Post-Secondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities. Changing the Statistical Outcomes.
In this session attendees were hearing how post-secondary education can work, the structure of programming and the impact of graduates of these programs.
Edie Cusack, Professor, College of Charleston
Post-secondary education for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities can change the traditional outcomes for the students. Students who have spent an educational lifetime in separate classes or with separate curricula and expectations can now have an opportunity to come out of those classes, join the mainstream population, and change their future through an inclusive college education.
Through education, we can change the current gloomy statistics for this population. Currently, individuals with intellectual disabilities have about a 16% employment rate. But students with disabilities who are participating in inclusive post-secondary education have blown that statistic out of the water!
In this session attendees were hearing how post-secondary education can work, the structure of programming and the impact of graduates of these programs.
About the speaker
Edie Cusack, Professor, College of Charleston
Edie Cusack joined the College of Charleston in 2010 to create and develop the REACH Program – a four-year, fully inclusive postsecondary program for adults with mild intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. As its Executive Director for 14 years, Edie was responsible for the development, implementation, and maintenance of the program including, curriculum development, person-centered planning, student recruitment, training (student, staff, and faculty), and supervision of the REACH Program staff.
Prior to creating the REACH Program, Edie was a Nationally Board-Certified Teacher, spending over 20 years teaching special education in public schools in both South Carolina and New Jersey.
She continues to work with many advocacy groups across the country to improve student access to education, independence, and equval opportunity.