© 2013, 2009, 2006, 2003, 2000 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. William L. Heward Exceptional Children An Introduction to Special Education.

© 2013, 2009, 2006, 2003, 2000Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

William L. Heward

Exceptional ChildrenAn Introduction to Special Education

Tenth Edition

Chapter 15

Transitioning to Adulthood

Focus QuestionsWhy should postschool outcomes drive educational programming for secondary students with disabilities?

What key factors influence the success of an individualized transition plan?

How can teachers of elementary students with disabilities help them prepare for successful life as adults?

Why is self-determination so important to students with disabilities success in postsecondary education?

How do the philosophy and principles of supported living differ from traditional residential placement services?

How can teachers help school-age children with disabilities achieve satisfying recreation and leisure as adults?

Is quality of life for adults with disabilities the ultimate outcome measure for special education? Why or why not?

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How Do Former Special Education Students Fare as Adults?

Results of the National Longitudinal Transition Studies 2

Completing high school

• In 2000-2001, 72% of students with disabilities graduated from high school with either a regular diploma or a certificate of completion

Employment status

• The unemployment rate for young adults with disabilities is 57% when they have been out of school during the first 4 years

Postsecondary education

• 45% of youth with disabilities enrolled in postsecondary education compared with 41% of youth without disabilities

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How Do Former Special Education Students Fare as Adults? (cont.)

Results of the National Longitudinal Transition Studies 2

Community Involvement

•49% of young adults participated in some type community social activities outside of work or school in the preceding year

•28% of out of high school youth had been arrested at some time, compared to 12% of youth in the general population

•Only 60% of youth with disabilities ages 15-19 reported that they thought of themselves as able to handle challenges or feeling useful and important

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Transition Services Models

Will’s bridges model of school-to-work transition

• Three levels of service:– Generic– Time-limited transition services– Ongoing support

Halpern’s three-dimensional model

• Three domains:– Quality of residential environment– Adequacy of social/interpersonal network– Meaningful employment

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IDEA and Transition ServicesTransition is a process involving the coordination, delivery, and transfer of services from school to post-school agencies

Definition of Transition Services in IDEA

Results-oriented process based upon the student’s individual needs and preferences to facilitate movement to post-school activities

Includes:○ Postsecondary education○ Vocational education○ Integrated employment○ Continuing and adult education○ Adult services○ Independent living○ Community participation

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Individualized Transition Plan

An ITP details the curricular programming and other supports that will prepare the student for a smooth and successful transition to adult lifeoWhen a student reaches age 16, IDEA requires the IEP team

to begin transition planningoAnnual review and updateoAppropriate measurable postsecondary goals based on age-

appropriate transition assessmentso The transition services needed to assist the child in reaching

those goalsoBeginning not later than 1 year before the child reaches the

age of majority, a statement that the child has been informed of the child’s rights that will transfer to the child at the age of majority

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Individualized Transition Plan (cont.)

Age-appropriate Transition AssessmentIncludes a combination of formal and informal assessment methods

Measurable Postsecondary GoalsThose goals that a child hopes to achieve after leaving secondary school

Transition ServicesA coordinated set of transition related instructional strategies and activities

Annual IEP GoalsSimultaneously teach academic and transition related skills

Coordinate Transition Services with Adult Agencies

Involve interdisciplinary teaming and interagency collaboration

Summary of PerformanceAcademic achievement, functional performance, and recommendation for continued progress

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Employment

Work is defined as using one’s physical and/or mental energies to accomplish something productive

For most adults with disabilities, obtaining and holding a job is a major life challenge and goal

Begin career education early• Elementary students-sample different types of classroom responsibilities

• Middle school students-spend time at actual community job sites

• High school students-develop and operate a school-based business enterprise

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Employment (cont.)Competitive employment

○ Performs work valued by an employer○ Functions in an integrated setting with coworkers

without disabilities○ Earns at or above the minimum wage

Key characteristics of school program that increase likelihood of successful employment outcomes

○ Stress functional skills ○ Receive ample opportunities to learn social and

interpersonal skills○ Begin community-based work experiences as early as

ages 10-13 for students with severe disabilities

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Employment (cont.)Supported employment is defined asoCompetitive employment in an integrated setting with

ongoing support services for individuals with the most severe disabilities

Four models of supported employment○ Small business enterprise ○ Mobile work crew○ Enclave (or clustered placement)○ Individual placement

Employment SpecialistoNatural supportsoNatural cues and self-management

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Employment (cont.)

Sheltered employment

• Refers to work by people with disabilities at an accredited occupationally-oriented facility which employs people with disabilities

• Most common vocational setting for adults with severe disabilities, offer transitional and extended employment

• Sheltered workshops provide ○ Evaluation and training for community-based employment○ Extended or long-term employment○ Work activities

– The problems with sheltered employment include limited opportunities for job placement and low pay

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Postsecondary EducationPostsecondary 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 freshmen enrolled in college who indicate they have a disability is growing

Participation in the labor force rises to 50.3% for individuals with disabilities who obtain a 4 year degree

Even youths with significant disabilities (e.g., intellectual disabilities, autism, or multiple disabilities) can participate in some aspects of college life

The success of students with disabilities as measured by graduation is well below that of students without disabilities

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Residential Alternatives

Apartment living• Apartment cluster• Co-residence apartment• Maximum-independence apartment

Foster homes• Provide temporary residential services also has more

opportunities to interact with and be accepted by the community at large

Group homes

•Provide family style living for a small group of individuals

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Residential Alternatives (cont.)

Supported living•Helping people with disabilities live in the community as independently and normally as possibly

Institutions•Criticized in the 1960s and 1970s for their inability to provide individualized services in a comfortable, humane, and normalized environment

•Deinstitutionalization - the movement of people with disabilities out of large institutions and into small, community-based living environments - has been an active reality for the past 40 years

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Recreation and Leisure

Recreation and leisure activities do not come easily for many adults with disabilities

Challenges to the use of community recreational resources include

o Transportationo Physical ability or skills to play the gameo Other willing and able friends with whom to play

Special educators must realize the importance of including training for recreation and leisure in curricula for school-age children with disabilities

Learning appropriate recreation and leisure skills is particularly important for adults with severe disabilities

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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 and self-determination

•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

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