The REACH Program
Students with intellectual or developmental disabilities can go to college!
Why should students with disabilities go to college?
Just like any other student going to college, students with disabilities should attend college so they can have a career and pursue their passions. Particularly students with disabilities should attend college so they can develop not only their academic skills, but also their non-academic skills(socialization and independent living). Both skill sets are essential for having a career and being a productive member of society. Many students with intellectual and or developmental disabilities struggle particularly with socialization and independent living(Gothberg, 344). Most colleges do not offer …show more content…
This is a necessary relationship for students to have the optimal environment to take classes in. According to the College Student Journal, studies have also shown that peer mentors gained interpersonal skills and experienced individual growth(“Peer Mentors”, par.20). When you are a peer mentor you are bridging the gap between students who have been put under the heading of “special ed”. This is an essential component to lives of students with disabilities because they are just like any other student and want to have the same experiences as every other student. When students with intellectual and or developmental disabilities are put into a non-integral program, an opportunity for an environment with diversity and higher comfort levels of non-disabled student is missed(Izzo, 333). Being a peer mentor is not only positively changing your mentee’s life but it is also positively changing the entire college community. When you become a peer mentor you’re assigned a mentee who automatically is another friend for you have to around campus, which creates more opportunities for you to have fun. You also can get cool tickets through the program for events that you and your mentee can go to together. Overall being a peer mentor is making a huge positive difference in someone’s
Students with intellectual or developmental disabilities can go to college!
Why should students with disabilities go to college?
Just like any other student going to college, students with disabilities should attend college so they can have a career and pursue their passions. Particularly students with disabilities should attend college so they can develop not only their academic skills, but also their non-academic skills(socialization and independent living). Both skill sets are essential for having a career and being a productive member of society. Many students with intellectual and or developmental disabilities struggle particularly with socialization and independent living(Gothberg, 344). Most colleges do not offer …show more content…
This is a necessary relationship for students to have the optimal environment to take classes in. According to the College Student Journal, studies have also shown that peer mentors gained interpersonal skills and experienced individual growth(“Peer Mentors”, par.20). When you are a peer mentor you are bridging the gap between students who have been put under the heading of “special ed”. This is an essential component to lives of students with disabilities because they are just like any other student and want to have the same experiences as every other student. When students with intellectual and or developmental disabilities are put into a non-integral program, an opportunity for an environment with diversity and higher comfort levels of non-disabled student is missed(Izzo, 333). Being a peer mentor is not only positively changing your mentee’s life but it is also positively changing the entire college community. When you become a peer mentor you’re assigned a mentee who automatically is another friend for you have to around campus, which creates more opportunities for you to have fun. You also can get cool tickets through the program for events that you and your mentee can go to together. Overall being a peer mentor is making a huge positive difference in someone’s