Transition from school to adult life: what have we done to support students with disabilities?

<p>As a legal component of an individual's IEP, a transition plan essentially should represent and include activities to prepare individuals with disabilities for postgraduate experiences. Activities should be individualized and relevant to each individual intended post school environments. Though a legal requirement, much research reports negatively on transition planning implementation. Some negative findings listed in research are as follows: lack of collaboration among individuals involved in the transition process; lack of student involvement in planning; ineffective design of students' goals and objectives; lack of linking students with adult agency providers for post graduate support services, and overall negative post school outcomes.</p> <p>This present study used qualitative research methods to examine transition planning and outcome from the perspectives of individuals involved in the transition process. The participating individuals included 5 individuals with disabilities, 5 parents of individuals with disabilities, 5 staff members of the services agencies, 5 employers of individuals with disabilities, with a total of 25. An interview together with a survey was conducted to examine the various roles of those participants in transition planning and their views on such a process. Each interview lasted approximately 35- 45 minutes. The results showed that effective transition planning and collaboration is not occurring for most students with disabilities and their families, though there were many singular examples of positive transition planning and outcomes. The findings of this study confirmed earlier research findings that the transition process needed collaborative efforts of all individuals involved, including school personnel, businesses and agencies, together with families and the students with disabilities. Recommendations are offered based on the examples of positive transition practices and experiences from the participants.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A. in Special Education

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Services and Leadership

Year dc:date.available

2003

Author dc:creator

• Adams, Ann Theresa

Contributors dc:contributor

• Xin, Joy

• Learning disabled youth; Occupations
• Special Education and Teaching

Repository record dc:identifier

https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/1255

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:rdw.rowan.edu:etd-2255