College Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Phenomenological Study of Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Experiences

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.