Prioritizing Independence: Post-Secondary

After graduating high school, most Futures students move on to the Post-Secondary program until the semester they turn 22.

Coleman Hall, a postsecondary teacher who worked at both Paly and Gunn, said the program focuses on preparing students for adult life.

“(In high school), there’s a pretty big emphasis on students going to general ed classes and joining in with their typical peers,” Hall said. “Here, it’s more individualized.”

Like Futures, the Post-Secondary Post-Secondary program focuses on functional life skills through real-world experience.

“We (practice) like shopping (or) following a visual picture list to find items in stores,” Hall said. “We do a lot of fun, exploratory outings as well, like (going) downtown.”

Hall said students also get the opportunity to spend time with Post-Secondary students from nearby cities.

“(There are) eight different post secondary programs that gather once a month and have a fun social outing,” Hall said.

Hall also said some students get full one-on-one support while others work on developing more independence.

“Some of those students take classes at Foothill College a few times a week,” Hall said. “A lot of them practice navigating the community independently, like going on the VTA. The ultimate goal is for them to be able to travel around town on their own, safely and independently.”