Observations From Below: My Favorite Mistake

If someone were to look at North Carolina, they would see that we have a variety of programs structured in different ways to meet people’s needs. I recommend looking at all of them to determine which one fits your family’s needs. There are four universities in the UNC system that have programs to assist students with I/DD. UNC has the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program, UNCG has their Beyond Academics program, Appalachian State has Scholars with Diverse Abilities (SDAP), and Western Carolina has the University Participant (UP) Program. There are also several community colleges offering programs for students with I/DD, and the PSE Alliance is working continually to expand these options. All of these programs have the same common goal in preparing the students to participate in community and on-campus social/recreational activities, as well as training for future employment and the transition into adult independent living.