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Courses at FCC can fill gaps for students with mental disabilities

Frederick News-Post - 12/12/2018

Dec. 12--The time after a student with mental disabilities leaves the public school system can be challenging for the student and their family. Support stops after age 21, and while their peers might begin careers or head to college, students with more severe disabilities can feel left behind.

A new program at Frederick Community College, called Thrive, aims to provide adult students of any age an opportunity to take courses on campus. The program mimics a well-established Montgomery College program.

Kim Anderson's son is 25 years old and has a disability. She's seen firsthand how limited other support programs in Frederick County can be for adults with disabilities who have recently completed high school.

But two years ago, she enrolled her son at FCC. A prior art teacher herself, Anderson became an instructor for the Thrive program, teaching art and seeing the positive results in her own son and his fellow students.

"Often, that group has trouble with expressing themselves," Anderson said. "Either they physically can't talk or have a hard time getting out or recognizing how they're feeling. Art is a great way to lead them into that."

Anderson involved her son in other organizations such as the Arc of Frederick County and the Way Station, which provide activities and service coordination to people with disabilities. FCC's program, she said, brings something different to the table, because students get the experience of a college campus and are encouraged to explore new subjects.

"What I like about the FCC program is they are there with their peers at a higher educational facility," she said. "It just puts you in the right frame of mind for learning and creates a sense of pride at going to college, a sense of accomplishment, rather than just a workshop somewhere."

Instructing students with disabilities takes a lot of patience, said Rick Nalley, founder of the Montgomery and Frederick programs. But he approaches each student as he would anyone else, and hopes the programs will fill the gap in care after high school.

"Once they leave public schools, the level of support is poor," Nalley said. "This program was a dream of mine. These folks belong in their communities, working, taking classes, and that should be available to them."

Many students in the course struggle with small motor skills, and some bring an aide with them. The course is offered to students with mild to severe disabilities, and all adult students are invited to enroll. FCC Youth Program Manager Karen Freeman said she uses feedback to create new courses each semester.

Some of the new offerings for spring include a self-esteem course and a course that helps prepare students to have and obtain a job. Courses are offered for fees ranging from $59 to $169, and registration is open through January.

"It's been a learning process over the last two years. When we started, we thought it would be young people," Freeman said.

While many students are recently out of high school, the need in the community extends to people of all ages, with some enrolled students who are about 50 years old.

"Unlike another program, each class has a particular goal, something new students can learn," Freeman said.

Hali Gagne, a 22-year-old student, said she began taking classes through the FCC program after graduating from Frederick High School in 2016. She particularly likes the art classes -- she's taken the same one about five times, she said -- and practicing her animal drawings.

"I like to socialize and learn new things," Gagne said. "I did art at home, too. I do watercolor there. We use acrylic in class, and it's calming for me."

She was used to taking similar art classes at her high school, she said, and she is glad to continue.

While working with the students hopefully made some impact on their lives, Anderson said working with students through art instruction changed her perspective, too.

"Overall, I felt they gave me so much," Anderson said. "They come in smiling every week, are so eager to learn and to do well. With some of the issues they have, they face life with a smile -- and that is incredible."

Follow Emma Kerr on Twitter:

@emmarkerr.

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(c)2018 The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.)

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