Exceptional students: experience college.

When 24-year-old Eileen Podolak enrolled at Florida Atlantic University in January, she took another step on a journey many people doubted she would ever complete. Eileen, who was born weighing just over two pounds at 29 weeks gestation, has severe bipolar disorder and moderate cerebral palsy.

Laura Freeman, who is bipolar and has Asperger's syndrome, was so excited about the independence she hoped to find in college that she enrolled at Austin Community College in Texas, hundreds of miles from her home in Maryland.

Sarah Fishman-Boyd, Ph.D. worried that her son, Alex, would not have a chance for a college education and independent living after he was diagnosed at age three with a moderate autistic disorder that affects his ability to communicate, understand language, and relate to others. Alex, now 20 years old, is studying vocational office skills at Austin Community College.

Fred Brinton graduated from a special needs boarding school, and his family thought that was the end of Fred's education due to his diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome. But Fred is working on an associate's degree in general studies at Community College of Denver.

Eileen, Laura, Alex, and Fred are accomplishing their education goals because they are tenacious and because they are receiving additional help, customized to help them manage the challenges brought on by their disabilities. They participate in a comprehensive post-secondary academic program for students with special needs, such as ADD/ADHD, Asperger's syndrome, autism spectrum disorders, and a wide range of varying exceptionalities. The program, called College Living Experience, or CLE, helps students improve their academic, independent living, and social skills so that they can complete college and technical programs and, ultimately, transition into independent adulthood. With campuses in Austin, Denver, and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., CLE offers access to nearly twenty community colleges, universities, and technical institutes that deliver a wide variety of certificate and degree programs. A fourth site is scheduled to open in Monterey, California in April 2007 to accept students for summer and fall programs.

CLE students live in off-campus apartments with a resident advisor, such as in a typical college dorm. They learn to handle tasks of everyday living such as grocery shopping, preparing meals, paying bills, and maintaining their apartments. They participate in daily one-on-one tutoring sessions and supervised study halls. Social interaction is just as important. Students take part in group outings for movies, bowling, and other activities that familiarize them with how to respond appropriately in social settings--even how to use public transportation.

Fred's Story

Fred Brinton is in his first year at Community College of Denver, where he is working on an associate's degree in general studies. His goal is to earn a bachelor's degree in communications.

"We knew Fred could be successful in college as long as he could get extra help. The challenge was finding a program that accepted or wanted to work with a student diagnosed with Asperger's," Fred's mother, Janet Brinton of Watermill, N.Y. said. "We looked at other colleges with learning disability programs but the colleges would say, 'You have a great kid, but we don't accept his diagnosis.'"

Laura's Story

Kay Freeman did not know how her daughter, Laura, now age 20, would finish high school. Laura, who is bipolar and has Asperger's syndrome, attended mainstream high school and was hospitalized twice during her senior year. Laura had been placed in classes with students who had emotional disorders, which left her feeling isolated and unhappy.

However, she was excited about the idea of gaining more independence and enrolled in classes at Austin Community College, hundreds of miles from her Maryland home. Laura, who now has her high school diploma, is doing well, continuing to socialize more with other students, improving her independent living skills and is very happy to be attending college.

Eileen's Story

For years, Eileen Podolak was afraid to be away from her parents and her twin sister, and she struggled in traditional academic settings. Few thought that she would ever live independently, and college seemed out of the question. However, Eileen's father, Ed Podolak, believed that Eileen, and all children with special needs, "should learn independent living skills so they won't always be tied to their parents." The challenge was to balance Eileen's desire to be with her family with her need for independence and to provide customized help to improve her math and independent living skills.

With that help and her own creativity and determination, Eileen earned an associate's degree with honors in graphic design from Broward County Community College in Florida, where she won a contest to design the school's Christmas card in 2005. Eileen's parents, Ed and Mary Lynn Podolak, are very happy with Eileen's progress and proud that their daughter is now pursuing a four-year degree at Florida Atlantic University.

Alex's Story

Alex Boyd was diagnosed at age three with a moderate autistic disorder that affects his ability to communicate, understand language, play, and relate to others. Now 20-years-old, he needs academic tutoring, independent living skills and socialization, which he is receiving while studying vocational office skills at Austin Community College. Alex has made many friends, including several higher functioning students and a girlfriend.

Alex's mother cannot believe the change in her son in just a few months. "The biggest change is how independent Alex has become," Fishman-Boyd said. Like many parents, she believes independent living skills are best taught by someone other than a parent "because we tend to jump in and do things for our children."

By Mark Claypool, President and CEO, Educational Services of America

Schools CAMPS & Residences

A Resource For Parents

College Living Experience starts with the assumptions that college is possible, degrees are attainable, and independent living is achievable. This focus means CLE students learn to work, live, accept responsibility, and live independently-the same goals all parents have for their children, regardless of their abilities.

We know that scientists are committed to seeking a treatment or a cure for autism. We also know that when children with autism receive the right kind of education in the appropriate environment, their symptoms can be reduced and, in some cases, eliminated altogether. Many children do recover from autism, and we believe that a responsive, supportive, effective education environment can increase each student's opportunity for recovery.

College Living Experience (CLE) was founded in 1989 and is a service division of Educational Services of America (ESA), a private provider of special and alternative educational programs. To learn more about College Living Experience, visit www.cleinc.net or www.esa-education.com or call College Living Experience at 800-486-5058.

Mark Claypool is founder, president, and chief executive officer of Educational Services of America (ESA). A social worker by training, Mark has more than two decades of experience in K-12, special and alternative education, learning disabilities, behavior disorders, and residential treatment programs. He began his education career by opening and managing a series of private schools that provided alternative education services. Before founding ESA, he was responsible for opening or managing 75 schools throughout the United States. Mark is committed to the idea that all children can succeed if given the right academic environment and the tools to learn. Under his leadership, ESA has grown to the largest provider of special and alternative education in the country in just seven years.