What are Inclusive Post-Secondary Education or IPSE programs?

Within the United States, there are about 5,300 colleges and universities. Just over 300 (or only 6%) of those colleges and universities have programs that allow individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) to attend that contain meaningful and relevant classes. Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (IPSE) programs allow individuals with IDD to attend college if they did not graduate high school, did not receive specific test scores, or did not meet typical college admission requirements (ThinkCollege, 2024). Students may earn a degree or a certificate of completion depending on what is offered.

But why should individuals consider these inclusive college programs if they are less commonly a focus within transition planning? Is attending an IPSE program genuinely beneficial? 

Research suggests that IPSE programs have benefits in developing skills for adulthood. Beneficial skills include social interaction, self-determination, communication, and independent living (Lee et al., 2021; Lee & Taylor, 2022; Torres et al., 2023). Other benefits may include increased employment rates, higher quality employment, more excellent wages, and increased volunteer opportunities (Lee & Taylor, 2022). Randall et al. (2023) suggest that individuals with IDD who had competitive employment had a higher subjective quality of life than those working at a work center or those who were unemployed. The job skills training components of some IPSE programs are valuable and may lead to beneficial vocational skills as well as increased employment opportunities (Barnard-Brak et al., 2023).   

Alqazlan et al. (2019) found that various stakeholders involved in IPSE programs experienced benefits. First, students without IDD saw the value of inclusion reflected in IPSE programs on their college campus. Second, IPSE staff had positively changed their attitudes towards their expectations of students with IDD and their abilities. Third and most importantly, the students with IDD had perceived social benefits, had hope to find a secure and paying job, and had increased self-determination skills (Alqazlan et al., 2019). Lee et al. (2021) also found improved social skills, self-determination skills, life skills, and adaptive behaviors for students as they progressed in an IPSE program. 

Parents also notice growth in their children following completion of college.  Agarwal et al. (2021) report that parents of children at a Transition and Postsecondary Education Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSIDs) program in Florida perceived the program positively. Parents saw improvements in the following areas for their child: employment, academics, independent living skills, cooking, time management, communication, self or personal care, ability to use public transportation, confidence, self-advocacy, and maturity (Agarwal et al., 2021). 

References

Agarwal, R., Heron, L., & Burke, S. L. (2021). Evaluating a postsecondary education program for students with intellectual disabilities: Leveraging the parent perspective. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51, 229–2240. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04676-0  

Alqazlan, S., Alallawi, B., & Totsika, V. (2019). Post-secondary education for young people with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review of stakeholders' experiences. Educational Research Review, 28, 1-21 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2019.100295 

Barnard-Brak, L., Richman, D. M., Mutua, K., & Williamson, A. (2023). Predictors of employment for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities participating in a postsecondary transition program in the United States. Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities, 36(1), 116–121. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.13040

Lee, C. E., Day, T. L., Carter, E. W., & Taylor, J. L. (2021). Examining growth among college students with intellectual and developmental disability: A longitudinal study. Behavior Modification, 45(2), 324–348. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445520982968

Lee, C. E., & Taylor, J. L. (2022). A review of the benefits and barriers to postsecondary education for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Journal of Special Education, 55(4), 234-245. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224669211013354

Randall, K. N., Bernard, G., & Durah, L. (2023). Association between employment status and quality of life for individuals with intellectual or developmental disability. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities: JARID, 36(2), 270–280. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.13053 

ThinkCollege. (2024). Join us on May 1, 2024 for #IPSEDay2024! Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston. https://thinkcollege.net/resources/join-us-on-may-1-2024-for-ipseday2024  

Torres, A., Kearney, K. B., Downey, A., & Tedesco, C. (2023). Self-determination development among college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A longitudinal study. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 38(2), 137–143. https://doi.org/10.1177/10883576221133491