/week
- Senior year
- Two semesters
- In career field of interest
- On- or off-campus
- May or may not be paid
Residential
Social Connections
- Social Mentors
- 370+ clubs
- Sports
- Special Events
- Working out at the rec center
- Karaoke
- Trivia night
Technology
- Must have a cell phone (smart phone)
- Must have a laptop with Windows 10
- Dell or Apple
- No Chrome Books
Financial Aid Possibilities
- Students can apply for FAFSA Pell grants and work study
- FAFSA eligibility is determined by parent income
- Parents can apply for Parent Plus Federal Loans
- Students are not able to take out student loans
- Scholarships
If you would like to talk to someone to receive more information about Financial Aid and to determine what you can plan on for aid, contact Student Financial Aid at 330-672-2972.
Self-Determination
- Problem-Solving
- Choice-Making
- Decision-Making
- Goal Setting
- Self-Regulation
- Goal Attainment
- Self-Advocacy
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Efficacy