1. Chapter 15 Transitioning to Adulthood
William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

2. How Do Former Special Education Students Fare as Adults?
Completing high school
Only 25% of the students with disabilities exited high school with a diploma in the school year
Employment status
The unemployment rate for young adults with disabilities is 36.5% when they have been out of school for 3-5 years
Postsecondary education
27% of young adults with disabilities enrolled in postsecondary education compared with 68% of the general population
Overall adjustment and success
37% live independently compared to 60% of the general population
4 out of 5 former special education students had still not achieved the status of independent adulthood after being out of high school for up to 5 years
William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

3. Transition Services
Transition is a process involving the coordination, delivery, and transfer of services from school to post-school agencies
Definition of Transition Services in IDEA
Outcome-oriented process based upon the student’s individual needs and preferences
Includes:
Instruction
Related services
Community experiences
Employment
Daily living opportunities
Functional vocational evaluation
William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

4. Transition Services Models
Will’s bridges model of school-to-work transition
Three levels of service:
No transition services
Time-limited transition services
Ongoing employment services
Halpern’s three-dimensional model
Three domains:
Quality of residential environment
Adequacy of social/interpersonal network
Meaningful employment
William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

5. Individualized Transition Plan
When a student reaches age 14, IDEA requires the IEP team to consider post-school goals
When a student reaches age 16, an individualized transition plan must be developed
Appropriate transition-related objectives should be selected at each age/grade level, beginning in elementary school
William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

6. Employment Preparing students for life after school
Three characteristics to good secondary programs:
Functional (vocational) skills curriculum
Integrated settings
Community-based instruction
Competitive employment
Performs work valued by an employer
Functions in an integrated setting with non-disabled coworkers
Earns at or above the minimum wage
William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

7. Employment (cont.)
Supported employment for adults with moderate and severe MR
Small business enterprise
Mobile work crew
Enclave
Individual placement
Sheltered employment
Vocational setting for adults with disabilities, offer transitional and extended employment
The problems with sheltered employment include limited opportunities for job placement and low pay
William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

8. Postsecondary Education
Postsecondary education significantly improves chances of meaningful employment
Increasingly, jobs require technical training, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills that can be attained through postsecondary education
The percentage of first-time, full-time freshman enrolled in college who indicate they have a disability is growing
Even youth with moderate and severe disabilities can participate in some aspects of college life
William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

9. Residential Alternatives
Group homes
Provide family style living for a small group of individuals
Foster homes
As part of a family unit, the adult with disabilities also has more opportunities to interact with and be accepted by the community at large
Apartment living
Three types of apartment living arrangements:
Apartment cluster
Coresidence apartment
Maximum-independence apartment
William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

10. Residential Alternatives (cont.)
Supported living
Helping people with disabilities live in the community as independently and normally as they possibly can
Institutions
Deinstitutionalization - the movement of people with MR out of large institutions and into small, community-based living environments - has been an active reality for the past 35 years
William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

11. Recreation and Leisure
Recreation and leisure activities do not come easily for many adults with disabilities
Special educators must realize the importance of including training for recreation and leisure in curricula for school- age children with disabilities
William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

12. The Ultimate Goal: A Better Quality of Life
Adults with disabilities continue to face lack of acceptance as full members of society
Misguided and limiting presumptions
Handicapism - discriminatory treatment and biased reactions toward someone with a disability - occurs on personal, professional, and societal levels
Self-advocacy
Persons with disabilities have begun to assert their legal rights challenging the view that persons with disabilities are incapable of speaking for themselves
Still a long way to go
William L. Heward Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 8e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.