Project

1. Opportunities for Postsecondary Successfor College Students with Intellectual DisabilitiesAHEAD Conference July 15, 2011 Cathy Schelly, M.Ed., OTR/L; Assistant ProfessorDirector, Center for Community Partnerships PI, OPS Project Julia Kothe, M.Ed. Assistant Director, Center for Community Partnerships Self-Advocacy Coordinator

2. OPS Project Opportunities for Postsecondary Success

3. Who we are… Center for Community Partnerships — a service and outreach arm of the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University …Supporting the inherent dignity, potential and full participation of all people.

4. DOE, OPE-Funded Program Focus Areas • Opportunities for Postsecondary Success (OPS) — student supports • Student Self-Advocacy leading to success for students with ASD • UDL, AT and SA instruction and technical assistance • Program evaluation, dissemination, replication

5. Universal Design for Learning:3 Principles • Instructors represent information and concepts in multiple ways (and in a variety of formats). • Students are given multiple ways to express their comprehension and mastery of a topic. • Students engage with new ideas and information in multiple ways.

6. UDLFramework

7. Graphic of merging UDL and SA

8. Till the cows come home… Instructors can implement UDL and best teaching practices until the cows come home... But until students become aware of how they learn, what they need to be successful in the college environment, and how to put strategies and resources in place to promote success—until they become self-advocates—we’re only half-way to our goal.

9. Self-Advocacy • “Self-advocacy is the ability to understand one’s own needsand effectively communicate those needs to others.”* *Shore, 2010

10. OPS Self-Advocacy Definition* • Knowing yourself • Strengths, interests, challenges • Knowing what you need and want • Available resources, accommodations • Knowing how to get what you need and want • Taking action *adapted from Shore, 2010

11. Self-Advocacy Skill Development for Postsecondary Success

12. Why Promote Self-Advocacy? • Academic Persistence! • Self-advocacy is a key predictor of student success. Strong self-advocates (self-responsible learners) tend to experience greater academic satisfaction, higher grades, and have an increased level of ability to succeed in college and in life.* 1 *Field, Sarver and Shaw (2003); Lotkowski, Robbins and Noeth (2004); Tinto, V. (1993)

13. The problem… “Too many students with disabilities exit high school with limited self-determination and self-advocacy skills because school and parents assume responsibility for advocating for educational needs rather than fostering the development of these skills in students.”* *Izzo & Lamb, 2002

14. Differences between high schooland college/university

15. The solution...UDL + Self-Advocacy = ACCESS • Inclusive instruction through UDL implementation makes learning accessible to all students. • Becoming an effective self-advocate is critical for success in postsecondary education – for all students, and especially those with ASD! • Self-advocacy skill development is the foundation of support strategies for students with ID, including ASD and TBI/ABI!

16. ACCESS Leads to Questions and Program Development • Who are the students who are ‘falling through the cracks?’ Why are they struggling? • How can we best support high-risk students with ID (including ASD and TBI) to promote success in achieving their postsecondary dreams? • Office of Postsecondary Education provided the potential answer to our questions.

17. Transition Program Funding Priority • Authorized by Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA) Reauthorization in 2008 (PL 110-315) • IHEs funded to develop comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs for students with disabilities that impact their cognitive functioning

18. Transition Program Funding Priority • HEOA focus: • Students with learning/academic functioning impairments, characterized by significant limitations in cognitive functioning and/or adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social, and/or practical adaptive skills, including students with ASD • Addressing a need identified at CSU, FRCC, PSD and beyond

19. OPS supports and services – enhanced program • OPS focuses on supporting successful postsecondary transition outcomes for students with disabilities who need additional support above and beyond academic accommodations provided through the Resources for Disabled Students Office at Colorado State University.

20. What types of services? • Weekly goal-setting and strategizing meetings with a Transition Coordinator and/or a Peer Mentor • Individualized assessment for identification of challenges, needs, strengths, interests and goals • Connectingstudents to campus resources • Identifying and implementing compensatory strategies and/or accommodations that promote self-advocacy and academic and campus life success • Modeling and practicing of social and interpersonal skills as needed • Critical skill development - time management, organization, communication, problem-solving, decision making, stress management, study and test taking skills, career path planning, recreation resources, etc.

21. Center for Community Partnerships Implementing OPS • CCP partnering with: • OT faculty • CSU Assistive Technology Resource Center • CSU Student Disability Office • Student Affairs • Residential Life • Local Community College • Colorado School Districts • Developmental Disability System (CCB) • Division of Vocational Rehabilitation • City Adaptive Recreation Program

22. OPS Goals • Transition supports, with a SA focus • Transition Coordination • Peer Mentoring • UDL, AT, and SA training and technical assistance • Evaluation of program outcomes

23. Who are the students ‘falling through the cracks’ of higher education?

24. TBI Facts • Who is at highest risk for TBI? • Males are about 1.5 times as likely as females to sustain a TBI. • The two age groups at highest risk for TBI are 0 to 4 year olds and 15 to 19 year olds. • Certain military duties (e.g., paratrooper) increase the risk of sustaining a TBI. • African Americans have the highest death rate from TBI. The Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado, June, 2011

25. BI Facts • The leading causes of BI are: • Falls (28%) • Motor vehicle-traffic crashes (20%) • Struck by/against (19%) • Assaults (11%) • Blasts are a leading cause of TBI for active duty military personnel in war zones. • Illness, cancer, stroke, congenital conditions, etc. (ABI) The Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado, June, 2011

26. Possible Physical Changes Following BI • Fatigue – longest residual symptom • Motor speed and coordination, balance • Sensory/perception • Slowed, slurred speech • Seizures • Paralysis, spasticity • Pain • Depression • Sleep disruption • Appetite, diet, exercise changes • Bladder, bowel control • Regulation of body temperature • Medication side effects

27. Possible CognitiveChanges Following BI Difficulties with: • Initiation, sequencing, follow-thru, self monitoring • New learning, abstract principles • Receptive, expressive language • Attention, concentration • Mental processing • Short term memory • Multi-step directions • Problem solving, word finding • Variable abilities/performance (fatigue, time of day, stress, overstimulation…) • Adapting to changes in life • Organization, planning, time management • Impulsivity, impaired judgment, safety awareness

28. Possible Social-Behavioral Changes Following BI Difficulties with: • Personality changes • Emotional regulation • Self-awareness • Self concept/esteem – “I just want to be like I was before!” • Inflexible thinking • Anxiety, irritability, aggression • Depression, lethargy, stress, withdrawal • Impulse control, distractibility • Lack of inhibition, inappropriate behaviors • Interpretation of social cues (facial, verbal, sarcasm, figures of speech…) • Awareness of others • Dependency – other people, drugs, alcohol

29. BI Scenario Josh is referred to the OPS program as a sophomore because he is experiencing difficulties with his ichthyology and wildlife management classes. He experienced a brain injury when he was in elementary school and as a result, has short-term memory challenges, takes medication for headaches every night, becomes fatigued after an hour and half of studying, and has poor balance.

30. Upon meeting with Josh you find out the following: • He did well in high school and maintained a 3.0 as a freshman in college. • He looked into assistive technology accommodations, but never followed through. • He is getting a D in his ichthyology and wildlife management classes. • He has not met with the professors of these two classes. • He is embarrassed by his disability and doesn’t want other students to find out about his brain injury. He described a situation with his ichthyology class when the class was collecting samples from a stream. Several times he almost fell into the water due to his unstable balance. • He is lonely and feels isolated.

31. Recommendations? • What recommendations do you have for this student? What are we hoping to accomplish? Is it just academic support that this student needs? • Support from the Transition Coordinator? • Support from the Student Mentor?

32. Taking a close look at the college student with ASD • Coming to universities and colleges in record numbers • IEPs in high school (or 504 plans) • High functioning re: academic skills • Potential difficulties with activities of daily living, relationships, socialization • IHEs feeling sense of urgency in determining how to best support these students • Through OPS, we are develop support strategies as well as institutional accommodations to address the needs of this growing student population! *Barnhill, G., Hagiwara, T., Myles, B.S., & Simpson, R., 2000

33. Strengths that students with ASD may have* • Cognitive abilities similar to neurotypical or gifted individuals • Excellent vocabulary, strong verbal skills • Focused, diligent • Honest to a fault • Strong desire to excel • Creative, unique ways of thinking • Passionate about unique interests • Concrete literal *Barnhill, G., Hagiwara, T., Myles, B.S., & Simpson, R., 2000

34. Challenges that students with ASD may experience1 • Difficulty with change, transitions • Poor ability to read/learn unwritten rules and procedures • Frequent situational anxiety • Difficulty with communication, relationships, reciprocal social interactionincluding body language, eye contact, and spatial awareness. (e.g. roommates, classmates, group assignments, class presentations) • Presence of stereotyped behavior, interests or activities • Sensory processing disorders2 • Concrete literal 1 VanBergeijk, Klin, & Volkmar, 2008 2 http://www.autism-resources.com/papers/TEACCHN.htm

35. VeryConcrete-Literal

36. Possible areas of confusion • What is the difference between three and four credits? • What does it mean to add/drop a course vs. withdraw from a course? • What are the unwritten rules? • Why can’t I keep texting my roommate? • What do I do with the assignment when I’m finished? • What am I supposed to do when a class is cancelled?

37. ASD Scenario In the second semester of her freshman year, Sally, a student with Asperger’s, is referred to the OPS program because she is experiencing a lot of anxiety and is struggling academically. She is especially worried about her grade in Chemistry.

38. Upon Meeting Sally you find out the following: • She did well in high school. • She took engineering classes first semester on a pass/fail basis and passed these classes. • She has not been attending her Chemistry class or lab. • At the beginning of the semester she had a university conduct hearing for stalking behaviors. • She is worried that she will be kicked out of school. • She is also worried that her family will stop supporting her. • She is connected with the disability service office and a university case manager. • She would like to have a boyfriend.

39. Recommendations? • What recommendations do you have for this student? What are we hoping to accomplish? Is it just academic support that this student needs? • Support from the Transition Coordinator? • Support from the Student Mentor?

40. If you know a student with BI or ASD… …you know astudent with BI or ASD!

41. Addressing Problem Areas • Organization • Selecting Courses • Social Life • Living in the Residence Halls • Daily Living • Prepare in Advance • Sensory Issues • Self-advocacy http://www.autism-resources.com/papers/TEACCHN.htm

42. Addressing Problem Areas

43. Supports for eligible HS students who are headed to college/university • Transition Coordinators/Peer Mentors assist with: • Connection and familiarization with campus locations and resources (individualized) • Introduction to residence hall, RA – identification of residential support needs • Learning the ropes: signing up for classes, understanding add/drop/withdrawal rules, course management system • Development of compensatory strategies • Development of self-advocacy skills

44. Supports for eligible college students • Transition Coordinators/Peer Mentors assist with: • Development of relationship/friendship with roommate, classmates • Socialization guidance, role playing • Development of skills for group assignments • Identification of ‘triggers’ – coming up with crisis management strategies • Connection to recreation, activities • Career exploration • Development of compensatory strategies • Development of self-advocacy skills

45. Finding, Getting and Keeping a Job: An OPS Focus Area • Preparing for an internship interview • Shaking hands properly • Looking and acting professional • Eye contact • Hygiene • Research company in advance • Positive answers to boilerplate questions…

46. Tell me about your strengths…

47. What to say, what not to say…

48. Describe how you are as a team player • Teams are kind of bad. Sometimes people don’t know what they’re doing. Sometimes everyone is working on the same thing. And sometimes one person does all the work. • I have been on many teams, working on group assignments in some of my classes. I do well on teams when I know what my role is – then I can get my part done and contribute to the team effort. • I’d rather work by myself. • Teams are not my favorite thing, but I’ll be on a team if I have to.

49. Why should we hire you? • I have taken numerous courses in topics that relate to your business and received a good grade in all of those courses. • I am guessing that I am the smartest applicant. • Because I read about this stuff for fun. I love it. This is what I do, what I think, what I know. I love it. • Because I turned in my application on time and now I’m here for the interview.

50. How can we establish and document measurable goals with college students? Why establish measurable goals? • Accountability • To determine if intervention is effective • To make improvements in services based on data • To allow students to realize that improvements are occurring • To prove that these students CAN be successful as college students, with the right supports in place! How can we establish and measure goal attainment? Goal Attainment Scaling OPS