How much participation is there in postsecondary education of students with disabilities by specific disabilities? Why is it that most of the information on transition to postsecondary education relates to students with learning disabilities? Is the community college a viable transition outcome for individual with disabilities, especially those with mild mental retardation? What advantages does this setting provide for these students that they cannot find in a large 4-year university? What skills do these students need in order to be successful in postsecondary education programs?
I’ve never heard of a person with mild mental retardation being able to do college work. If a community college has an adult education program (as contrasted with a college program) for people with disabilities, that might be helpful, but I’ve never heard of a mildly mentally retarded person being capable of understanding college level work, whether in a community college or in a four year school.
A person with a learning disability is a person with at least average intellectual ability. A mildly mentally retarded person is a person who is intellectually impaired. That is what mental retardation means. College requires an ability to understand literature, history, mathematics, science, etc. on a level above what would be expected in a regular high school education. If a person is capable of learning at this level, he or she would not be mildly mentally retarded.