First Advisor

Sundeen, Todd

First Committee Member

Pierce, Corey

Second Committee Member

Peterson, Lori

Third Committee Member

Murza, Kimberly

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Document Type

Dissertation

Date Created

5-2025

Department

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Special Education, Special Education Student Work

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the college experiences of students with intellectual and/or developmental disability (IDD) who are attending an inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE) program in the United States. Inclusive post-secondary education program numbers have been increasing since 2008, when the Higher Education Opportunity Act passed and authorized federal student aid to students in IPSE programs. Most research on IPSE programs to date has been on their structure and employment outcomes, with scant research on what students experience during their time in an IPSE program.

Participants were 12 third or fourth year IPSE students with IDD from six different IPSE programs in the United States. Additionally, 4 program administrators were interviewed and 3 person-centered plans were collected to aid in data triangulation. Participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format. Trustworthiness procedures included peer debriefing, reflexive journaling, a clear audit trail, researcher bracketing, rich thick descriptions, and the collection of participant demographic information. Five major themes emerged from this study, each with subthemes: (a) social experiences; (b) academic experiences; (c) vocational experiences; (d) vocational goals; and (e) social goals.

Implications for practice include: (a) the purpose of IPSE programs; (b) emphasizing social goals after graduation; (c) encouraging students to engage in vocational experiences; and (d) requiring students to engage in social experiences. Future research should emphasize a more detailed exploration of the relationship between experiences and goals, the development of self-determination skills, whether any vocational experiences increase employment outcomes or if there are specific vocational experiences that increase employment outcomes, and person-centered planning in IPSE programs.

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Places

Greeley, Colorado

Extent

140 pages

Local Identifiers

Anderson_unco_0161D_11337.pdf

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

Digital Origin

Born digital

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