ICI Publications

Conducting a College Search: Questions to Ask College Programs

Conducting a college search is a daunting task for every family and every potential college student. For students with intellectual disability (ID), there are some additional aspects to consider beyond the details you can learn in Think College Search. This resource provides questions, suggested by parents and students who have been through the college search process.

Voices of Experience: Students Share College Search Advice

We asked 5 former college students what you (and your family) should think about as you start your own college journey. Meet the students here, and keep reading to find out what they wanted you to know!

Consider the Alternatives: Decision-Making Options for Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

As youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are making plans to attend college, it is more important than ever that families become fully informed about guardianship as well as less-limiting alternatives. This brief defines some of the options and possible ramifications. It also presents special circumstances for consideration, and suggests ways to promote self-determination no matter which option is chosen.

Provision of Pre-Employment Transition Services in TPSID Programs

This Fast Fact describes ways that Transition Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID programs) engage with state vocational rehabilitation agencies to provide pre-employment transition services to students with intellectual disability enrolled in colleges and universities.

Supporting Life Skills Development

Students who receive transition services and attend college have many opportunities throughout the day to develop and use life skills. In fact, the more students stay on campus, the more opportunities they have to use these skills in natural contexts and with natural cues.

Think College TPSID annual report

This report provides an overview of descriptive program and student-level data provided by TPSIDs during the 2018–2019 academic year. Program data includes program characteristics, academic access, supports for students, and integration of the program within the IHE during the fourth year of the 2015–2020 funding. Student data includes student demographics, course enrollments, employment activities, and engagement in student life. This report also provides information on the strategic partnerships and financial sustainability of TPSID programs. Additionally, the report provides trends over time as well as descriptive data on the outcomes of students who exited TPSID programs in previous years.

ADHD: Practical Tips for Parents

This short, accessible guide offers tips to parents around navigating their child’s Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Early Communication Development & Down Syndrome

This guide informs parents about how Down syndrome can affect communication, and actions they can take to support their child.

Consider the Depression & Down Syndrome

This brochure shares tips for family members about identifying depression and supporting the mental health of their loved one with Down syndrome.

Behavior and Down Syndrome: A Practical Guide for Parents

This publication supports parents in understanding and responding to behavioral issues of their child with Down syndrome.

Building Literacy Skills from Infancy to Adulthood: Infants & Toddlers

This one-pager offers research-supported tips for building literacy skills with children from birth to age 2.

Building Literacy Skills from Infancy to Adulthood: Young Children

This one-pager offers research-supported tips for building literacy skills with pre-school-age children.

Building Literacy Skills from Infancy to Adulthood: School-age Children

This one-pager offers research-supported tips for building literacy skills with children from Grade 1 through the pre-teen years.

Building Literacy Skills from Infancy to Adulthood: Teens and Beyond

This one-pager offers research-supported tips for building literacy skills with adolescents.

Employment and Employment Supports: A Guide to Ensuring Informed Choice for Individuals with Disabilities

Tools for Inclusion No.31

What is “informed choice”? And how we do ensure that a choice is truly “informed” and fully reflective of the individual’s preferences?

This publication answers these questions. In it, we provide a guide to decision-making regarding employment and related services and supports, through a process where individuals understand their options, and make choices and decisions that are fully reflective of their own interests and preferences.

The Power of Disability Employment: The Impact to Arizona’s Economy

The Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (ADDPC) contracted with the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston to explore the economic impacts for Arizona of increasing the employment of individuals with disabilities and to analyze how the state can improve its efforts.

StateData: The National Report on Employment Services and Outcomes Through 2017

Access the latest information about employment and economic self-sufficiency for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Both national and state-level statistics are included.

New Restrictions on Subminimum Wage Under WIOA: Requirements and Opportunities for State IDD Agencies

This brief provides details on Section 511 implementation, and then discusses potential roles for state IDD agencies.

Unpaid Work Experiences, Volunteering, and Internships: What’s Allowed.

As SELN member states refine how employment services are defined, implemented, and reimbursed, questions arise about how to view certain work experiences, and how to strategically use volunteer opportunities and unpaid work options.

The SELN Guidance for Conversations: Identifying and designing pathways towards rewarding employment

This publication describes a series of pathways that we feel reflect most people's current circumstances and understanding. Each pathway is defined and questions for exploration and discovery are provided.

Explore VR Job Driven Toolkits

The Job-Driven Toolkits provide resources on promising and emerging job-driven strategies for vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies and partners. The toolkits help embed and sustain job-driven VR practices that lead to improved employment outcomes for people with disabilities.

COVID-19 Publications and Resources

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, public agencies, day and employment service providers, people with disabilities and family members have had to quickly adjust to changes in how services and supports are provided. The publications and resources provided here have been developed to help guide professionals, individuals, and families through this challenging time as we develop new approaches to providing day and employment services, vocational rehabilitation, and supporting community life engagement.

Innovative AT Practices, ISSUE NO. 1 • OCTOBER 2019

Mobile Unit Brings Assistive Tech to Underserved Areas. The mobile unit has been described as a “warehouse on wheels” by iCAN’s program manager, Rick Anderson. Two program coordinators rotate monthly to drive the van to a predetermined area and set up shop for the day. Once there, they provide device loans, demonstrations of high-end AT devices (such as communication tools), and giveaways of limited reused AT devices.

Community Life Engagement toolkit

Looking to increase community life engagement of the people you support? Not sure where to begin? This toolkit was developed to help service providers develop and improve high quality supports for community life engagement (CLE). Inside you will find guideposts for success, a self-assessment tool, real-world examples of service providers making CLE happen, and other helpful resources and tools.