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college appropriate for 72 iq?

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

I have a lovely 20 year old daughter who has completed high school and wants to attend college. Her iq is 72, she has processing delay, and math skills on the first grade level (cannot do basic math without calculator, count change, etc.). Would college on some level benefit her or do you think it’s unrealistic? The programs she would fit in with best are unbelievably expensive ($50K per year). We could afford it, but I’m not sure the benefits would outweigh the costs. I can’t see her ever working in a job that pays more than minimum wage or a little better. I’m interested in both educators and parents opinions.

Submitted by Kay on Tue, 09/05/2006 - 1:46 AM

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Is there a junior college you could have her try out a class at to see if she likes it and learns? You could pick a course subject that is something you know she’ll do well at (not a math class). If she succeeds at it, it might do wonders for her own personal self-worth. Then you could consider further college opportunities.

Submitted by Joe Tag on Tue, 09/05/2006 - 6:56 PM

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[quote]Is there a junior college you could have her try out a class at to see if she likes it and learns? You could pick a course subject that is something you know she’ll do well at (not a math class). If she succeeds at it, it might do wonders for her own personal self-worth. Then you could consider further college opportunities.
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Yes, I certainly agree. A “junior college” (also known as Community Colleges) might be best at this time. Check with the local office of Vocational Rehabilitation for more information on entry/admissions. They might have a good person to speak to regarding admissions.

Submitted by ward on Tue, 02/27/2007 - 10:41 AM

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There are some wonderful schools out there. We are moving to New York Institute of Technology, Vocational Educational Program after living a nightmare at a school called Chapel Haven that advertises istself as a postsecondary school for living independence.

Things to look for: do they allow your child the college experience (freedom of movement on and off campus), are the classes real academic classes, is there evening academic support structures, do they have good and qualified support staff on site for after hours and weekends in the dorms for support, not discipline.

Good luck in your search.

Submitted by attilathemom on Fri, 05/04/2007 - 8:11 PM

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If you insist on having the “bin to college” experience for your kid, you might consider community college for a course to become a phlebotomy tech or in washer/dryer repair. It makes no sense to pay that kind of money for college for a kid whose chances of graduating with a traditional major are slim to nonexistent. She’d be so much better off if you took the same amount of money you are prepared to spend on tuition, and used it to buy her a laundromat or a dry cleaning operation and trained her to run it. After all, the point is for her to be self-supporting, not well rounded.

Submitted by jnuttall on Mon, 05/07/2007 - 9:09 PM

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See if your state has any colleges which specialize in handicapped students. Sometimes these colleges offer programs in skills of daily living and independence training.
James Nuttall — Michigan

Submitted by PaulaJ on Fri, 09/07/2007 - 4:25 PM

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My son is also 20 and a high school graduate. His IQ is in the low 80’s and he is floundering. Do you have contact info on any programs?? At this point, we don’t care about the expense. thanks

Submitted by jodie on Tue, 10/09/2007 - 12:46 AM

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I am an educator and also have a foster son with a 76 IQ who also plans to go to college. Our local Technical college offers classes and programs for students with special needs. While it is not a “tradtional” college experience (dorm living, etc…), he will still recieve additional education and job skills. High school is a struggle (he is a strong math student…in reg. math)as he is LD classes, even though he is technically labeled CDB. I don’t feel that a traditional college program is appropriate for him as he would not be able to handle the stress of juggling classes, social life, and college living. He definitely would have to go at it one class at a time.

I would urge you to check into what your local community colleges offer. Many have classes and/or special programs for children like ours.

Jodie

Submitted by majaw on Tue, 11/20/2007 - 6:50 AM

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Last year on this forum a research group was doing a study to determine whether to start a program for the University of Iowa. I recently received an e-mail from them since I participated in the survey.

They are beginning a program there for students with multiple learning and cognitive disabilities starting next year. It is called REACH. Their e-mail said it “combines academic, career, community and residential life to create a collegiate educational, career, and social opportunity for students. You can find more information and an overview of the R.E.A.C.H experience, a description of the admission process, and application materials on the program’s website at www.education.uiowa.edu/reach ”

According to university officials, the R.E.A.C.H. Program will begin enrolling students in Fall 2008. The admissions process is now available and applications are being accepted. If you’d like to talk to someone about the program feel free to contact R.E.A.C.H. at 319-384-2127 to request a brochure or if you need additional information their email address is: [email protected].

Hope this information helps. From the e-mail I received the got an overwhelming number of people who were interested in a program like this and because of it they are giving it a try. My understanding is they will get a certificate of completion but will not earn a degree. Check it out though, as I can’t remember all the details.

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