Predictors of Inclusive Course Enrollments in Higher Education by Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Higher education programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) offer opportunities to engage in college experiences including access to typical college courses. The purpose of the present study was to examine data from federally funded programs in order to describe and identify predictors of inclusive course enrollments. Data on 672 first-year students with IDD who enrolled in 3,233 inclusive college courses were analyzed. Significant predictors were the age of the student, whether the student attended a program that offered access to regular student advising or provided an official transcript, whether the student took any specialized courses, and whether the student had a paid job or participated in particular career development experiences. Implications for higher education programs are discussed.