ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 042 - WSU ROAR - Responsibility, Opportunities, Advocacy and Respect with Lisa Henniger
Lisa Henniger is joining me to talk about Washington State University's ROAR program, which supports higher education for the disabled and neurodiverse. Lisa's son Evan, who has down syndrome, has always wanted to go to WSU and follow in the footsteps of his entire family. Evan was among the WSU ROAR program's first cohort in 2018 which has been a dream-come-true.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
Can you tell us about your background and how you got involved in ROAR?
Our son Evan has down syndrome and has always wanted to go to college. We downplayed that possibility until we realized there are programs for kids with intellectual disabilities. We learned Washington State University was interested in developing a program for students with disabilities— the ROAR program, which stands for responsibility, opportunity, advocacy and respect. When we learned they were developing the program, we were really interested in it and got involved.
How does tuition work? Are there scholarship and grant options?
There are scholarships and because WSU is a financial aid approved institution and the ROAR program is approved for financial aid, there's a possibility for financial support. Students in the ROAR program aren't given credit hours, there's a problem meeting the minimum number of credits for financial aid. They're still working on how to handle that.
Was Evan one of the first students in the ROAR program?
He was among the first five students accepted for their soft opening. It was successful and there was unbelievable growth through completing the program. In the second year, the program admitted another six students and they're building towards 10-20 students per year.
What is the daily program like?
The ROAR program has a set of core classes including health education, financial literacy, job skills and preparing for the future. In addition, the program engages the student in person-centered-planning to draw out their true interests. Once they've identified a student's passions, they align WSU classes they can take for audit. Evan has a class in sports management because that's his major. He doesn't take the classes for a grade, it's pass fail, but he takes them to the best of his ability. He has class projects, group classes and takes class finals.
How much has this experience changed Evan?
Evan is far more capable than I thought. When you go through the application process, they interview the student and interview the parents separately. One of the questions for us was if we were able to let our child go, which in our case was about 350 miles from home. We wanted this so badly, we were willing to try. I didn't realize how capable Evan was of handling what life threw at him on his own. When we're around, his default is to turn to us to help, but on his own he has to handle things. The program staff are so good at realizing the potential of each student and requiring them to do things on their own. These kids have risen to the challenge. If Evan has a problem in the apartment, he calls maintenance. If his computer isn't working, he calls tech support. If he's not feeling well, he calls and schedules an appointment at the health center. I really had no idea he could do all of that and the level of independence he has is greater than I thought.
Will Evan get a proper graduation?
He will get a proper graduation, walk with the rest of the university students, will have a cap and gown and will get his certificate.
Were the teachers who are involved with driving this program special education teachers before?
The two professors who were the original founders of the program and developed the curriculum were both experienced with these programs at other institutions. They and some graduate students taught the ROAR classes. Typical students are interviewed and screened as a process of becoming peer allies for the ROAR students on campus. This provides an opportunity to socialize and gives the students someone to go to the grocery store, games and other events with. The ROAR instructors are university professors, two of which are PhD students and the other classes are taught by the regular course professors.
What are your words of wisdom for parents and caregivers when planning for their child's educational future?
Never sell your kid short. As parents, we worry about our kids— their safety, growth, their acceptance and bullying, but strongly consider options outside of your comfort zone and take a leap of faith. Find out about and consider the opportunities that exist and educate yourself on the options and resources available.
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