Remember that sweet baby on your knee? Does it seem possible that same baby is ready to spread his or her wings to fly? Walking on to the campus of a postsecondary education program is one of many steps your student will take on the road to adulthood! Your student is shifting from the highly structured environment of high school to a campus on a college or technical college. What a transition they are making—but your family is in the process of transition too!
This section will discuss this transition and your new role as a family member of a young adult enrolled in a Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary program (CTP).
As a parent of a student with ID, you have spent years building
relationships with teachers and school personnel, therapists,
counselors, medical personnel, agency employees, and others who offered
support to your student. You must have felt like the ring master in a
circus as you directed and maintained relationships with all the people
in your student’s life! As your student moves to a postsecondary
education program, your role will shift as well. Although you will
always be an important family member to your student, you may find your
role may shift to being more of an advisor, coach, or encourager! To
read more about your changing family roles, click on this FIZZ
and this FIZZ!
High School vs. Postsecondary Education
If you think about high school and compare it to any education you received after your K-12 years, what are the biggest differences? Responsibility for your own learning? Yes! Being an independent learner? Absolutely! Having more freedom? Oh yes! These and other differences will be faced by students as they attend postsecondary education programs. By understanding the differences from high school, your family will be able to support your student by encouraging them to navigate these changes.
Overall, students on postsecondary education campuses are expected to take responsibility for their own learning. This is among the most basic of postsecondary education expectations. Professors use a class syllabus as a guideline for the students to follow, and they sometimes don’t remind students about class expectations because they are written in the syllabus. Sound harsh? Perhaps, but postsecondary education instructors are preparing your student for the demands of adulthood. Longer assignments, fewer quizzes and tests, and reading assignments are some of the expectations your student may encounter on campus.
Don’t you wish you had a quarter for each time you had to remind your student to complete homework for high school classes? Once students are on campus, they may not have designated time to do their classwork. Planning strategies to remind your student that afternoons or evenings are times to do classwork can be practiced before your student attends a postsecondary campus. Families can assist their students by setting up schedules and reminders on their phones or planners. Ask postsecondary education program personnel how they support students as they work on classwork and projects.
Freedom! Free time! Video games! TV! Once students are enrolled in a postsecondary education program, they may be so excited about all of the free time they have between classes and program activities. This situation is so common among college students. Some students may learn the hard way that their free time is not for sleeping, watching television, or playing video games! Students will learn that this “free time” can be used for studying, completing work, learning about careers, working at part-time jobs, or working out in the fitness center. Ask postsecondary education program staff how they support students in planning their free time schedules.
There are huge differences in ways in which family members participate with students when they are in postsecondary education campuses. We will discuss this more later in this section, but generally, family members are not able to talk with professors about their student’s progress in classes. More on this later!
Look at the following chart that describes the differences between high school and college. After each section, you and your student can talk about whether or not this difference will be important to your student. Write why this difference will be important and steps you can take to prepare your student for this difference.
As you go through these sections, consider if you student is ready to take the next step. Then think about how the student and family can prepare for college.
High School
Students may compete against the entire study body.
Students with ID who do not want further education may not attend college or postsecondary programs.
College
College students compete with students who did reasonably well in high school.
Students compete with other students in career majors, credential programs and for employment placements.
High School
Teachers and school personnel frequently tell students what they should do.
Teachers and administration follow-up with students who do not complete tasks.
Students count on teachers, parents, and administrators to remind them of assignments and other requirements.
Unless a student attended a private school, education is required and free.
College
Students develop self-discipline by developing ways to remind themselves of assignments and responsibilities.
Professors typically do not remind students about incomplete work.
Students maintain a calendar of deadlines for assignments and class responsibilities.
College attendance is a choice and students are required to pay tuition, either their own funds, loans, or scholarships.
High School
High school campus is housed in a few buildings.
The main office at the high school handles many operations.
Classes consist of 25-40 students.
Students know most of their classmates.
College
College campus is much larger.
Separate buildings house. departments or colleges, the library, student residents, technology labs and other campus offices.
Students visit many offices (e.g. pay fees and fines, sign up for advising, arrange for disability parking). Many of these functions can be completed via online services.
Depending on the size of the college, class size can be several hundred students, especially in required general education courses taken during the first two years.
High School
Students must pass high school exit exams or meet expectations on their IEPs to graduate in some schools.
Students complete Carnegie units in required classes and a few electives.
Special Education teachers may arrange students' schedules.
Guidance Counselors advise students on four-year plans of study and students may not be aware of requirements to graduate.
Guidance Counselors may serve as personal counselors as well. Guidance Counselors may help students with learning issues in their classes. Guidance Counselors offer students information about career options.
Students depend on parents and teachers for advisement and counseling.
College
Advising about a student's program of study is usually handled by a designated advisement office, designated faculty members, or CTP program personnel.
Students take required courses for general education requirements, credential courses, and core courses in their majors or programs but usually have a great many choices for electives.
A wide variety of times for the same class gives students the ability to match class times they prefer to learn.
Personal Counselors are usually available on campus.
Career Counselors are usually available to help students with career options and choices.
High School
Class periods are about 40-50 minutes or 90 minutes in block schedules.
Classes equal one credit per class.
Class sessions may include in-class reading and writing, checking papers, and hands-on materials.
Teachers check to see if students have completed homework.
Teachers may include activities to ensure students understand the assigned readings.
Teachers write study notes on the board for students.
Many teachers engage students at the basic knowledge level.
When students are absent, the teacher provides information about missed work.
The high school provides textbooks.
Students typically have one book per class.
College
Classes may be 2-3 hours once a week, an hour and 30 minutes twice a week, or one hour three times per week.
College classes are comprised of credit hours per class (e.g., 1 course = 3 credit hours).
Professors may lecture for the majority of class time. Professors may not collect homework but expect students to learn from doing it.
Professors expect students to seek help if they do not understand assigned readings.
Career Counselors are usually available to help students with career options and choices.
Although some professors may provide notes or presentations to students through an electronic or paper format, students are expected to write their notes during class or have a notetaker during class as one of their accommodations.
Professors expect students to think independently and critically and apply knowledge they have learned.
When they miss class, students must ask for missed work from the professor or another student.
Students buy their own textbooks and may have several textbooks for each class.
High School
Students must pass high school exit exams or meet expectations on their IEPs to graduate in some schools.
Students complete Carnegie units in required classes and a few electives.
Special Education teachers may arrange students' schedules.
Guidance Counselors advise students on four-year plans of study and students may not be aware of requirements to graduate.
Guidance Counselors may serve as personal counselors as well. Guidance Counselors may help students with learning issues in their classes. Guidance Counselors offer students information about career options.
Students depend on parents and teachers for advisement and counseling.
College
Advising about a student's program of study is usually handled by a designated advisement office, designated faculty members, or CTP program personnel.
Students take required courses for general education requirements, credential courses, and core courses in their majors or programs but usually have a great many choices for electives.
A wide variety of times for the same class gives students the ability to match class times they prefer to learn.
Personal Counselors are usually available on campus.
Career Counselors are usually available to help students with career options and choices.
High School
Students may not know class assignments for the entire semester.
Teachers remind students of assignments.
Assignments tend to be frequent and short in length.
Students are asked to read short assignments that are discussed and taught again in class.
Students involved in school-related activities may turn in work later.
Students may not be required to read a complete book.
College
Professors provide a syllabus that details work, assignments, expectations, due dates, and resources students will need for the entire semester.
Assignments may be long-term and lengthy.
Students are assigned extensive reading sections or complete books that may not be discussed in class, but material is on exams.
Students must turn in work on the due date stated on the syllabus, regardless of their involvement in school-related activities.
High School
Teachers are certified (or in progress to be certified) educators.
Teachers notify students who need assistance.
Teachers are available before, during or after school for assistance.
Students usually address teachers as Miss, Ms., Mrs., Mr., or Dr.
Teachers often support or attend students' extracurricular activities.
College
Professors are experts in the content of the subjects they teach and may not have prior teaching experience.
Professors are available during office hours posted on the syllabus.
Students make appointments to see the professor.
Students address professors as Professor or Dr.
Within their departments of major study, students may find mentors among professors.
Students may engage in professional organizations with faculty.
High School
Students take tests frequently in classes.
Students are tested over small portions of material.
Teachers give students study guides that match the information on exams.
Make-up tests are readily available for students and arranged by teachers.
College
Professors may test infrequently, sometimes only twice each semester.
Exams tend to be cumulative and cover large segments of material.
Students must organize and review all class materials for exams, and they often study with study groups.
Students must request make-up exams, and professors determine if missed exam can be rescheduled.
High School
Students receive grades for all class work.
Students can earn extra credit points to raise final grades.
Students can earn homework points.
Teachers may adjust low grades on exams when determining final grades.
College
Students may complete assignments to learn material, but not receive a grade.
Many professors do not award extra credit work.
Some professors may not give homework grades.
All grades are averaged when calculating final grades.
High School
Teachers develop learning strategies for students to use.
Teachers provide assistive technology and other technology within the classroom.
Resources and support are discussed during students’ IEP meetings.
Teachers evaluate the effectiveness of accommodations and assistive technology.
Teachers and parents make appointments with various resources and support services.
High school personnel walk students through resources (for example, the library or class enrollment).
Family members call teachers if they are concerned about the students’ grades or work.
College
Students choose or develop strategies based on their learning needs. Some campuses offer classes in strategies.
Students choose and use assistive technology and other technology in many campus venues.
Students evaluate the effectiveness of accommodations and assistive technology with the help of people from the Disability Resource Center or Office for Students with Disabilities.
Students are responsible for finding resources and support services on campus or their communities.
Students make appointments for support services.
Students must sign up for information sessions about resources (e.g., library resources, study skills class.
Professors and campus staff are not able to talk to family members about students’ work or grades.
High School
Students may study about 2 hours per week.
Students may not need to read an assignment more than once.
Students may graduate without reading their textbooks.
Students may not write or highlight in textbooks.
College
Students need to spend 3 hours outside of class for each credit hour of class (e.g. 3 hours of credit = 9 hours of study).
Students need to review class notes and reading assignments regularly.
Students own their books and can write notes or highlight texts.
High School
Students may study about 2 hours per week.
Students may not need to read an assignment more than once.
Students may graduate without reading their textbooks.
Students may not write or highlight in textbooks.
College
Students need to spend 3 hours outside of class for each credit hour of class (e.g. 3 hours of credit = 9 hours of study).
Students need to review class notes and reading assignments regularly.
Students own their books and can write notes or highlight texts.
High School
Students receive information about basic concepts from listening in class.
Most exams are based on basic knowledge levels of learning or giving back exactly what the teacher taught in class.
College
Students are expected to comprehend and apply information from classes and readings.
Students are expected to evaluate, synthesize, and analyze information.
Diverse thinking is accepted and valued.
High School
Students are punished for breaking rules and may be sent to an administrator.
Students are reprimanded for inappropriate behavior in class.
Students are reprimanded for inappropriate behavior on campus.
Behavior incidents are immediately reported to parents.
College
Students who break rules in a residence hall may appear before a housing administrator, conduct officer, or police officer.
Parents are not informed of behavior issues unless the severity of the incident warrants further intervention.
Students who break parking or traffic rules may receive tickets from campus police.
A student must take responsibility for compiling information in his or her own defense if the student goes before a disciplinary board or council.
High School
Students' time is structured by teachers and parents.
Students attend classes every weekday and have 5-10 minutes between classes.
Students take classes for one year or 36 weeks.
Students may have time in class to complete assignments.
College
Students manage their own time and schedules.
Students may have two classes for three days each week, an evening class one night per week, and a Saturday class every two weeks.
Class times vary according to students' schedules.
Students enroll for classes each semester (fifteen weeks + finals week).
Students must plan time in their schedules to study.
Game and TV lounges are available on campus.
High School
Students perform to meet family expectations.
Students may perform to maintain grades for sports or activity participation.
Students maintain GPAs that are acceptable for college or postsecondary education programs.
College
Students are eager to learn information in a major or credential program they choose.
Students perform to maintain a scholarship.
Students perform to maintain their grades, degree requirements, or credentials.
Students see linkages between successful degree or credential completion and having successful careers.
Students pay tuition, books, and fees.
High School
Students may need family permission or school approval to participate in activities.
Activities are viewed as social events.
College
Students choose to participate in activities on campus.
Activities are often linked to career or leisure interests.
Decision-Making Options
If you have spent time with others who have family members
with ID, no doubt the topic of guardianship has been a
topic of discussion. Guardianship falls under the category
of decision-making options, and it may be one of the most
controversial and misunderstood concepts when students
begin their postsecondary education careers. A
guardianship means that a court-appointed person, or
guardian has the legal power to make decisions for an
individual. In many situations, the student may not make
personal decisions about such topics as where to live, how
to handle money or finances, or how to manage medical
care. This scenario may not encourage or promote the
independence we want to see in all young adults,
particularly those with disabilities. To help us navigate
through this topic, we will talk about all the parts of
guardianship, along with other decision-making options.
First and foremost, guardianship is not a
blanket situation where the family makes
all decisions in
all areas for the student, and it’s
certainly not the only option for families to consider.
For in-depth information about guardianships and other
options click on this FIZZ
and this FIZZ!
to read publications by the National Council on Disability
(2019).
Students and their families can choose from a wide variety
of decision-making options, and tailor them to fit the
student’s and family’s needs and expectations. In Florida,
we are fortunate to have an organization,
Florida’s Working Interdisciplinary Network of
Guardianship Stakeholders. This group developed an informative publication
entitled Exploring My Decision-Making Skills that you can
find on this FIZZ.
You will see an adapted and expanded version of the
questionnaire in this section. Your student can complete
the first questionnaire, and family members or other
stakeholders can complete the 2nd questionnaire. After
completion of these tools, you can print them for further
discussion with your student and family members.
Use this checklist to identify what is important to
students and families about decision-making options.
After reviewing and discussing your student’s responses and comparing them to the responses of your family members, you will have information that will help you decide which decision-making options are most appropriate for you student. You can find more in-depth information about these decision-making options in the publication Exploring My Decision-Making Skills; however, a brief summary of the decision-making options can be found next.
Supported Decision Making includes a
plan the recognizes the student is making his or her own
decisions but has the choice of using support people to
assist in understanding information and then make
decisions. Supported decision making may be considered
as a viable option to guardianship because it gives
people with ID the opportunity to be aware of and
exercise their legal capacity (Shogren
& Wehmeyer, 2017)(to read this article, click on this
FIZZ)
. The definition of legal capacity is that all
individuals have the right to make their own choices,
and those choices are legally recognized (Glen, 2015).
Guardian Advocacy is a process that
requires parties to go through court. Guardian advocacy
is an official guardianship that takes away some of your
student’s rights and assigns them to another individual
known as a Guardian Advocate. Some students and their
families may find this process helpful because it
provides assistance in several or all types of decision
making. Additional information on guardian advocacy can
be found on the Florida State Guardianship Association
(FSGA) website on this FIZZ
Limited Guardianship also requires an
official court proceeding that may be a process your
family chooses if your student becomes incapacitated and
needs to have some if not all rights taken away.
Court-appointed guardians would make decisions for your
student under limited guardianship. Only the rights for
which your student lacks capacity may be removed and
delegated to his or her guardian. A
Plenary is also a formal guardianship
in which all rights are removed because your student has
been considered incapacitated. The Florida Courts
website explains limited guardianship as well as other
types of guardianships
.
Feeling overwhelmed by these options? Thinking about
these choices can be confusing and frustrating for
students and their families. Fortunately, several tools
are available to you as you consider these
decision-making routes. Earlier in this section,
Florida’s Working Interdisciplinary Network of
Guardianship Stakeholders Exploring My Decision-Making Skills was
featured as a FIZZ
. If you look to the end of this publication, you will
find a helpful checklist, Exploring My Decision-Making
Abilities. If your family would appreciate comprehensive
information about decision making topics, the Florida
Developmental Disabilities Council published
Lighting the Way to Guardianship and Other
Decision-Making Alternatives
that you can download in English or Spanish on this FIZZ
. The Supported Decision Making Inventory System
(SDMIS)(Shogren et al., 2020; Shogren, Wehmeyer, Uyanik,
& Heidrich, 2017) is an additional resource for
assessing individual’s decision-making skills.
Money Management Options assists your student and family to decide how to manage banking and how your student will make financial decisions. Money management can include the student and family designated an individual who can help with money management, setting up joint accounts with a designated person, direct deposit of any money coming to the student’s accounts, and automatic online bill payments.
Power of Attorney permits one adult to
have legal authority to act on behalf of your student.
Individuals who have Power of Attorney can assist your
student with a range of such tasks as writing checks,
selling their property, signing legal documents, and/or
making health decisions.
The Florida Bar provides a helpful
publication you can review by clicking on this FIZZ.
.
Trusts are varied and can be complex, but put simply, if someone gives your student property, you might designate a person to manage the gift so your student benefits. If you decide to use a trust, your family should consult with an attorney.
Representative Payee: If your student
receives benefits from the Social Security such as
Supplemental security income (SSI), Social Security
Disability Insurance (SSDI) or other benefits from the
Social Security Administration, you may want to
designate an individual or agency to receive and manage
these benefits. The individual or agency must report how
the money is spend for your student.
Disability Rights Florida has further
information about Representative Payee topics that you
can read by clicking on this FIZZ
.
Mental Health Advance Directive is a
written document that designates an individual who can
make mental health care decisions for your student. An
example of this document for Florida residents can be
found on this FIZZ
.
Healthcare Surrogate is an individual
designated in a written document that tells healthcare
workers how your student’s healthcare should be managed
and gives the individual, the surrogate, the ability to
make health care decisions, apply for benefits, and
access your student’s medical records. These forms are
sometimes known as Medical Power of Attorney. Your
doctor’s office should have these forms available for
you or you can find some samples on this FIZZ,
including forms tailored for Florida.
FERPA/HIPAA
FERPA(The Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act) and HIPAA (The Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), are
federal legislation that address the privacy and
protection of academic records and protected health
information on college, university, technical colleges,
and other higher education campuses. For in-depth
explanation of these acts, please visit the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services found on this
FIZZ
.
FERPA was developed to protect students’ privacy of educational records. During K-12 years, parents have access to educational records, along with the right to add or change records as needed. FERPA also gives parents the right to decide who else can see information contained in their students’ records.
Now slam on your brakes! When students turn 18 or younger than 18 if the student is enrolled in a postsecondary institution, the ownership of these education records shifts from parents or guardians to the students. Even if the student has a disability or if the family is paying for tuition, the student owns the records in postsecondary education settings. Several exceptions to FERPA are the following: (a) if the college, technical college, or postsecondary education program believes you need to know in order to protect the health or safety of the student or others, or (b) the college may disclose if the student has violated laws or policies in the area of drugs or alcohol possessed by an under-age (under 21) student. FERPA permits the college, technical college, or postsecondary education program to share this information with families; however, it does not require that these institutions automatically share it with families.
Once students own this information, they have right to expect information in their records is confidential. This means professors or staff are not able to discuss students’ grades, performance, or other information with family members. Some schools offer students the opportunity to sign documents that give their family members permission to access academic information (PACER Center, 2017). As you are exploring schools, ask what the school’s policy is about students granting family members permission to view academic records.
HIPAA or The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act protects the privacy of medical records that include treatments. Students’ accommodations for disability or records of immunizations are not covered under HIPAA but are covered under FERPA. Just like FERPA, once they turn 18, HIPAA gives young adults control over their health care decisions and records. Some students and their families choose to use a Medical Information Release Form, a document where the student designates someone to have access to his or her medical records in case of an emergency. Some families also use a Health Care Proxy or Medical Power of Attorney which permits students to assign a person to make medical decision for them if they are not able to make decisions because of a medical crisis or emergency (Nelson, 2020). You can obtain these forms at your doctor’s office or find them online if you decide to use them. Other families have medical guardianship of their students, and this scenario offers families or guardians more flexibility in making medical decisions about their son or daughter. This topic is further discussed in the guardianship segment in this section.
An excellent resource about FERPA can be found on this
FIZZ
shared by the Pacer Center on Action Information Sheets.
A summary about HIPAA can be found on the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention by clicking on this FIZZ
. Additional resources that highlight a parent’s
perspectives about FERPA and HIPAA can be found on this
FIZZ
.
Communicating with Postsecondary Education Program Personnel
As you explore postsecondary education programs, you may find it helpful to have a document where you have written questions your family wants to ask about the program.
- Some programs have open houses where families and students can discover information about the program and the campus.
- Other programs request that families take part in interviews with their students.
- Some families travel to a campus and visit the programs as they operate on a typical day.
No matter what situation you find among the programs you explore, a list of the questions you want to ask is a helpful tool. You may find that many of these questions can be answered by visiting the program’s website or listening to a presentation about the program. You can write answers to these questions on this form as you read the website or listen to presentations.
The following tools are designed to organize your questions so you are ready for an open house, an interview, a phone call, a visit to campus, a visit to the website, a presentation about the program, follow-up conversations once the student has been accepted to a program, or when the student has started their studies. Do not feel obligated to answer all the questions, as not all may apply to your family.
These questions can be used as you and the student are exploring different campuses, before you have chosen the campus your student wants to attend.
Ask these questions after you and the student have chosen a campus, and the student has been accepted to a postsecondary education program.
This set of questions can be used after the student began studies in the postsecondary education program.
Collaborative relationships among family members and
postsecondary education program staff can certainly
enrich student outcomes if conversations are
student-centered and focused on students’
independence. The content and frequency of
conversations among family members and program staff
will vary from program to program, and student to
student. Interestingly, a group of researchers asked
postsecondary education program graduates with ID
about their thoughts and ideas concerning how family
members and program staff communicated (Francis,
Reed, & Howard, 2020). To read their article, click
on this FIZZ.
In this study, the young adults with ID were concerned that family members and staff discussed many topics without the young adults in attendance, and their absences from these conversations bothered them. Several of the participants in the study wanted to be the go-between between their families and program staff; however, others felt at ease when their families and staff had conversations about employment or emotional support. Several students believed that program staff should not share information about health, relationships, or grades with family members.
As family members who are accustomed to frequent communication and advocacy for their students in K-12, your student’s transfer to postsecondary education may represent a difficult transition for you as well. As students adjust to campus life, many families find they don’t need to communicate as often with postsecondary education program staff as they did when students begin the school year. The following suggestions are meant to start conversations in your family about how you will communicate with postsecondary education program staff. Talk about the ideas and use the second column to make your family’s additions or changes to the idea.
As family members of a student who recently graduated from high school, you are used to sending emails, making phone calls, or having a conference with a teacher or school staff member. As you student begins a campus experience, these ways of communication are not typical, particularly if you are asking the faculty or staff about information that falls under FERPA. If you call a professor about an issue with your student, the professor is only able to give general information about the class but should not disclose such information as your student’s grades, behaviors, or class attendance.
Letting go of your student can be a painful process, and because of the time and effort you have invested in getting your student to the point where he or she can attend a postsecondary education program, you may have great difficulty with this process. Of course, you are anxious, and you care about what your student is doing throughout the day! Of course, you want to know if they have run into problems or feel upset. Finding a balance of how and when you communicate with your student can be challenging! Letting go of your student can be a painful process, and because of the time and effort you have invested in getting your student to the point where he or she can attend a postsecondary education program, you may have great difficulty with this process. Of course, you are anxious, and you care about what your student is doing throughout the day! Of course, you want to know if they have run into problems or feel upset. Finding a balance of how and when you communicate with your student can be challenging!
What many family members do to make sure they touch
base with their students is to set up one time
during the day or week to call or text. Some
families use Skype or Zoom so they can see each
other occasionally. Texting is wonderful for
exchanging information during the week; however,
family members should make sure that students are
not depending entirely on family texts to get
through their days. Encourage students to talk to
program personnel, advisors, or mentors to find
information. In short, your role with your student
may transition to more of a listener or advisor,
rather than a person who takes care of everything
for the student! The following resources may provide
you with some suggestions to consider as your family
shifts to a postsecondary education program.
You may want to create an If-Then Chart to help you and your student decide how to communicate and with whom they should communicate in specific situations. Here is a sample If-Then Chart you can use and add items your family believes are important.
