Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies

University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

Transition-Related Activities at the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies
Alan Kurtz, M.Ed., ME UCEDD Coordinator of Education and Autism
Maine UCEDD and Maine EPSCoR:

University of Maine

Family-Centered Transition Planning for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

(A collaboration between the NH and ME UCEDDs)

FCTP PARTICIPANTS
Age 16-18 (all levels of ASD) NH ME Total Referral by Transition Coordinators/Special Educators following school administrator agreement to participate. Random assignment: Year 1 Intervention Delay Control (Yr. 2)
Both student and parent enrolled

SURVEY RESULTS
Significance of differences between pre and post mean scores:

Increasing Access and Success in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Disciplines
Do you have a student with a disability who is a freshman, sophomore, or junior in the current school year (2012-2013) and is interested in a STEM career? Would she or he benefit from a program providing ongoing support to explore STEM careers and to plan their postsecondary education?

13 14

11 9 Total:

24 23 47

Student Expectations Parent Expectations Self-Determination Vocational Decision-Making

FCTP t p 2.55 .01 2.32 .02 5.58 .00 2.66 .01

Control t p 1.09 .16 0.51 .31 1.65 .06 0.64 .27

Statistically significant

DATA COLLECTION
Student and Family Surveys
Family and Student Expectations for the Future (from National Longitudinal Transition Study) ARC Self-Determination Inventory Vocational Decision-Making Inventory

FAMILY INTERVIEWS
Project was useful and important:
Kept families on track and parceled out transition into discrete tasks. Modeled tenacity and perseverance in working toward goals. Helped connect families to other supportive people.

THE STEM PROJECT COMPONENTS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

Training sessions in which students will learn about STEM career opportunities, preparing for and succeeding in college, and obtaining necessary supports at the post-secondary level; Trips to University of Maine System STEM programs to meet with faculty, staff, and students; Mentorship from University of Maine students, faculty, and professionals; Up to three Student-Centered Planning sessions facilitated by project staff and designed to help participants plan their postsecondary STEM-related education; A resource book of materials based on the current evidence of best practices for supporting students with disabilities as they transition to postsecondary education; Instruction in self-advocacy and selfdetermination; Support to explore accommodations that students will need in postsecondary education; and STEM career exploration activities.

Document Analysis of IEP Transition Plans Open-ended Family Interviews (9)

The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion & Disability Studies and Maine EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) are seeking your help in recruiting students with disabilities who are interested in STEM fields for an exciting project. Youth selected for the project will receive a package of evidence-based studentcentered supports designed to facilitate their access both to postsecondary education and to STEM careers.

The planning process was growth-enhancing for students:

Learned to advocate for self and take an active role in planning. Feelings of discomfort were slight and played a positive role: Nobody grows up without a little bit of tension.

SPECIFIC PLANNING ENCOURAGES CREATIVE SOLUTIONS

Educational series for family members who take the lead in determining day-to-day supports. One Saturday a month over three months. Advocacy, information and resources to assist with transitioning from high school into adulthood.

3 Saturdays

Families became more clearly aware of student strengths and potential:

Accomplishments many parents had trouble imagining [drivers license, drive to the Prom with date, meaningful job skills, college classes].

5 - 9 in-home meetings

Families learned to think outside the box in accessing resources:

Typical resources, including friends, relatives, other community members, clubs and teams, and technology such as iPads. Formal resources used in nontraditional ways. [High school provided transportation to community college during last year.]

For more information about the Maine UCEDD and Maine EPSCoR: Increasing Access and Success in the STEM Disciplines project, please contact project coordinators Alan Kurtz or Janet May via email at ccidsmail@umit.maine.edu or call 800-203-6957 (v/tty).
Funding for this project is provided by the National Science Foundation Award EPS-0904155 to Maine EPSCoR at the University of Maine.

4 - 6 months

FAMILY CENTERED PLANNING

Experiences with formal adult services were mixed, with some disappointing experiences.

University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

Family-Centered Transition Planning for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders is a collaboration with the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability (UCED). Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant number R40MC15597. Project Director and Principal Investigator, David Hagner, Ph.D. / Co-Principal Investigator, Lucille Zeph, Ed.D. / Project Coordinator for Maine, Alan Kurtz, M.Ed.

The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies Maines University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, UCEDD U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Grant No. 90DD0641) / July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2013 Project Officer: Suad Jama, Program Specialist / Principal Investigator: Lucille Zeph, Ed.D., UCEDD Director