Featured

To Our Founder’s: THANK YOU

Options for College Success was founded in 2009 by two mothers with a mission of supporting post- secondary students with learning challenges to be successful in college.  After working in the education field, both realized there were many students with learning challenges that were not receiving the support needed within the school system and decided they needed to intervene and help those students.  Over the years the mission developed into the more comprehensive program it is today, including finance skill building, independent living skills, social skills, vocational support, and providing social event opportunities.  These women had a vision and worked tirelessly to bring it to fruition.

As both of our founder’s have now retired, we wanted to highlight these incredible individuals that created this strong community, the Options for College Success family.

Christine Anderson worked in the education field for over 40 years.   She began in an inner-city school in Savannah, Georgia. She then transferred to the Savannah Association for Children with Specific Learning Disabilities. After raising her family in the Chicago area, Christine returned to the workforce, first as a director for an alternative high school and then as a director for a national program for young adults with learning challenges. The drive to advocate and support this population has been a passion of Christine’s.  Christine stepped down from her role as Executive Director in January of 2018.  She continues her dedication to the community, co-creating and launching an app, Glimmer (www.glimmerconnect.com), with her son.

Shoshana Axler, born and raised in Chicago, was a classroom teacher as well as a mentor for many years in the Chicago area.  She earned a master’s degree from Rhode Island College in education.  Her commitment to the success of young adults creates an ongoing connection with all students and families she has served.  Shoshana spent several years fundraising for cancer research and then returned to the field of education.  Shoshana is the mother of 3 grown children and many grandchildren.  Shoshana retired this last week and will be moving to be with her family in Israel. Shoshana’s generosity, dedication to community, and enthusiasm is profound, and it runs deep within the foundation of our organization.

We are forever grateful to our founders! We will always continue the mission set forth by these brilliant women! The Options for College Success family wishes Christine and Shoshana joy and happiness as they embark on their new journey!

Featured

“We don’t care about eye contact”

 

Obtaining employment as an individual with special needs is a challenge to say the least.  Think about all of the elements involved in seeking out employment and being hired: the job search, resume, cover letter, follow up, phone and in-person interviews, becoming accustomed with a new routine and new faces.

Employment provides one with a feeling of fulfillment, the ability to be independent, developing new relationships, and face new challenges.  Challenge help people grow.

Please read the article below from the Chicago Tribune.  Thank you EY for re-thinking your hiring processes and employment opportunities!

http://digitaledition.chicagotribune.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=66bd869a-0b4e-4ed3-a958-e33d16ea349e

@EYnews  @chicagotribune

Parenting: How to Manage the High School to Post-Secondary Learning Transition and Encouraging Independence

At Options for College Success, we support students in this critical transition, while also giving parents and caregivers the ability to step back, as our team provides the supportive oversight and skills development necessary. This is key in helping the family let go of their worries, knowing that there is a stepping stone to ease the transition for the student. We are that stepping stone!

Please contact us for more information! We work with soon-to-be graduating high schoolers, as well as individuals 18 and older.

Admissions and Academics Coordinator, Kevin Holbrook

Email: kholbrook@optionsforcollegesuccess.org; Phone: 224-616-2831

Less Handholding, More Independence

A Mother’s Perspective: Life in Uganda for a child with Cerebral Palsy

    By Lelia Purky (Options for College Success Student) and Marjorie Nabumma

“The moment you start loving them, everything becomes easy.“

Marjorie Nabumma, my friend and a mother in Uganda with a child who has Cerebral palsy
–Marjorie Nabumma, mother and disability advocate, holds her beautiful adopted child, Devine, in Kampala, Uganda. Devine was abandoned as a baby because his birthparents couldn’t handle the disability. Disabled children are often abandoned in Uganda.

Lelia Purkey, a current student with Options for College Success, has always had a passion for learning about and advocating for the rights and accessibility of services for all individuals with disabilities. Lelia is currently focused on gathering qualitative data through interviews to better understand the rights and access for individuals with disabilities on an international level. Lelia gave us permission to share one of the most recent interviews she conducted and transcribed.

If you would like to hear more from Lelia, please visit optionsforcollegesuccess.org where you will find one of her videos from a past speaking engagement. We look forward to supporting the incredible work of this young woman, while finding more platforms for her to share her findings, insights, and advocacy.

My name is Lelia Purky and I am 22 years old. I live in America in the state of IL, and I was born with Cerebral Palsy. Life with CP can vary in difficulty and understanding throughout the world, and I just experienced that today. I have a dear friend, Marjorie Nabumma, who is the mother of a beautiful, sweet child named Divine. Marjorie lives in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, and I have found out that life is very different there for a child with CP or any disability than it is in America.

Today, I interviewed Marjorie with a couple of questions about what it is like in Uganda for someone who is differently abled. Here is our interview, and I hope it gives everyone reading it a deeper understanding and acceptance of those with disabilities.

LELIA: Where is Uganda located?

            MARJORIE: Uganda is located in East Africa, and Kenya is our neighbor.

            LELIA: How are disabilities perceived in Uganda?

            MARJORIE: Disabilities in Uganda are viewed as a curse, but we are creating awareness now. Disabled children in Uganda have a much better chance at life in towns than in villages. In villages, disabled children are hidden away inside their houses, and some are abandoned. Divine was abandoned (Marjorie is not his biological mom. Before Marjorie began taking care of him, an old lady was).

            LELIA: What services (i.e. OT, PT, speech) are available for Divine, and does the government help with those services?

            MARJORIE: Government hospitals help with services such as physiotherapy (PT), which is free of charge. However, the services are not good… there is only a small amount of time given to help the disabled children. PT and other services last between fifteen, ten, or two minutes. There are a lot of special needs children, but not enough time is given for services in the government hospitals. In US dollars, PT costs around 15 to 20$. (in Ugandan Shillings—UGX—that is either 54,844.40 or 73,125.86). Very expensive.

            LELIA: Does your family help care for Divine?

            MARJORIE: No. I need someone to help me care for Divine—medications, basic care. I want to try and find some help. (No one is helping Marjorie out in Uganda as of right now).

            LELIA: is the pandemic (COVID-19) affecting Devine’s care?

            MARJORIE: It is very hard right now to find care for Divine… very hard for anyone with a disability during the pandemic even though the cases of COVID are low. Those with disabilities who have a weakened immune system have a higher chance of getting COVID.

            LELIA: Is there are differently abled community in Uganda for Divine?

            MARJORIE: Yes. J I started a group where kids with disabilities could come together in Uganda. The group meets at the beginning of each month. The group helps to build a sense of community and it builds courage. At the group, most of the parents come carrying their disabled children on their backs because there are no mobility aides. (Wheelchairs, crutches, etc.).

LELIA: Have you gotten help from anyone around the world?

            MARJORIE: Yes. I got help globally to raise money for Divine’s hip surgery. He had a dislocated hip. The operation was successful, and the doctors fixed the dislocated hip.

LELIA: What do you hope for the future for kids who are disabled in Uganda?

            MARJORIE: I hope that all disabled children across Uganda can have for the future someone to support them, give them mobility aides like wheelchairs, and provide medicine for them. This is because most of the parents of these children are single mothers who don’t work, so they can’t afford all the necessities they need for their children. There needs to be awareness of the disabled children in Uganda, and I want to start off by raising awareness in villages. This is because the disabled kids in villages are dying silently and are not taken care of. When I create awareness in the villages, I want to teach people how to love them. The moment you start loving them—everything becomes easy.

Options for Success! Juniors and Seniors in High School-We are here for you too!!!

The pandemic has led Options for College Success to be considered Options for Success! We provide our services to Juniors and Seniors in high school, as well as post-secondary schooling and alternative paths! No matter if you or your student is learning virtually this fall or in a hybrid format, WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU SUCCEED in this new learning landscape. Please check out our most recent email blast with information on how to help your high school student succeed!

https://mailchi.mp/f2c08249930f/5-ways-to-help-your-high-school-student

 

Article: “Getting Into College Doesn’t Mean Students Are Ready to Go”

We wanted to share this article by Dr. Lisa Damour from 2015.  The pandemic is leading people to consider other options for post-secondary planning.  In addition, it is important to determine whether your student is ready, and wants to attend college.
At Options for College Success, we talk with families about college readiness and alternative paths for when a student is not ready to go to college right away.  This can include planning a productive “gap year” or certificate-to-career programs.  Call or email our Admissions and Academics Coordinator, Kevin Holbrook,  to find out more!
Phone: 224-616-2831  Email: kholbrook@optionsforcollegesuccess.org

 

From The New York Times
By Lisa Damour
April 27, 2015

Last October I held a hastily scheduled psychotherapy session with a teenager facing a disastrous start to her college career. When we met, she somberly shared that she was on her university’s radar for her uncontrolled drinking and had a coming court date for a disorderly conduct charge. Her parents wanted her to withdraw right away, but she had just started to make some solid friendships at college and was reluctant to go home. I saw her point, but understood where her parents were coming from: Given that she was clearly struggling, it was hard to imagine how she would handle the additional strain of trying to recover from her faltering start.

Every fall, I find myself in meetings like this one. Sometimes they’re with a teenage who slept through three midterms and is afraid to talk with his professors about how to set things right; sometimes with a student who is doing well academically but terrifying her parents with news that she is cutting herself or feeling suicidal. By the time they’re in my office, these adolescents are in a terrible position. If they haven’t already been sent home from college with heavy conditions for their return, they’re often calculating whether it’s better to drop out midsemester or to try to salvage some credits by taking leave at the end of the term.

When I ask about the events leading up to our meeting, I almost always get the same story: They spent their senior year of high school and usually several years before that hinting, if not sky-writing, that they weren’t ready to go to college. They were already drinking too much, missing due dates, or struggling to care for themselves in any number of ways. While I am sure there are examples out there, I have yet to see a student implode in the first year of college because of difficulties that arrived completely out of the blue.

In these meetings I can’t help but wonder, “Who thought it was a good idea to send you off to school?” But I get it, and not just the part about hindsight being 20/20. It’s not always easy to draw the line between typical teenage mistakes and a building meltdown. And most of us would choose to ride the current of sending our teenager to college over the sheer hassle of making alternate plans and the discomfort of explaining to friends that our child “just isn’t ready.”

Of course, the biggest barrier may well be the teenager’s own resistance to delaying enrollment. High school seniors who have secured and celebrated college admission are rarely eager to push the pause button. The drive for autonomy practically defines adolescence and it’s no small feat to bar that door. When offering counsel to parents in this position, I encourage them to say, “We want to support your plans, but we wouldn’t be doing our job as parents to send you away when you are showing us that you’re not ready to look after yourself.”

I’ve also offered advice on the university side of this problem while meeting with students in office hours as their psychology professor. To lend support without acting as their therapist I’ve developed an empathic, if well-worn, spiel: “There are things more important than school. Can you take some time off to address what’s making it hard for you to be here? The university isn’t going anywhere and you only get to do college once. Perhaps you could take a break and come back when you’re ready to make the most of this opportunity.”

Sitting with the young people who land in my practice, I imagine what one or two years of work or service would have done for them before heading off to college. The upsides of a gap year for all kinds of students have been documented and, to me, teenage years are like dog years: a year of maturation at age 18 is worth at least seven in later life.

Along with the benefits of a gap year we should also consider the stunning costs, both emotional and economic, of sending students to college prematurely. Taking unexpected leave from college can be humiliating and expensive. When it’s time to try again, students who transfer must disclose their dismissal or withdrawal from their first college, and they are almost certainly looking at options that would have been safety schools, at best, in their first round of applications.

Let’s not equate college admission with college readiness. The skills needed to graduate from high school and get into college have surprisingly little in common with those needed to manage, much less thrive, away from home in an undergraduate setting. There should be no shame in “taking time off.” On the contrary, we should admire the parents and teenagers who recognize that getting in isn’t the same as good to go.

Lisa Damour writes the monthly Adolescence column for the New York Times, serves as a regular contributor to CBS News, maintains a private practice, consults and speaks internationally, is a Senior Advisor to the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve University, and serves as the Executive Director of Laurel School’s Center for Research on Girls. She is also the author of two New York Times best selling books, Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood and Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls.

https://www.drlisadamour.com/    Follow her on Twitter: @LDamour.

School in the Fall of 2020: What will it look like?

As we continue to navigate the pandemic and enter into summer months, the questions and concerns regarding what the possibilities are when it comes to our students learning continue to grow. Many colleges and universities have not issued statements yet regarding their plans and protocols for the fall semesters and quarters.

This article breaks down four possible scenarios schools may implement to continue our students’ education this fall, while recognizing and respecting the gravity of the pandemic.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-05-27-what-will-schools-do-in-the-fall-here-are-4-possible-scenarios?fbclid=IwAR2fCuijbpeIG2igih-mllfnlaWlm-XKyHTjav_g8Yx3QVnF1WkjZo030Ec

At Options for College Success, we can support your student no matter the scenarios we face in the fall!

  • We offer academic, career, financial literacy, independent living skills, groups, and social events virtually!
  • We customize all services to address the unique challenges your student may face as e-learning becomes more of a standard platform!
  • All services are one-on-one (except group and social events, of course:) )!

If school is not in the picture for your student this fall, we can still support them in achieving success! We support individuals exploring gap years, volunteering, employment, and career development!

 

 

8 Tips for E-Learning Success

With corona virus related closures, more and more colleges have moved to online learning to finish up the semester. These changes have caused a huge disruption in student’s lives, and many students are not adequately prepared for the new learning format. On the plus side, e-learning offers additional flexibility in the learning environment. Here are some tips to make e-learning work for you and your learning style!

1. Create a Classroom

Set up a place devoted to studying and watching your video lectures. This can be a desk, a kitchen table, or a coffee table. Make sure it is tidy and clear of distractions before you sit down. This place will become your “virtual classroom,” so try to treat it as such! That means not “littering” by leaving garbage or dirty dishes in the space, and wiping up any dirt or germs from the space.

Desk Picture

 2. Be On Time

Make sure you turn on your computer and get the lecture up and running at least 15 minutes before the lecture is scheduled to begin. This will prevent you from “running late” if your computer unexpectedly runs updates or your internet is running slowly.
Clock

3. Stay Focused

If you find yourself getting distracted by web browsing, install a Tomato Timer! These timers allow you to block certain websites for increments of 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours. If you use Google Chrome, you can add “Pomodoro Timer” as an extension through the Chrome Web Store.

Once you’ve signed into your lecture (15 minutes early!), you can turn on your Tomato Timer to run for the same amount of time as your lecture by going into the timer settings. That way, you can automatically continue browsing when class is over!

Tomato Timer

4. Learn E-Learning Etiquette

Always make sure your camera is turned off and your microphone is muted! This is common conference call/e-lecture manners.

5. Check Your Syllabus Weekly

If you don’t have a weekly planner or a calendar to write assignment due dates down on, make sure you’re signing in to your student account at least once a week to double check the syllabus. I recommend checking it right before your class starts each week!

6. Figure Out Your Reading Style

If you prefer to do your reading on your laptop screen, do it that way! If you prefer a physical copy, feel free to print out your readings. It’s all about what works for you.

Reading

7. Take Notes

Just because your lectures are online doesn’t mean they’re not lectures! Have a notebook next to you and ready to go, just in case your professor says something you’d like to remember in the future.

Taking Notes

8. Be True to Yourself

If you know that outside noise will be distracting to you, then plug in your earbuds and listen to the lecture through them. If you know that you focus better with some white noise, boot up Spotify and put on instrumental music such as Lo-Fi Hip Hop Beats to Chill/Study To, or piano music by Chopin.

If you like fidget spinners, now’s your opportunity to use them in class! No one is around to say anything. There’s no one-size-fits-all way to learn at home. The beauty of at-home learning is that you can create the environment you’ve always wanted to learn in!

headphones

“People need to stop underestimating us”

Over the past couple of years, many stories have been published in the media about employers becoming more aware of how individuals with autism should not be overlooked in the hiring process, and any personal biases  towards individuals with autism need to be checked at the door.

This morning the Chicago Tribune published an article about a 17 year old with nonverbal autism and how he is raising awareness about not underestimating those with communication challenges.  This young man has a blog and is using this platform to create connections with others who have nonverbal autism.  This blog also opens up the eyes of those who are neuro-typical to the first hand experiences of a teenager with nonverbal autism.

Please click the link below to learn more about his story and to explore his blog!

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-teen-nonverbal-autism-spelling-blog-20200103-bhk5zwz35rbm5k4mkkwih4lxem-story.html

 

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Merging Talent with Opportunities

Autism Speaks is celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month through October, and has numerous resources and information available!  Please click on this link to read more about re-thinking employment.

https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/merging-talent-opportunities-new-thinking-about-autistic-workforce?utm_source=email&utm_medium=text-link&utm_campaign=espeaks

 

#autism  #autismspeaks #nationaldisabilityemploymentawarenessmonth  #NDEAM

#employment