Affiliations: Indiana University School of Education, IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN, USA | Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Bloomington, IN, USA | IUPUI SITE Program Co-Coordinators, Apple Quick, Indianapolis Public Schools, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Pat Rogan, Indiana University School of Education, IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN, USA. E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Exemplary transition services for students with intellectual disabilities aged 18–21 should be anchored in community based rather than school based settings. A growing number of community-based transition programs are now located on college and university campuses throughout the United States, spurred by the national Think College initiative (http://www.thinkcollege.net/). This article describes the SITE (Skills for Independence, Transition and Employment) program located at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis (IUPUI), an urban campus setting. The program, a partnership between IUPUI and the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), focuses on transition from school to adult life and offers a 1–2 year post-secondary education opportunity. The article begins with a brief discussion of college-based transition programs for young adults with intellectual disabilities. The SITE program and how it was developed is then described. Finally, we discuss the development of the Indiana Partnership for Post-secondary Education and Careers. The article concludes with future directions for program development and systems change.
