Given the continuing poor post-school outcomes for students with ASD, combined with the limited number of current interventions to address the problem, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services'(OSERS) charged the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) with identifying and…

The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to summarize relevant research and Internet resources to update families, special education professionals, and researchers on what is currently known related to assistive technology and secondary transition procedures. Information is provided on the following topics: (1) assistive technology and…

This paper discusses the design of a program by the Nashville (Tennessee) Center for Independent Living (CIL) to train consumers with disabilities in employing, training, supervising, and firing personal attendants. The program, supported by the Tennessee Developmental Disabilities (DD) Planning Council, provided an opportunity for program design…

Analysis of speech samples of 40 noninstitutionalized persons (ages 20-50) with mental retardation found that speech and prosody status were not statistically associated with gender or gross level of mental retardation but were associated with estimated probability of independent living. The existence of a cognitive capacity constraint and a…

The need for transition services for students with exceptionalities is apparent and critical for their success after high school. It is essential for school professionals, parents, and students to work collaboratively and consultively to determine each student's future goals and develop an effective plan to meet those goals successively. This book…

This study, involving 118 adolescents and adults with deafness, found a high level of concurrent criterion validity for the National Independent Living Skills (NILS) Screening Instrument. The study concluded that the NILS is a valid tool for assessing independent living skills of persons age 16 and older with a hearing impairment and possible…

This review focuses on both published and unpublished literature in the areas of education, employment, and independent living outcomes across 13 handicapping conditions. Preliminary chapters describe the database system used to manage the literature identified, and discuss research methods in transition literature. Subsequent chapters then review…

Review of the medical charts of 369 adults with mental retardation found increased use of psychoactive medications with subjects 55-years old and older compared to those 20-39 years of age. The increased psychoactive use by elderly adults was associated with independent living and with psychiatric diagnosis. Neuroleptic use was increased for…

The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale was used to classify 118 hearing-impaired persons (88 percent were ages 16-21) into groups based on their ability to be trained in independent living skills. Using cluster analysis, the subjects were placed into three groups according to four domains: communication, daily living, socialization, and maladaptive…

Learning disabilities among adults are more prevalent than was once believed, although estimates of numbers are difficult to make. Problems faced by adults with LD include difficulties with academic and information processing and adult life adjustment. Many adults with LD exhibit strengths that enable them to compensate for their disabilities and…

The Transition Competence Battery for Deaf Adolescents and Young Adults (TCB) measures employment and independent living skills. The TCB was standardized on students (N from 180 to 230 for the different subtests) from both mainstreamed and residential settings. Item statistics and subtest reliabilities were adequate; evidence of construct validity…

This book chapter outlines a number of key characteristics crucial to the integrity, utility, and efficiency of a behavioral assessment instrument for community living skills of people with developmental disabilities. In addition to basic psychometric considerations, the paper suggests that the functions of a behavioral assessment instrument could…

This report used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) and the National Longitudinal Transition Survey (NLTS) to evaluate outcomes for 11 categories of students with disabilities in comparison with nondisabled students. The study focused on youth in the last years of secondary school and in the 2 years after leaving secondary…

This study of community-based instruction with 34 high school students with moderate to profound mental retardation found (1) students made significant gains in 3 of 4 independent behavior domains; and (2) amount of community-based instruction was a more powerful predictor of gains than were intelligence quotient, level of student ambulation, or…

A graduated guidance procedure was used to teach 4 boys (ages 9-14) with autism to follow photographic activity schedules to increase on-task and on-schedule behavior. Use of the schedules produced sustained engagement which generalized to a new schedule with a new sequence of photographs. Subjects were able to independently change activities in…