“I Should’ve Listened!”: Lived Experiences of Postsecondary Transitions Among Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders from Non-Traditional High Schools
This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of former students with EBD who attended a non-traditional high school. Eight semi-structured individual interviews were conducted to understand how students experienced emotional and academic supports during high school and throughout the transition into adulthood. Results revealed that participants appreciated attending a non-traditional school for its school connectedness, emotional and instructional supports, and school-based counseling. Additionally, findings suggest the school did not prepare them for the transition to post-secondary life. These findings suggest that emotional and academic support for students with EBD in non-traditional high school settings positively affected students’ sense of success in high school. However, limited support during the transition to post-secondary living left students unprepared to lead productive, satisfying adult lives.
EBD, Phenomenology, Bronfenbrenner, Transition, Post-Secondary, Non-Traditional School, Counseling, Disability Studies, Other Education, Secondary Education and Teaching, Special Education and Teaching, Student Counseling and Personnel Services
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