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What’s in a Name? Analysis and Reflections on Naming of Postsecondary Education Programs for Students with Intellectual Disability

What’s in a Name? Analysis and Reflections on Naming of Postsecondary Education Programs for Students with Intellectual Disability

Postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual disability have a variety of names. The name of a program sets the tone for families and students, and other stakeholders, of what to expect from that program. The authors sought to address a lack of guidance on considerations for naming a postsecondary education program for students with intellectual disability by first analyzing the names of existing programs for common words and themes. Using data from the Think College programs directory, the authors coded the words and themes in 310 program names. The authors found that acronym was the most common theme, present in 40% of all program names, and that there were some differences in the names of programs at two-year vs. four-year institutions. Based on this analysis, reflections and suggestions for future practice and research are suggested.

APA Citation: 

Papay, C., Choiseul-Praslin, B., & Weir, C. (2022). What’s in a name? Analysis and reflections on naming of postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual disability. Journal of Inclusive Postsecondary Education, 3(2), 1-13.  https://doi.org/10.13021/jipe.2021.2

Year of Publication: 
2022
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