The Labyrinth Center: A program for students on the autism spectrum disorder and related disabilities
Labyrinth is designed to be a multidimensional program based upon best practices in college programs for students with Autism Spectrum Diagnosis plus students with related disabilities. Labyrinth is committed to providing consistent and comprehensive services led by experienced faculty and staff.
The IUP Labyrinth model consists of four components that provide enhanced supports to IUP students. The components include a one-credit course taken each semester, academic and life coaching, supervised study sessions, and peer and faculty mentoring. This also includes extra curricular activities outside of Labyrinth that can provide enjoyment to students.
IUP Labyrinth Components
Credit Bearing Curriculum
The curriculum is comprised of a required one-credit course taken each of the eight semesters that the Labyrinth student is enrolled at IUP. Course content will be dedicated to the skill sets necessary for building relationships, increasing independence, academic success, and professional and personal growth. This will also include some special speakers from time to time to help with a subject the coaches wanted to talk about and the speaker can help out with that.
Academic and Life Coaching
Each Labyrinth student will meet weekly with an academic and life coach. Coaching sessions will address current academic standing, course requirements, time management, residential concerns, communication issues, procedural questions, and any other related academic or social concerns.
Supervised Study Sessions
Each Labyrinth student will attend four hours of supervised study in the Labyrinth Center per week. These sessions will be supervised by coaches and staff in order to provide support related to good study habits and productive use of designated study time, with focus on current and upcoming assignments, examinations, and projects.
Peer and Faculty Mentoring
If the Labyrinth student wishes to participate, they will be assigned a trained peer mentor to facilitate social understanding on the college campus. The two students will meet for a minimum of one hour weekly. Peer mentors will be closely supervised throughout the year by Labyrinth faculty and staff. When students reach their junior year, a faculty mentor will be identified to support their career-specific needs. The peer mentor will be helping the student fill out a schedule on what assignments are happening in the following week and help them by ordering it all out for them to figure out how to tackle it.
Following acceptance to IUP, students apply to the Labyrinth program. Students are encouraged to begin the admissions process as early as possible.
For more information about this program, contact the coordinator:
Tamara Miller-Leeper
tmleeper@iup.edu
Phone: 724-357-5681
Labyrinth Center
110 Stouffer Hall
Indiana, PA 15705-1050
Phone and Fax: 724-357-3767