One Ball State Day 2026

Your donations will make a difference for the Department of Special Education! We prepare students for careers such as 

• Special educators and administrators
• Behavior analysts  
• Deaf educators
• American Sign Language /Deaf studies
• Curriculum developers 

We are proud of our students and the quality of our alumni and work to recruit students to help combat the shortage of teachers in over 70% of the school districts in Indiana.

Your donations help us support a variety of learning experiences for students beyond academics, including scholarships, involvement in student and community organizations, and research.  There are several separate funds available in our department!

You can choose to direct your gift to support programs in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism. Through  innovative, time-efficient, and cost-effective treatments that empower individuals to reach their full potential, these programs prepare future professionals while expanding access to  meaningful supports for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Your generosity strengthens initiatives such as those led by the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorder, along with other efforts dedicated to research, training, and community services in this vital field. To contribute, select Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Programs from the links below.

Students from a wide range of majors enroll in American Sign Language (ASL) courses and actively participate in our ASL Labs to deepen their learning beyond the classroom. In these immersive, hands-on environments, students strengthen receptive skills, refine fingerspelling and articulation, and build fluency with numbering systems, classifiers, and ASL grammar, all within a culturally respectful, ASL-centered space. All Deaf education teaching majors utilize this space and resources as well.

The ASL Lab provides essential opportunities for students to practice in real-time, collaborate across skill levels, and gain confidence communicating without reliance on spoken language. Your support allows us to expand lab resources, enhance technology, and sustain Deaf-led instruction that ensures authentic language exposure and meaningful engagement. 

To help students grow as skilled, culturally responsive communicators, select the ASL Lab and Outreach below to donate to support these initiatives. 

Ball State University's Camp Achieve is a six-week summer day camp designed to strengthen academic, behavioral, and social skills for children ages 6 to 12 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Camp Achieve provides a structured, supportive environment where campers build and maintain critical skills in communication, social interaction, adaptive behavior, and academic readiness while engaging in positive camp experiences. Choose Camp Achieve from the list below to help expand access and impact more families. 

We take pride in offering innovative, hands-on learning experiences that set our students apart. Through cutting-edge technologies and immersive practice, we prepare future professionals to enter the workforce with confidence and skill. The Adaptive TEACH Lab - made possible through your generous support - gives students direct experience integrating adaptive and assistive technologies into real world teaching practice. Your investment ensures this transformative space continues to grow and empower the next generation of educators. To make a lasting impact, please select the TEACH Lab option below and join us in advancing accessible, forward-thinking education.

You can also support our General Fund which helps support priorities such as:

• Purchase instructional materials 
• Support faculty research through special equipment purchases
• Support faculty professional development. 

It is with the help of your generous donations that we can continue to deliver the highest quality special education programs to our students in one of the highest-ranked education programs in the state and beyond.

Please select from the menu below where you would like your gift to benefit our students.