5 Things Every Special Ed Parent Should Know About Post-High School World
Special Ed Real Talk
Photo by Vasily Koloda on Unsplash
If your child has autism or another disability, you have a certain feeling of security from your public schools. You KNOW they have to educate your kid, regardless of quirks or differences. You KNOW that they will keep him busy and out of your house from 8 to 3 every day. You KNOW that if the schools aren’t doing what they are supposed to be doing, you can hire a lawyer and make them do the right thing.
Many parents aren’t really aware that when public education ends, that security is gone. Nobody, certainly not the schools themselves, are letting parents know about the post-high school reality. If parents were more aware about realities, they might put pressure on schools to teach their kids more, and schools don’t want that pressure.
So, let me tell you some hard facts.
There are no IEPs in college.
Colleges are not obliged to educate your kid. There are no aides to go into the classroom with your student. The professors have no training in working with students with disabilities. Parents cannot talk with the faculty about the students. A student must be able to function entirely independently — academically, behaviorally, and socially — in a typical college classroom. If not, they will be asked to leave.
Kids with autism, in particular, might be whiz-bang smart, but have some quirks that were overlooked in high school. Those quirks will not be overlooked in college or any work place. The real world doesn’t care how a person’s calculus grade, if they are talking to themselves and constantly waving around a pencil. (Sorry, but this is real talk time.) So, make sure that your public school has all that autistic stuff on the IEP and an OT works on those issues until they disappear.
Special Education Classes Do Not Prepare a Student for College.
If your child was in a special education classroom for an academic subject in high school, then they are not prepared for college. They aren’t even prepared for a community college. Fun fact: While four-year colleges may be test optional, community colleges are not test optional. They have a serious entrance exam. If you can’t pass the exam, then you cannot matriculate without taking some remedial classes. Those remedial classes are tough, cost money, do not provide credits, and aren’t easy to pass.
In high school, parents should start making IEP goals that are directed towards passing the community college entrance exams. Their transition plan should clearly state that they are planning on attending a community college.
18-21 Programs
Keep your student in the public school system until 21. Most IEP students can stay in public education system until 21, and the school must provide them with an individual and appropriate education. It’s possible to combine those programs with work or community college.
Start telling your school from the beginning of high school that your child will stay in the system until 21.
Terrible State Programs
What happens to students who graduate, but can’t work or take classes at the community college? The lucky ones might get qualified for disability services from the state, but those programs have been slow to recognize high functioning autism as a disability, even though 75% of people with autism are not employed.
The state does not provide day programs or anything specifically for people with high functioning disabilities. They have some day programs for people with larger issues and all ages. Small rooms with non-verbal, incontinent, self-harming individuals, 300 pounds and middle aged, can be scary. And that’s what’s out there at this time.
The best state programs have job coaches that will support the individual at a job site. Those programs need more resources.
Private Programs
There are a growing number of private programs opening up around the country. Just today, I looked at an autism support program that operates in conjunction to a local community college. There are private colleges, like Landmark, and independent living training programs, like CIP. Those programs are excellent (and expensive).
But the only way that you’ll learn about them by extensive Internet research or by hiring a private consultant. We don’t have enough guidance counselors at our high schools for typical kids, so they can’t provide help at all for the untraditional students.
Parents should start putting pressure on public schools to provide this information to students.
Don’t Give Up Hope
Okay, here’s a bonus tip. Don’t give up hope. In the past two and half years since my son left high school, he has grown so much. I’m still learning, why wouldn’t he?
He’s much more mature. His OCD tics have shrunk. He’s healthier. He understand how college works. He’s finished seven college classes on his own, with all As and Bs. His social skills have improved.
When he finishes his final year of his 18-21 program, when our safety net disappears, I think he’s going to be okay. Between a part time job, the local community college, and some private social groups, he’ll be happy and busy.
You really write very well, Laura. You've inherited from your grandmother, Helen Norton McKenna, the ability to see and describe things in the head and heart of people you love.
"The lucky ones might get qualified for disability services from the state, but those programs have been slow to recognize high functioning autism as a disability, even though 75% of people with autism are not employed." Sadly, even if they were recognized as disabled there isn't enough money budgeted to support them. Most, if not all, states have incredibly long waiting lists.
I believe we can improve the employment outcomes if we would change a few things - resumes and interviews. To me, both are a joke. They don't really reflect what someone can, or can't do. I'd much rather see skill tests and/or video resumes. Something showing that the individual can do the job being applied for. And if there was a way to hide race/gender while doing it (like the Voice) that would be even better.
Keep up the great work Laura!