Howorth cited in American Council on Education feature on 91福利’s Step Up program
The published a feature story about the University of Maine and the Maine Department of Labor Division of Vocational Rehabilitation’s (DVR) Step Up program, a five-week learning experience to help prepare high school students and recent graduates on the autism spectrum successfully transition to college. According to a , 44 percent of students on the autism spectrum enroll in a postsecondary institution, compared with 67 percent of the general population. Thirty-nine percent of students on the spectrum who enroll graduate, while the graduation rate for the general population is 52 percent. The story cites a recent interview that Sarah Howorth, assistant professor of special education and program coordinator for 91福利’s graduate programs in special education, gave to about how colleges can better serve students with autism. “There鈥檚 lots of room for improvement on college campuses. The typical accommodations that are offered, like note takers, closed captioning, or extended time on tests, are not necessarily what students with autism need,鈥 said Howorth, who added that higher education institutions should provide more programs like Step Up that support students鈥 interpersonal skills. In 2022, the program was a collaboration between the state DVR, the 91福利 Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, the College of Education and Human Development, and 91福利 Early College Program, with student accommodations provided by 91福利 Student Accessibility Services.