What is the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)?

The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) is a membership organization that supports and promotes a national network of university-based interdisciplinary programs. The Consortium for Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities is among the network members. The network also consists of 59 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs), 38 Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Programs, and 21 Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Centers (IDDRCs). AUCD programs also train the next generation of leaders in disability-related research, training, service delivery, and policy advocacy to insure that this essential work continues.

Through its members, AUCD is a resource for local, state, national, and international agencies, organizations, and policymakers concerned about people living with developmental and other disabilities and their families. Members engage in interdisciplinary activities including academic training, policy advocacy, program evaluation, and exemplary services for children, adults, and families. They also participate in basic and applied research; training and technical assistance to schools, communities, and all levels of government; and dissemination of best practices and new information.

AUCD is governed by an elected Board of Directors that includes member program professionals and leaders, people with disabilities, and family members. AUCD’s organizational and program priorities are guided by a long-range plan developed and regularly updated by this Board of Directors.

Partner Profile: Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) is a federally-designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and a member of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). As a UCEDD, the VKC is committed to working for a world where individuals with disabilities are not apart from, but are full participants in their communities. Working with and for people with disabilities and their families, service providers, and policymakers, the VKC UCEDD provides supports and services in the following areas:

• Education and Early Intervention
• Supports for Individuals and Families
• Health and Mental Health
• Recreation and Art

Within these areas, VKC UCEDD faculty and staff are engaged in four major activities:

• Conducting research that aims to improve disability services and policies and that functions to identify causes of disabilities and novel ways to intervene, and that provides support for persons with disabilities.
• Training university students, practicing professionals and direct care providers, individuals with disabilities and family members, disability advocates, and policymakers. Examples of such training include classes in degree programs, predoctoral traineeships, postdoctoral fellowships, supervised clinical experiences, continuing education, conferences, and technical assistance.
• Providing evidence-based services and supports to address pressing needs of persons with disabilities. Examples of such services and supports include diagnosis and intervention for children and adults, and information and technical assistance for educators or direct service providers.
• Disseminating what is learned through VKC research and model programs so that others can use this information. We produce brochures, booklets, videos, and web-based materials.

For more information on the VKC UCEDD see http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/site/ucedd/ or call (866)936-8852.

Announcement: Vanderbilt Kennedy Postsecondary Education Program Welcomes Tammy Day

Tammy Day, M.Ed., has joined the Vanderbilt Kennedy Postsecondary Education Program and will serve as its program director. Day previously was a special education liaison and compliance specialist and a coordinator of transition programming and training in Rutherford County Schools. She has been a member of the Tennessee Task Force for Postsecondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities since May 2007. During her career, she has had extensive experience working with students with diverse needs and their families. She is a graduate of Peabody College of Education and says she was drawn back to the Vanderbilt University campus and to the PSE “because the mission of the program is at the heart of my life’s work.”

The Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities awarded a 3-year grant to the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center to plan and coordinate a model Postsecondary Educational Program that is integrated, successful, sustainable, and replicable by other Tennessee colleges and universities.

Resources You Should Know About:
DO-IT - Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology

DO-IT is an online resource center which serves to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers. It promotes the use of computer and networking technologies to increase independence, productivity, and participation in education and employment. It does this to increase the success of people with disabilities in college and careers and to promote the application of universal design to physical spaces, information technology, instruction, and services. It distributes publications and videos for presentations and exhibits and provides resources to students with disabilities, K-12 educators, postsecondary faculty and administrators, librarians, employers, and parents and mentors.

DO-IT programs are grounded in research. They include Access College, which features materials for postsecondary educators, student services staff, employment personnel, students with disabilities, administrators, and campus-wide leaders. Access STEM (the Alliance for Students with Disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs offer mentoring, peer support, internships, summer camp, and other opportunities for high school and postsecondary students with disabilities. Other Access programs feature resources for computing careers, accessible information technology in education, accessible distance learning, and more. Visit DO-IT at https://www.washington.edu/doit/

Introduction of the Federal Higher Education Opportunity Act Reauthorization

The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) (P.L. 110-315) was enacted on August 14, 2008, reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965. This law contains a number of important new provisions that will improve access to postsecondary education for students with intellectual disabilities. Of particular note are several provisions that address financial aid and that create new model demonstration programs and a coordinating center for students with intellectual disabilities.

HEOA allows students with intellectual disabilities to be eligible for Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, and the Federal Work-Study Program for the first time. In the past, students with intellectual disabilities were usually not eligible for financial aid because they do not receive regular high school diplomas, pass General Educational Development equivalency tests, or pass “ability to benefit” tests. As a result, many of these students were not accepted for enrollment in degree or accredited certificate programs at their chosen postsecondary schools. HEOA provides broad authority to the Secretary of Education to waive these and other sections of the law. It also requires the Secretary to promulgate regulations that will allow eligibility for Work Study jobs and certain grants for students with intellectual disabilities who are accepted for enrollment or are enrolled in comprehensive transition and PSE programs, and specify how these students will become eligible.

A more detailed version of this information will be available as a Brief on June 1. This material was contributed by Stephanie Smith Lee.

What You Should Know About the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

All college students are expected to contribute toward their education costs. How much a family will be expected to contribute, the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), depends on their financial situation. Nearly every student is eligible for some form of financial aid, regardless of income or circumstances. Filing the federal financial aid application, known as the FAFSA (which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid), is the first step in applying for this money. The FAFSA application is examined by a federal processor and the results are sent by computer to the financial aid offices of the colleges chosen. Most colleges use the FAFSA to determine eligibility for federal, state, and college-sponsored financial aid, including grants, educational loans, and work-study programs.

Federal aid is limited and much of it is offered on a first-come, first-served basis, so the earlier a family files the FAFSA the better the chances of accessing the most financial aid possible. A student can file the FAFSA starting January 1 of each year. Meeting college deadlines is very important. The Department of Education advises that it typically takes parents and students 1-2 hours to complete a FAFSA on their own, but errors and omissions can add significantly to this time through processing delays. FAFSAs that are submitted electronically are typically processed within three days after all signature requirements have been met. Paper applications that are mailed can take up to three weeks.

You can access the FAFSA at http://www.fafsa.com. The website is straightforward and easy to understand. In addition to the application process, it offers more information about the FAFSA, financial aid and a fee-based preparation and advisory company, Student Financial Aid Services.

Partner Profile: The Nisonger Center at the Ohio State University

The Nisonger Center was founded in 1966 as an interdisciplinary program of The Ohio State University. The U.S. Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) has designated the Center a “University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD),” one of 67 in the nation. Its mission is to work with communities to value and support the meaningful participation of people with disabilities of all ages through education, service, and research.

The Center provides assistance to people with disabilities, families, service providers, and organizations to promote inclusion in education, health, employment, and community settings. The Center has specialty clinics and services including the Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinic, Behavior Support Services, the IDD Dental Program, the Developmental Disabilities Clinic, the Dual Diagnosis Clinic, the Family-Directed Developmental Clinic, and the Williams Syndrome Clinic.

The Center also provides interdisciplinary training to university students, including two graduate-level programs and numerous pre-service and in-service training programs which enable participants to deliver quality educational and related services. Students gain knowledge and skills to cooperate and collaborate with educators, clinicians, parents, and persons with disabilities. In the community, the Nisonger Center provides special education and transition services from early childhood (ages 1–6) through high school and college.

For more information, contact Margo Izzo at margo.izzo@osumc.edu or visit their Web site: http://nisonger.osu.edu/index.htm

Help Us Identify Postsecondary Education Options for Students with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities

Think College has recently launched a national survey to collect information on college options for people with intellectual disabilities. Surveys have been emailed to over 300 colleges, universities, and high school transition providers to find out more about the current state of college options for individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities around the country. The survey is being completed by the Center on Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities, funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. If you are involved in a postsecondary initiative, but have not received the survey, please contact Cate Weir to receive a copy.

Consortium Partners

The University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at:

University of Massachusetts Boston (primary) • University of Minnesota • University of Hawaii

University of Delaware • The Ohio State University • Vanderbilt University

University of South Carolina • University of California Los Angeles

In conjunction with the Association for University Centers on Disabilities

This newsletter was supported, in part, by a cooperative agreement from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, CFDA# 93-632 Grant No. 90-DD-0659. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express their findings and conclusions freely. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration on Developmental Disabilities policy.

The Think College Newsletter is published monthly. To subscribe electronically, please send your email address to Shari Barr at leigh071@umn.edu. Please distribute widely to interested parties.