Blog 9

I'm currently taking a course in Special Education and have learned more about the symptoms, causes, effects, and treatment of various disabilities, including learning and intellectual disabilities, emotional disorders, autism, and physical handicaps such as deafness and blindness. I recently researched a program called The Supported Higher Education Project (SHEP), in Kentucky, whose goal is to provide a variety of college programs for students with intellectual disabilities with the expectation that they will eventually find employment in a meaningful field. The pilot project includes seven students who are taking postsecondary classes and working part-time in jobs relevant to their courses of study. SHEP staff members work with employers to develop objectives related to the students' majors, monitor their progress, and intervene if problems arise. The seven core students are also exposed to a number of other supports. Each student has an individualized education program which is developed by a team consisting of the student, his or her parents, the coordinator of the inclusion initiative, and former and current peer supports. Other professionals such as vocational rehabilitation counselors and professors are included as needed. SHEP staff members assign each of the students a peer mentor, which is another college student who agrees to help the student with ID to successfully navigate the campus culture. The article reports on the successful experience of a college student named Jillian, who has Downes Syndrome and is able to take courses and work as an assistant manager for the men's basketball team. She is interested in working with young children, so her IEP team exposes her to coursework in this field as well as practicum experiences related to this area. Jillian attributes her success to the supports provided in her IEP program and the academic coaching and social support provided by her mentor (Kleinart, Jones Sheppard-Jones, Harp, Harrison, 2012). I expected to read about similar intensive strategies when providing career counseling for individuals with disabilities in Brown's text, but was surprised to find that researchers propose "a sequence that differs little from the approach used with all clients: assessment, occupational exploration and choice, vocational training, placement and follow-up" (Brown, 2012, p. 120). Researchers do recommend that counselors tailor certain portions of these steps for individuals with disabilities, such as modifying assessments or locating jobs and universities with specialized services, but these individualized steps differ little from approaches with other clients who may have specific interests or needs, and there is little information concerning a holistic approach. I am curious as to whether more comprehensive models exist and will plan to research this further to have the most useful information to provide for my future students, some of which will certainly be students with special needs. Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development(10th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc. Kleinart, H., Jones, M., Sheppard-Jones, K., Harp, B., Harrison, E. (2012). Students Intellectual Disabilities Going to College? Absolutely!. Teaching Exceptional Children, 44, 26-35.