After high school, my son attended a state vocational rehabilitation center for a year, earning a certificate in building maintenance — a job he has absolutely no interest in, but one of the few areas that had an opening at the time and that were thought to go along with his academic test scores. The following year, we were able to get him admitted to our local 4-year private liberal arts college as a non-degree seeking student. It was a challenging year (even with 10 hours of tutoring per week at the college, plus many hours working at home with me), but overall a wonderful experience for him. He completed 5 courses with passing grades in each one. His writing and reading skills improved, as well as his social skills ... but just as important were the friendships and sense of confidence he developed. The following year, this same college changed their criteria for non-degree students, including high school graduating class academic standing and minimum ACT scores. They would not consider making an exception for my son, despite his prior performace, the progress he had made, the time and money they had invested in him, and the testimony of the majority of his professors. So ... my son, at age 20, “decided” that college was not for him. He just wanted to lead a “simple life", living in his own apartment (with a good bit of assistance from family) and working as a dishwasher. That was approximately a year ago, and now I so wish that we had access to a program like the one at Bellevue 3 years ago here in Kentucky (or at least in this region). I do plan to contact them, and I do hope and pray that my son can have a life of meaning and purpose.

vicky dinsmore, parent of 21 year old with cognitive disabilities, at 7:55 pm EDT on September 2, 2007

Personally, I feel that as someone who has never asked for special accommodations (no extra time, no grade changes, no “extensions” or “exemptions") in his life that it is unfair that a certain segment of the population had the same “paper” credentials as myself (at least at one point) yet gets their hands held and excuses made for them. Of course, in my culture is such that it is considered dishonorable to admit weakness or ask for help. In other cultures it is different.

Larry88, at 11:06 am EDT on June 24, 2005

I am very glad to hear that a segment of the population has unique abilities, but can you perhaps tell me what unique abilities are held by “low functioning LD and DD children.” I read your comment, then I re-read your article, then I re-read your comment and I was unable to find any mention of which specific abilities this segment of the population has. Should I re-read it again, or are the abilities possessed ONLY by “low functioning LD and DD children” are so unique that they must remain secret ?

Society makes lots of implicit promises to many people. Or at least they think so. At least count 50% of them were broken, and people have little legal recourse when “society” breaks one of those “implicit promises.” I could tell you what promises society made to me and it broke, but that would sound like whining, which is dishonorable in my culture.

The article seems to justify teaching a simplified version of Biology 101 (insert I.D. joke here) by saying that “college level” is subjective. Unfortunately I agree with this statement: it is quite easy to get As at many colleges. However, most schools try to cover up their rampant grade inflation by firing people like the Phantom Professor or insisting that all the Ashleys are smart. This school doesn’t even bother. It says that its students are “unique” and therefore its college-level courses can be taught at a lower level.

Maybe on a moral level you have a point. People with learning disabilities (or whatever you call them) should be treated better. However, I don’t see why it should be called college.

Larry, at 12:14 pm EDT on June 24, 2005

Students with LDs or with a DD have the same range of unique talents and gifts as everyone else in the world.

To ask what specific strengths they have is to ask what specific strengths your friends have, or my friends, or red-haired people. It’s too big of a group to say specifics. I could tell you about several different people I know and their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their struggles with their devlelopmental disabilities.

This is a diverse and underserved group and when more people with disabilities are intergrated into college life, other students will be able to see they are human beings who have great potential that is often neglected.

Lesley, at 5:05 pm EDT on June 24, 2005

A.E.S.

Bravo to Bellevue!I work in a community college disability office, and often see students with developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, and borderline intellectual functioning. I always struggle to find appropriate classes for them. I wish the community college where I work had such an innovative program!

And to Larry:Every student (students with LD, DD, or BIF, or students with other disabilities: psychiatric, sensory, or physical)I see has unique abilities. Students who have learning or developmental disabilities or who have borderline intellectual functioning also have the ability to teach me more about diversity, tolerance, acceptance, and what it means to be a member of this huge wonderful family of human beings.

You don’t mention in your responses whether you have children, but if you someday had a son or daughter with this kind of disability, wouldn’t you feel good knowing that there was a college program that valued them as college students, and that was designed to help them move more toward independence?

Susan, Accommodations Specialist, at 5:33 pm EDT on June 24, 2005

are you SURE everyone is unique?

Okay, I see. Everyone is unique. Therefore, there is nothing really unique about people with learning disabilities, since they are no more or less “unique” than other people. I thought they might have some talent that was really valuable: defusing bombs or curing cancer. To say that they are “diverse” don’t make them special because, unless you can show how they have some “diversity” that makes each individual one better than the average of the remainder of society you are just uttering platitudes.

But, maybe I am wrong: can you tell me one group of people that is NOT unique??

Perhaps because this school admits that their degree is “less” than a real degree it is being honest and then to be commended. Indeed, since nobody can really hire one of these people to do the work of someone with an “real” Associates Degree (even though those are of doubtful value) maybe nobody is really being hurt. Of course, this leads me to question why schools like NYU, Columbia, BU (and others) have “lesser” schools within them (e.g. schools of “General Studies”) that admit people with less qualifications and have them taught by people who are not the real faculty. These people tend, however, to be richer, and therefore are virtually assured of a “transfer” to the “real” school and a BA in a few years.

Lesley, I don’t really know what a “negative argument” is. Sometimes people disagree and sometimes people don’t like this. That is life. As well, many people think that there are some people should not be advanced. Most Arabs don’t like Jews. Europeans don’t seem to have too many words of encouragement for people that voted for Bush. So, while it is nice to insist that everyone should like one another, people don’t. Personally, I do not see the merit in helping people from Westchester (a population) achieve anything, because all they do is whine about it afterwards. I don’t see why, as a general principle, I should do anything for people I don’t like.

larry, at 9:02 pm EDT on June 24, 2005

For Larry:

You were given special treatment, though by another name, as were we all. Somewhere along the way, someone tested you and placed you into a (theoretically) skill-appropriate math class, for instance. The idea is simple: find the level at which a student will be able to achieve so that by the end of an educational program that student has specified skills at a required level. The skills for different degrees are not the same, either. This is just a different degree. But let’s get back to placement.

If you excel in math, you were probably highly placed and were allowed to go far beyond the minimum requirements. If you struggled in math, you were probably placed in standard or remedial courses and allowed to work your way up from that point.

However you look at it, varied levels of instruction are as much “special treatment” as this degree. The students who come out with this new degree will have a defined skill set that employers can look to when making employment decisions.

I know many people who can’t use a computer: they are not going to get data entry jobs. I know others who can’t alphabetize quickly; they will not get filing jobs. Skills that people get from college are not limited to being able to discuss the ethical fine points of abortion or creating a perfectly formatted works cited page, neither of which is a terribly marketable skill.

By the way, what, since you seem to use it as both shield and weapon, is your culture? Oh, and please brush up on reflexives.

Andrew, at 7:00 am EDT on June 27, 2005

Jack, The article conceded that the course-work was below the level taught at other colleges. The college has decided that it can define “college level” however it wants, but it doesn’t even pretend to teach the same things that other students are learning. Also, I happen to know that the professors are told not to expect college-level performance from the students.

Yes, it is prejudice. But guess what? People are prejudiced against people who can’t academically perform. Indeed, I am even told that athletics are prejudiced against people who can’t athletically perform.

Larry, at 8:12 am EDT on June 28, 2005

Intellectual Disabilities and College

Awesome Belleview. We have been working in this direction for years. We just began a certificate program for our students with intellectual disabilities here at Shasta College in Redding, CA. This will spur us on to further development. There is no question that this is the wave of the future.

Stephen Concklin, Transition Instructor at Shasta College, at 12:35 pm EDT on July 9, 2005