Special ed moves into college class

The University of Southern Maine has joined forces with Strive, a non-profit organization that serves young adults with disabilities, to form a program they call “Strive University,” which so far has enrolled six students with Down syndrome in standard college classes. A similar partnership is in the works in New Jersey, between the National Down Syndrome Society and that state’s public and private colleges, and they hope to create a model for providing college education to young adults with mental disabilities. In response to the growing interest in these specialized programs, the U.S. Department of Education is developing a database of available programs-there currently are 50 nationwide.