Affiliations: University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742,
USA
Note: [] Department of Special Education, University of Maryland, College
Park, MD 20742, USA. (301-405-6466; e-mail: [email protected]). Visit the
On-Campus Outreach website for information on programs in post-secondary
settings for students with significant disabilities ages 18--21 in Maryland at
www.education.umd.edu/oco
Abstract: Providing opportunities for individuals with mental retardation and
other significant disabilities to participate in educational, vocational, and
recreational activities on college campuses has been a topic of interest among
educators and adult service providers for the past 30 years. We reviewed the
literature on post-secondary programs and supports for these individuals to (a)
identify a philosophical basis for providing such opportunities, (b) identify
practices, and (c) summarize research on the efficacy of these efforts. The
literature from the 1970's to 1990's provided descriptions of programs or
advocated for the inclusion of adults with mental retardation on college
campuses in position papers. Limited empirical data supported the efficacy of
these programs. The literature during the 1990's shifted to providing
post-secondary programs or individual supports to students with mental
retardation and other significant disabilities, ages 18--22, who were still
enrolled in public schools. Implications for emerging trends, research and
program evaluation, and replication of practices are discussed.
Keywords: transition, post-secondary education, people with significant disabilities
