Community Colleges and Individuals with Emotional Disorders

Abstract

Many children with emotional disorders continue to experience interpersonal difficulties when they become adults. Emotional and behavioral problems result in low levels of participation in postsecondary education, suppressed achievement, and eventual underemployment. To determine how postsecondary educational programs accommodate the needs of individuals with emotional disorders, 200 community colleges were surveyed. From the 137 surveys returned, it was determined that individuals with emotional disorders have been identified on most campuses (77.4%). In addition, 83% of the respondent colleges provide services for students with emotional disorders. The large majority of respondents reported a desire to serve adults with emotional disorders but funding limitations and priority conflicts place restraints on service expansion.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bernard

M. L.

, & Bernard

J. L.

(1980). Institutional responses to the suicidal student: Ethical and legal considerations. Journal of College Student Personnel, 21, 109–113.

Caparosa

(1986). Community colleges, a resource for postsecondary opportunities for the handicapped. Washington, DC: Higher Education and the Handicapped, Resource Center of the American Council on Education.

Davie

A. R.

(Ed.). (1987). Resource directory. Washington, DC: Higher Education and the Handicapped, Resource Center of the American Council on Education.

Doe v. New York University, 666 F. 2d 761 (2nd Cir. 1981).

Faretra

(1981). A profile of aggression from adolescence to adulthood. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 51, 439–453.

Gajar

A. H.

, Murphy

, & Hunt

(1982). University program for learning disabled students. Reading Improvement, 19, 282–288.

Gehring

D. D.

(1983). The dismissal of students with severe emotional problems: An administrative decision model. NASPA Journal, 20(3), 9–14.

Hippolitus

(1987). College freshmen with disabilities: Preparing for employment. Washington, DC: Higher Education and the Handicapped, Resource Center of the American Council on Education.

Knowles

B. S.

, & Knowles

P. S.

(1983). Model for identifying learning disabilities in college bound students. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 16, 39–42.

10.

McAfee

J. K.

, & Scheeler

M. C.

(1987). Accommodation of adults who are mentally retarded in community colleges: A national study. Education and Training in Mental Retardation, 22, 262–267.

11.

Mick

L. B.

(1985). Connecting links between secondary and postsecondary programs for learning disabled persons. Journal of College Student Personnel, 26, 463–465.

12.

Pavela

(1985). The dismissal of students with mental disorders. Asheville, NC: College Administration Publications.

13.

Phillips

(1978). The turned off revisited. Today's Education, 67, 88–91.

14.

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 45 C.F.R. 84.3(k), 1983.

15.

Robins

L. N.

(1966). Deviant children grown up. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins.

16.

Robins

L. N.

(1979). Follow-up studies. In Quay

H. C.

, & Werry

J. S.

(Eds.), Psychopathological disorders of childhood (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley & Sons.

17.

Shore

M. F.

, & Massimo

J. L.

(1979). Fifteen years after treatment: A follow-up study of comprehensive vocationally oriented psychotherapy. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 49, 240–245.

18.

Steele

B. H.

, Johnson

H. D.

, & Rickard

S. T.

(1984). Managing the judicial function in student affairs. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25, 337–342.

19.

Waters

O. S.

(1970). Prevalence of diagnosed emotional disorders in university students. Journal of the American College Health Association, 18, 204–209.

20.

Weiss

(1983). Long-term outcomes: Findings, concepts, and practical implications. In Rutter

(Ed.), Developmental Neuropsychiatry. New York: Guilford.