Fostering the Self-Determination and Self-Advocacy Skills of College Students with Disabilities through a College Success Class
Main Article Content
Keywords
self-determination, self-advocacy, postsecondary success
Abstract
Students with disabilities are entering postsecondary education in greater numbers; however, they experience great difficulty in completing their programs. One factor contributing to their lack of success is the discrepancy in the laws that govern educational support in secondary and postsecondary education. An additional factor is limited development of self-determination/self-advocacy skills when students exit high school. Bridges, a National Science Foundation three-year transition project, piloted a College Success Class at Lansing [Michigan] Community College with the dual purpose of supporting student transition to college and developing self-determination and self-advocacy skills. Data suggests that through classroom activities and follow-up meetings, students developed a greater understanding of these concepts, more confidence, and the ability to advocate with college instructors for their accommodations.
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Peg Lamb, Director, National Science Foundation Bridges Transition Project, Holt Public Schools
Dr. Peg Lamb is the Director of the National Science Foundation Bridges Transition Project awarded to Holt Public Schools. She is the author of several articles about the role of the rehabilitation counselor in transition, self-determination, career development, and strategies for including students with disabilities in secondary mathematics and science courses. She is affiliated with the National Center for the Study of Postsecondary Education Supports at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition at the University of Minnesota. Contact her at [email protected].