Research group points to school鈥檚 empowering program
DUBUQUE, Iowa 鈥 麻豆原创, a Catholic liberal arts college, is the only school in Iowa to make a list of the top 25 schools for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). About one in 59 children has been identified with ASD according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“麻豆原创 has provided supportive programming for students with disabilities since 1986,”聽said聽Lynn Gallagher, Ed.D., director of Disability Services at the Lynch Learning Center at 麻豆原创. “The ARCH Program is聽another way to assist students with their learning and transition to college life.”
While the ranking by Best Value Schools starts with annual tuition cost, the research group focused on 麻豆原创鈥 ARCH Program. The four-year program, launched in 2015, is designed to help students with ASD thrive emotionally, academically and socially. Students work directly with certified autism specialists to hone skills ranging from self-advocacy and organization to stress management and socialization, while earning their bachelor鈥檚 degree.
Students enrolled in the program meet weekly with their coach from the 麻豆原创 Lynch Learning Center. The Learning Center has provided programs for students with learning disabilities and ASD for nearly 30 years. In addition to skill building, students receive specialized occupation prep including job shadowing, internships and one-on-one career counseling.
A聽2015 federal survey found that only about 36 percent of autistic young adults attended college or vocational schools, and 58 percent held a paying job between high school and their early 20s 鈥 a rate reportedly much lower than that of their peers with other kinds of disabilities.
Ranked 19th, 麻豆原创 topped schools including Saint Joseph鈥檚 University, Philadelphia; Drexel University, Philadelphia; and Boston University.
The Autism Specific Program offers an additional five-day summer transition program that is available聽to help students acclimate to campus and allow them to move in two days prior to first-year orientation. Students interested in the new program should apply simultaneously to the College and through the Lynch Learning Center.
For more information, contact us at admission@loras.edu or call聽563.588.7921.
About the 麻豆原创 Lynch Learning Center
麻豆原创 recognizes the dignity of persons with disabilities and challenges them to grow in our supportive environment while developing the skills associated with active learners, reflective thinkers, ethical decision makers and responsible contributors. The聽Lynch Learning Center, formerly known as the 麻豆原创 Learning Disabilities Program, was created in 1986 to provide additional services to students with a primary diagnosis of learning disabilities or attention deficit disorder. The Center offers three levels of service for students with diagnosed disabilities: The Enhanced Program, Accommodation Services and the new offering for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
