Parent perceptions of a postsecondary education programme for adults with Down syndrome

This article reports on the perceptions of parents about a postsecondary education (PSE) literacy programme offered through Down Syndrome Ireland in Ireland and conducted at their member branches. Data were collected from 11 focus groups, representing 87 families of an adult with Down syndrome (DS), attending the programme at the time of the study. Three themes emerged from the analysis of the collected focus group data. These were the continuing development and learning of literacy and communication skills; the motivation to learn and be engaged with learning; and emerging new identities and independence. Parents highlighted the capabilities they witnessed their adult student developing when participating in the PSE programme, and how these were enabling them to be more engaged in an ordinary lifestyle, where they could actively participate in their community, and make their own choices. Parents focused on the essential need for post-school education and its value for their adults, identifying how they and their children’s perspectives and skills had been enhanced.