Exceptional Universe

Exceptional Universe and Transition Universe provide resources and support to students, families and educators interested and involved in the education of Youth with Disabilities. Information has been gathered from many sources on many topics in the world of special education and also includes original content.

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Utah Welcomes New Post-School Transition Specialist

Utah Welcomes New Post-School Transition Specialist

Lavinia Gripentrog has been chosen by the Utah State Board of Education Special Education Department as the new School to Post-School Transition Specialist beginning January 31, 2017. She will replace Susan Loving who is retiring (See article on Susan Loving here).

Lavinia was formerly the Transition Specialist/Post-High Special Education Teacher and Assistive Technology Specialist for Murray…

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Utah 2016 Transition Institute

Utah 2016 Transition Institute

This week Utah will host its annual Transition Institute: “Supporting Transition Planning and Building Capacity to Improve Post-School Outcomes for Students with Disabilities” at Davis Conference Center in Layton. Interspersed with content-rich learning sessions and facilitated team work sessions, LEA teams from all over the state (over 200 people!) will come together to learn how to use a…

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Visionary Employers "See the Light": Disability Hiring

Visionary Employers “See the Light”: Disability Hiring

An increasing number of employers are beginning to “see the light” with regards to hiring people with disabilities.

Carol Glazer, President of the National Organization on Disability, has posted an article in the Huffington Post,  Retailers Can Learn From Each Other When it Comes to Disability Hiring, where she highlights the benefits of hiring people with disabilities and how some employers are…

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Dr. Mary Morningstar: What Does it Take to be College and Career Ready? Improving Outcomes for Youth with Disabilities

Dr. Mary Morningstar: What Does it Take to be College and Career Ready? Improving Outcomes for Youth with Disabilities

Dr. Mary MorningstarDr. Mary Morningstar is the keynote speaker at the Transition pre-conference of the UMTSS* Connections Conferencein Layton, Utah June 23 – a three day event of sessions on Leadership, Literacy and Numeracy, Behavior and Positive Behavior Supports, Transition to Career Pathways, Educating English Learners, Special Education, Effective Instruction, Tiered Intervention,…

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Optimistic Outlook for Job Seekers with Disabilities

Optimistic Outlook for Job Seekers with Disabilities

According to information in The Huffington Post, the employment situation is looking bright for people with disabilities. The focus was information from Think Beyond the Label, an outreach organization that provides resources to people with disabilities and businesses to better inform everyone of the employment possibilities.

Think Beyond the Label conducted a surveyof hundreds of people with…

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Student Aims to "Climb High" to Raise Funds for Scholarship

Student Aims to “Climb High” to Raise Funds for Scholarship

A Utah State University student who is  enrolled in “Aggies Elevated”, a progam for students with intellectual disabilities, plans to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro this summer to raise funds that would allow a student to enroll in the program.

According to the Herald Journal,

Troy Shumway, 20, is set to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in June 2015, USU announced in a news release. The fundraising goal, $40,000,…

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Spotlight on Susan Loving, Transition Specialist

Spotlight on Susan Loving, Transition Specialist

Susan Loving, Transition Specialist at the Utah State Office of Education.

Susan Loving has a rich history in the field of Transition.  She has been working with transition programs since 1991, when she was assigned the responsibility of co-manager of the STUDY Project Grant (a federal systems-change grant) in Tooele School District.

I was ready for a change from providing speech-language…

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Illinois Program Designs Disability Awareness Curricula for Students of All Ages

Illinois Program Designs Disability Awareness Curricula for Students of All Ages

Students in some Illinois school districts receive early education on disability and independent living and employment, thanks to an initiative that incorporates three different curricula, implemented through the community partner “RAMP“, an Illinois non-residential Center for Independent Living. By working with school districts to incorporate these programs, barriers are being dismantled and…

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Spotlight on Teresa Berden Clarkson, Transition Teacher

Spotlight on Teresa Berden Clarkson, Transition Teacher

Teresa Clarkson has worked as a Transition Teacher and CTE Career Coach.

Teresa Berden Clarkson has a well established and admirable career working with students with disabilities.  She first began teaching 20 years ago at a Western Michigan University with student services.  She progressed to St. Clair County Community College – first as a Placement Specialist and then as a Career Counselor,…

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Celebrate World Down Syndrome Day

Celebrate World Down Syndrome Day

Today marks the 10th anniversary of World Down Syndrome Day. There are many ways people can celebrate and share stories and videos.  The website has multiple resources to help celebratie diversity and inclusion.

21 March 2015 marks the 10th anniversary of World Down Syndrome Day and each year the voice of people with Down syndrome, and those who live and work with them, grows louder.

Down…

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Iowa School District Implements Unique Transition Program

Iowa School District Implements Unique Transition Program

While many students with disabilities across the country meet the academic requirements to earn their highs school diploma, they so not necessarily meet the goals in their IEPs for transition to adulthood. Yet the regulations set forth in the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) stipulate that a student is not eligible for services under IDEA once a diploma has been earned and issued.  This…

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Utah Celebrates ADA 25

Utah Celebrates ADA 25

Salt Lake Valley, Utah, students, along with students attended the Disability Mentoring Day at Zions Bank City Center as part of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in Utah! Students learned about what employers want from employees, how Zions Bank works to create value in the community, especially with regards to their employees.

  Students got a tour of the bank and…

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New Report: "From Hard Times to Better Times: College Majors, Unemployment, and Earnings"

New Report: “From Hard Times to Better Times: College Majors, Unemployment, and Earnings”

The Washington Post reports that a Georgetown University report demonstrates a correlation between college majors and employment rates.  The report, From Hard Times to Better Times,which is based on research of unemployment rates of recent college graduates in 2011-2012, also demonstrates that college graduates fare better with obtaining employment than those with high school diplomas and no…

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"Linking Learning to Life": Strengthening Transition Skills

“Linking Learning to Life”: Strengthening Transition Skills

A Pennsylvania School District has implemented a program that helps students develop employment and independent living skills.  Partnered with local businesses, the district High School has created an on site classroom that provides simulated experiences and career coaching.

Learning to Life (LLtL) is a two-tier secondary transition designed to aid students in making the progression from the…

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Postsecondary Education Linked to Higher Employment Rates

Postsecondary Education Linked to Higher Employment Rates

An increasing number of postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities are being created and implemented across the United States……with evidence of successful outcomes, according to a recent study.

Individuals with intellectual disabilities who attend postsecondary programs are finding greater success in the job market than those who do not pursue further education, a new…

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"STEP" Provides College Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

“STEP” Provides College Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

Another college, in Massachussetts, on board with providing transition opportunities for students with disabilities!

The Norton program, known as STEP, serves students with intellectual disabilities who are involved with three programs at Bridgewater [State University], STEP program teacher Ashley Rodrigues said.

While all of the programs are geared toward students with intellectual…

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Project SEARCH Model Continues to Provide Opportunities

Project SEARCH Model Continues to Provide Opportunities

The Project SEARCH model, originally launched in Ohio, continues to grow and provide high school to employment opportunities for students with disabilities.

Jesse Potter worked diligently on a recent morning to disinfect and clean a baby bed inside the University of New Mexico Hospital’s newborn intensive care unit.

Potter, 20, who has Down syndrome, is an intern at the hospital under a new…

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