- Need for high school educators to understand learning challenges and be able to identify such disabilities for referrals of services
- Need to help develop executive functioning skills
- Need to enhance academic rigor
- “Giving students a voice” 
- Mentoring and tutoring services
- Need for college resources, information material, and even workshops while in high school
- Help in college and accompanying financial aid applications

Perspectives on College Preparedness: Suggestions from Students who felt Neutral or Unprepared

Students that reported they felt prepared (25%) reported the high schools efforts in facilitating this success. Themes that emerged included the schools assigning a “college-amount of work” and employment of rigorous courses, the importance of meeting new people, and the development of time-management skills, resiliency, self-advocacy, and self-determination. Some students even reported that taking dual enrollment classes in the local community college on top of high school classes made them better prepared.

Perspectives on College Preparedness: Students who felt Prepared

Students reported the role high schools played in helping them prepare for the challenges faced in college. Proactive aid provided by secondary professionals allows students to connect with the necessary resources before and while going into college. Students lacking such support said more could've been done.

University of Notre Dame

The number of students with disabilities that go into college has increased substantially in the last 25 years. However, despite such optimistic rates, many barriers to education for disabled students hinder their progress and success in obtaining a degree. In order to identify means of supporting such students in their college journey, it is pertinent to study their perspectives and experiences regarding collegiate preparation, services, and support from their families.

Perspectives on Disability and Postsecondary Education

Francis, G., Duke, J. M., Brigham, F. J., & Demetro, K. (2018). Student Perceptions of College-Readiness, College Services and Supports, and Family Involvement in College: an Exploratory study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(10), 3573–3585. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3622-x

Student Perceptions of College-Readiness, College Services and Supports, and Family Involvement in College: An Exploratory Study

Transition Services through IDEA are meant to prepare students to achieve post-high school goals through interagency collaboration  and careful consideration of students’ interests and strengths. 

College Transition Services and IDEA

Family support is cited to be an important facilitator of a student with disabilities’ collegiate success. Decreased involvement is especially difficult for students whose parents and families played a highly proactive role in high school while less involved now given the move into college. The Family Education Rights and Privacy further complicates familial involvement by limiting communication between students’ families and college professionals through need for student waivers.

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