Recently, the University of California, Davis MIND Institute was awarded a $2.1 million grant with the sole purpose of creating a four-year college program for individuals with intellectual disabilities, including those with Fragile-X Syndrome.
Students in this program will be able to live on campus, attend classes, and even have opportunities for internship placement. Possible internships include working within UC Davis Health, having a role on campus, or being in legislative offices at California’s state capitol. Transitioning into adulthood, completing schoolwork, and finding a career path all pose great challenges to those with Fragile-X syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder; UC Davis is the first institute that is actively looking to provide support to these individuals throughout these processes and aims to assist individuals both academically and socially. Although this program is intended to benefit those with intellectual disabilities, the director of the MIND Institute, Leonard Abbeduto, PhD, hopes to see the benefits spill over into the general public. His goal is to “encourage diversity in all of its forms,” as he sees great value in being able to understand the world from everyone else’s perspective. As the world tunes in and begins to take a true interest in being open minded and kind, we are seeing more and more acceptance and commitment to helping those with disabilities reach their fullest potential. What UC Davis is doing is just the start and as more and more universities and individuals realize the importance of making such a commitment, the world seems to be getting a little brighter. The first group of 12 Supported Education to Elevate Diversity (SEED) scholars is set to begin classes in Fall of 2021. The grant will cover at least five years of this program with the hope that it will continue to grow across other colleges and universities.