Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and their Educational Pathways after High School: Transitional Planning and Access to Postsecondary Institutions

This phenomenological study aimed to address the growing number of students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) that aspire to attend a postsecondary institution. These students must be placed on a pathway in high school with this end goal. Educators should ensure that goals are met through transition planning, collaborative planning with parents, agency collaboration, and college access opportunities. This study details the perspectives, procedures, and resources concerning IDD students with postsecondary goals to attend a college or university. An area of focus for the study includes the perspectives of school administrators, teachers, and counselors that serve students with IDD, transitional planning, and college access. Additionally, the perspectives of parents and families were an area of focus. Data collection was obtained from urban and rural parish-wide school districts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in person and virtually via Zoom. Interview audio recordings and videos were transcribed via Otter. The transcripts were reviewed, analyzed, and coded to reveal themes to fill the research gap in this area of study