Transition services for students with intellectual disabilities: School psychologists’ perceptions

Abstract

For individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), transition services increase access to postschool opportunities. School psychologists should contribute to transition services but have reportedly limited involvement in this area. This study distributed a national survey (N = 176) assessing school psychologists’ current knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding transition services for students with ID. Results indicated that attitudes toward and knowledge of the ID population were significant predictors of transition task performance, and knowledge was a significant predictor of transition‐related attitudes and behaviors. The results provided preliminary evidence that increasing school psychologists’ specific knowledge of transition services and encouraging positive attitudes toward the transition needs of students with ID may increase school psychologists’ performance in transition practice. Specific recommendations are provided.

Assessing factor structure and reliability of the career adaptability scale in students with special educational needs

“…The post-school transition period for SEN students has been found to much more challenges and difficulties (e.g., lower rates of completion of post-secondary education, lower participation in communities, unemployment) compared to their typically developing peers ( Flexer, 2008 ; Sin and Yang, 2018 ; Lindsay et al, 2019 ). Identifying the population of SEN students’ features of career adaptability would be part of the prerequisites for developing effective/tailor-made career guidance and counseling to support their post-school outcomes and transition success (e.g., Test et al, 2009 ; Sprunger et al, 2018 ; Talapatra et al, 2019 ). Aside from supporting students’ regular learning activities, schools are committed to developing life-planning education, cultivating students’ career-planning and goal-setting abilities, and connecting their academic skills and interests to various career paths.…”

Let's go shopping: Virtual reality as a tier‐3 intervention for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities

“…While there are ways to measure adaptive functioning in students (e.g., Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Harrison & Oakland, 2000; Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, Sparrow & Cicchetti, 1989), there is a current lack of evidence‐based, supportive strategies to use with students with IDD, specifically those approaching adulthood and obtaining transition related services (Talapatra et al, 2019; Westwood, 2018). Adaptive skills intervention typically come from opportunities of experiential learning (Lin‐Siegler et al, 2016; Usoro, et al, 2016) and social stories or social skills intervention (Cook et al, 2015; Kleinert et al, 2015; Soderstrom & Bjork, 2015; Stanton‐Chapman & Brown, 2015).…”

Transitions in lives of people with intellectual disability

“…The focus of the existing literature on school‐linked transitions is primarily on: (i) transition assessment and planning for (and with) students with intellectual disability (Carter et al, 2014; Johnson et al, 2020; Wilczenski et al, 2017); (ii) evidence‐based (or research‐based) practices supporting students in their transition to post‐school life (Kyzar et al, 2016; Rowe et al, 2021); (iii) impact of self‐determination skills' development on successful transition to post‐school life (Shogren et al, 2018); and (iv) transitions as experienced by students/young people with severe intellectual disability (Carter et al, 2014; Jacobs et al, 2020; Johnson et al). School‐linked transitions are most frequently explored from parents' (Ellman et al, 2020; Malapela et al, 2020), teachers' (Cumming et al, 2020), school psychologists' (Talapatra et al, 2019), and other professionals' (Pallisera et al, 2014) perspectives, while studies presenting the voice of students with intellectual disability are quite limited.…”