College Living Experience

College Living Experience Accepting Enrollment for 2007-08 Academic Year

(Monterey, Calif.) May 15, 2007 – A program to help students with autism and other special needs attend college is opening in Monterey, Calif., and is accepting applications for the 2007-2008 academic year.

College Living Experience (CLE) provides intensive assistance with academic, independent living and social skills to college students with special needs such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Asperger’s Syndrome, non-verbal learning disorders and other learning disabilities as they attend college. CLE already operates programs in Austin, Texas, Denver and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and is opening programs in suburban Chicago and suburban Washington, D.C., this summer. Students from around the country can enroll at the location of their choice.

Students enrolled in the program in Monterey may attend either Monterey Peninsula College or California State University at Monterey Bay. Students will live in apartments near the CLE office and student center, which are located at 787 Munras Avenue in Monterey. CLE professional staff members work closely with students to provide structured tutoring sessions, independent living skills training and social outings. In addition, CLE will assist students who are accepted at any nearby college, university, technical or vocational school.

CLE provides intensive support in three primary areas to complement a student’s higher-education goals:

Academics: Students attend three 50-minute tutoring sessions conducted by professional tutors. They also attend a weekly course review and study-hall sessions three or four times a week.

Independent living: CLE staff work individually with students to introduce apartment living and provide support for the development of life skills. Students receive assistance with establishing and maintaining a checking account, paying monthly bills, shopping, preparing meals, cleaning and managing other daily-living necessities.

Social skills: All students enrolled in CLE are paired with a mentor who takes on the role of a big brother or big sister. Students also have the chance to participate in social-skills groups that gather around specific activities, such as bowling or movies. CLE also offers a variety of events each week, such as attending art openings, a local festival or a fishing outing.

“The greatest fear of parents of exceptional children is, ‘What will happen to my child when I’m gone?,’” Mark Claypool, president and CEO of ESA, said. “Many parents never consider college as an option and they worry their children will not be prepared for independent adulthood. With the support and services of CLE, exceptional students can attend college, earn degrees and achieve the academic and social skills they need to live independently.”

Wendy Byrnes Named Outreach Coordinator
Wendy Byrnes will serve CLE Monterey as Outreach Coordinator. She will act as a liaison to parent advocacy groups as well as state, regional and national organizations relevant to education of exceptional students. Byrnes has worked in special education advocacy since 1997 at two California Parent Training and Information Centers. She is the winner of the inaugural award for Exceptional Advocacy by the national organization of The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) and is also the parent of a teenager with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

CLE is a division of Educational Services of America, the nation’s leading national provider of special, alternative and post-secondary educational programs.

“By offering daily tutoring, independent living assistance, social events and access to a staff psychologist, we make sure all the needs of our students are met,” Steven Roth, Ed.D., executive director of CLE, said. “We focus on students’ needs so they can focus on their dreams.”

For more information on CLE, visit www.cleinc.net or contact Patricia Giner, national director of admissions, at 800-486-5058.

About Educational Services of America
Educational Services of America is the nation’s leading provider of K-12 and post-secondary alternative and special education programs. Based in Nashville, Tenn., ESA owns and operates more than 120 schools and programs in numerous states throughout the country. ESA provides highly personalized academic and behavioral services for students through the following branded areas: College Living Experience, College Living Prep, ESA Exceptional Schools, Ombudsman Educational Services and Spectrum Center Schools. For more information, visit
www.esa-education.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Cate Lewandowski
Lovell Communications Inc.
(615) 297-7766
cate@lovell.com