ICEF Monitor Interview with Rob Crawford, Life Development Institute CEO

ICEF Monitor interviewed Rob Crawford, CEO of Life Development Institute (LDI), to discuss transitional and support services for international students with disabilities. Life Development Institute provides fully accredited high school, post-secondary and summer academy programs for young adults, both national and international, who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, and other learning disabilities. LDI serves individuals that thrive in a learning environment providing holistic academic and community engagement. Additionally, LDI embeds adult content and competencies by integrating practical college strategies, refining interpersonal communication skills, determining viable career paths, and promoting social responsibility.

Around 15% of the global population, or roughly 1 billion people, live with disabilities, making them the world’s largest minority, a minority that of course includes many students. In OECD countries, the number of students with disabilities in higher education is low in proportion to their numbers in the overall population; however, this is trending upward. Such students can be reluctant to study abroad due to being worried that their particular support needs will not be met at a host institution.

There are, however, transitional and support services that can help students with disabilities succeed abroad at education facilities such as Life Development Institute. To learn more, ICEF caught up with Mr Rob Crawford, the CEO of the Life Development Institute and presented highlights of the discussion in this interview.

ICEF Monitor Interview: Rob Crawford, Life Development Institute (LDI), Part 1 of 2