“Their Senior Year”: Family and Service Provider Perspectives on the Transition from School to Adult Life for Young Adults with Disabilities

Abstract

ENABLETransition from school to adult life has recently become a significant concernfor policy makers, educators, adult service providers, and families who have a son or daughter with a severe disability. How individuals understand this transition can be an important source of informationfor efforts in this area; yet little or no specific data currently exist on how transition services are being provided and whether or not they facilitate successful outcomes for young adults with disabilities. The purpose of this research was to discover how transition from school to adult life is experienced and understood by particular young adults with disabilities, families, and serviceproviders. Qualitative methods were utilized over a 16-month period to gather and analyze data on the transition process for 11 young people with disabilities. Eight main themes emerged from the data: differing future expectations for young adults with disabilities; inconsistent implementation ofspecial education curricula and lack of inclusive educational practices; lack of transition related knowledge; hastily and poorly coordinated transition planning; a prevalence of restrictive views on employment and community living opportunities for adults with disabilities; low levels of family participation; outcomes of unemployment and isolation for most young adult participants; and significant benefits of supported employment and community inclusion. The study has implications for policy making regardingtransition, and recommended servicepractices are offered.

Hispanic Youth/Young Adults with Disabilities: Parents' Visions for the Future

“…These parents' responses parallel earlier research indicating that Hispanic families were more likely to support a family member with a disability in the family home than were non-Hispanics (Heller et al, 1994). The expectation that their adult-aged son or daughter with disabilities will remain in the family home, however, has also been expressed by non-Hispanic families in other research studies (Epps & Myers, 1989;Gallivan-Fenlon, 1994;McNair & Rusch, 1991). One explanation f or this expectation may be that parents lack information about available residential options in their communities.…”

Importance of Teacher Transition Competencies as Rated by Special Educators

“…Bull, et al, 1994;GallivanFenlon, 1994;Morgan et al, 1992) in this area. In her study of parents' and students' perceptions of transition planning, Gallivan-Fenlon (1994) reported that parents and students often felt &dquo;left in the dark&dquo; during transition planning. Although IDEA mandated parental and student involvement in the transition decision-making process and provided an avenue to facilitate involvement, little known about the extent to which parents and students are indeed actively involved in transition planning.…”

Facilitating Participation: Parents' Perceptions of Their Involvement in the IEP/Transition Planning Process

“…Studies of transition planning practices suggest that parents lack the information they need regarding the concept of transition planning and the availability of community resources (Gallivan-Fenlon, 1994). It appears that strategies are not being successfully employed to promote active parent roles in developing and implementing transition plans (Boone, 1992;McNair & Rusch, 1991), and that transition plans are not being developed based on students' individual interests, preferences, and needs (Lichtenstein, 1993;Lichtenstein & Michaelides, 1993).…”