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So much has happened in the education of our special needs family members since 2008 when the University of South Carolina opened their doors to three students with an intellectual disability. Over the next year, five more college programs in South Carolina: Clemson Life, Winthrop Think College, The Reach program at The College of Charleston, the Life program at Coastal Carolina University and the Life program at USC-Aiken, began programs for young adults with an intellectual

The USCA (USC Aiken) Life program (Learning is For Everyone) is a comprehensive initiative designed to provide students with intellectual disabilities with the opportunity to experience college life in a supportive and inclusive environment. Students in the LIFE program are encouraged to explore both on-and off-campus job opportunities, giving them valuable work experience and a sense of independence. Students live independently on campus with help of an LRA (LIFE Residential

ClemsonLIFE was funded in 2008, and started its first cohort of five students with intellectual disabilities in January of 2009. Since its founding, ClemsonLIFE has served 139 students with intellectual disabilities. ClemsonLIFE started as a two-year program but then extended to become a three-year, then a four-year postsecondary program. The program is comprised of a two-year Basic Program (BP) where students live in apartments on campus with an Independent Living Assistan

The University Participant program located in Cullowhee, North Carolina and it started in 2007. The University has admitted 80 students to date. The program, like many other programs, has changed based on student and environmental needs as well as sometimes with variations have faced over the years with funding. “We have expanded our number of students accepted each fall semester despite available funding and found creative ways to utilize resources and braided funding toward

Georgia Tech’s Excel program first started in 2015. The program offered by the Georgia Institute of Technology is a four-year college program for students with an intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) leading to two separate certificates. Certificate 1: Academic Enrichment, Social Fluency, and Career Exploration Certificate 2: Social Growth; Leadership, and career Development. Excel courses include content in: Reading and writing Comprehension Math Science/

Winthrop University is a public institution founded in 1886 and is located in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Winthrop is a federally designated Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP) for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It was originally an all-girls school until 1974 when it became a four-year co-ed university. Winthrop is a comprehensive university offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. Currently there are approximately 6,000 students, counting

Let’s start with Carolina Life. I’m a little biased with this program for a few reasons. One is I graduated from USC. Number two, I had the honor of serving on the Board of Trustees for nine years. One of those years was as “Trustee emeritus” as I was President of the Alumni Association. And I’m proud to say the University of South Carolina was the first Life program to get started in South Carolina. That was in the fall of 2008. It was an interesting year. Our son was a risi

Your will says who gets what. Your trust says how the money is managed. Your guardianship papers say who decides. But none of them say that your daughter won’t fall asleep without her blue blanket, or that your son lights up around trains and shuts down in loud rooms. All of that lives in your head - and the letter of intent is how you get it onto paper. What It Is A letter of intent is a personal, non-legal document in which you write down everything you know about your chil

Of all the advice in these guides, this is the one with the shortest deadline: get your child onto the Medicaid waiver waiting list as early as you possibly can. It may be the single most valuable thing you do - and it costs nothing but a phone call. Here’s what that means and why it matters so much. What a Medicaid Waiver Is A Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver lets your child receive long-term support - in-home care, day programs, supported employment, respite

For eighteen years, you’ve been the one who signs the forms, talks to the doctors, and makes the call when a decision has to be made. Then your child turns 18, and in the eyes of the law they become an adult - even if they still need a great deal of support. Suddenly you may not be able to see their medical or school records, sign their health forms, or manage their money without legal authority you have to set up first. The question is no longer whether to keep helping. It’s