“It Would Be Nice If”: Analysis of Transition Experiences Through Grand Challenges

Abstract

The adult outcomes of youth with disabilities continue to lag behind those of their peers without disabilities, especially for youth living in rural communities. Interdisciplinary teaming is identified as an important component of effective transition planning. Transition planning and collaborative teaming are challenged further in rural communities due to lack of resources, distances between services and providers, and access for youth and their families. Social workers, given their multisystem perspective on aligning youth and family needs with resources, may be well poised, though currently underutilized, to address the challenges of transition in rural contexts. Through the transition experiences of 20 families and young adults with high need disabilities from a rural southern state, this study analyzes the potential alignment between the tenants of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for transition and the priorities of social work described in the Grand Challenges. Implications for practice and policy for special education transition planning in rural communities are offered.

Supporting Positive Post-School Outcomes for Students With Disabilities in Rural Locations

“…In addition, policy innovations focused on transition planning and practices could improve the quality of transition services that students with disabilities receive and ultimately lead to improved post-school outcomes. State or federally funded model demonstration projects investigating new approaches to coordinated transition service delivery in rural areas could help schools and VR agencies better meet the requirements of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA, 2014) by better leveraging limited resources and supporting the development of interdisciplinary transition teams that include school social workers and related service providers (Kucharczyk et al, 2021). Providing federal funding for district-level transition specialists and beginning transition activities in middle school could give rural schools additional time and resources needed to develop and deliver high-quality transition programming for students with disabilities (Burke & Sandman, 2015).…”

“…Support for employers considering hiring an individual with a disability (e.g., understanding of reasonable accommodations, disability awareness) may also be limited in rural communities (Adams et al, 2019). Family and employer concerns related to health and safety may also present barriers to employment for individuals with disabilities (Kucharczyk et al, 2021).…”