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Special Education & Transition Services

Welcome to the Transition Services Program at the Nisonger Center. Our mission is to develop and deliver programs, products and services that enhance the quality of education and transition services for students with disabilities. The ultimate goal of our program is to increase the quality of adult life for students and their families. We invite you to explore our current programs!

Program Info Sheet [PDF]

TOPS

TOPS – Transition Options in Post Secondary Settings for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

The Ohio State University’s Nisonger Center is piloting a college program for students with intellectual disabilities called TOPS (Transition Options in Postsecondary Settings). The focus of TOPS is to empower students to become self-determined adults by providing them college experiences including participation in college classes, internships, employment, and campus social life that are customized to each student's interests and needs.

Students in TOPS receive instructional support through “academic coaches,” employment support through “job coaches” and daily living/recreational support through “life skill coaches.” Students receive career counseling and job development supports that are necessary for successful inclusion in the campus community.

Watch Colin complete his job duties at Prior Health Sciences Library. In the video, Colin works as a paid student assistant who sorts and delivers mail, shelves journals, and scans and sorts library books as requested by faculty, students and staff. We thank the library staff who support Colin and the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission who fund the job development and coaching for Colin.

This application can be filled out for our Summer Transition Orientation, which runs from June 12th-July 2nd. The program will feature classes focused on enhancing employment skills as well as other transitions skills. During the program, the students will stay in dorms, and eat meals from the dining halls, and experience the life of a college student. Please return all parts of the application to Shannon Prince at shannon.prince@osumc.edu by April 1st, 2013. You can email Shannon with questions or call her at 614-685-3185.

The TOPS Application deadline has been extended to April, 2013.

2013 Summer SLC Application

The following link is an online database that is a compilation of every college program offered online in Ohio either full or part time. This database will be updated yearly and will always remain free and open. This is a great resource for students, parents, counselors and advisors who are interested in higher education opportunities. Ohio Online Schools Guide

VRP3 - Vocational Rehabilitation Public and Private Partnerships

VRP3 (Vocational Rehabilitation Private and Public Partnerships) is a competitive employment project offered in partnership with The Nisonger Center and the Ohio Rehabilitation Service Commission. The program provides vocational rehabilitation services to young adults who are transitioning out of high school into the employment world. Each participant who qualifies for this project is eligible for a Person-Centered Plan (PCP) that is formulated by the Nisonger staff and the young adult with a disability. The PCP centers around transition activities that encompass self-determination, career path planning as well as education, independent living and transportation. For more information about the VRP3 program that the Rehabilitation Services Commission offers please click on the link below:
http://rsc.ohio.gov/index/resources/partners-and-programs/vrp3

ORSC - OBR Project

Funded jointly by the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission (ORSC) and the Ohio Board of Regents (OBR), this project focuses on the utilization of student learning communities (SLCs) to support the transition and technology skills of students with significant disabilities. Students participate in a week-long residential learning experience that includes assistive technology assessment, mentoring, and an online curriculum culminating in a comprehensive Transition Portfolio for each student. Details of the SLC process and how to replicate a transition-focused SLC for students with significant disabilities can be found in our Project Replication Guide.

Read the thank-you letter from a student's parent here.

Ohio's STEM Ability Alliance (OSAA)

Ohio's STEM Ability Alliance (OSAA) has been established to increase the number of students with disabilities who earn degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Funded by a National Science Foundation grant awarded to an alliance of Ohio institutions led by Wright State University, OSAA is made up of cooperating regional “QUADS." Each includes a major university, a community college, regional public schools and STEM industry and government partners, who work together to address OSAA goals.

Website: http://nisonger.osu.edu/osaa

E-Mentoring

A student and her mentor

Our E-Mentoring Program connects students with disabilities to mentors who share their transition experiences. Students complete an online course that helps them prepare for the transition to employment or college while communicating weekly with their mentor. Students use e-mail to interact with their teachers and mentors who:

  • Provide encouragement and guidance to their mentees
  • Challenge their mentees to think critically about their future
  • Foster self-advocacy skills
  • Motivate their mentees to excel in either school and/or work settings.

Website: http://nisonger.osu.edu/transition/ementoring.htm

FAME: Faculty & Administrator Modules in Higher Education

This online curricula for faculty and administrators in higher education provides information on five interrelated modules:

  • Rights and Responsibilities of faculty, students, and disability service providers in the accommodations and instructional process (R&R)
  • Universal Design for Learning approaches to instruction (UDL)
  • Web Accessibility and assistive technology (WEB)
  • College Writing strategies for all students (CW)
  • Climate Assessment strategies to develop a welcoming climate for students with disabilities (CA)

Fast Facts for Faculty

The Fast Facts for Faculty publications are information briefs designed for college and university instructors as they continually improve the quality of education for our increasingly diverse college students, including students with disabilities.

Website: http://ada.osu.edu/resources/fastfacts/index.htm

ThinkCollege.net

ThinkCollege Logo

Youth with intellectual disabilities have not had many chances to go to college. This is changing as individuals across the country begin to create opportunities for these youth to reap the benefits of postsecondary education. This website will provide information and links to anyone interested in finding out more about the possibilities.

Website: http://www.thinkcollege.net