This comprehensive professional handbook will help transition specialists, general and special educators, school psychologists, and administrators support youth and young adults in setting goals and achieving positive outcomes across employment, education, and community settings. Through up-to-date research and in-depth analyses of five successful…

"Alabama Education News" is published monthly except for June, July, and December by the Alabama Department of Education. This publication, authorized by Section 16-2-4 of the "Code of Alabama", as recompiled in 1975, is a public service of the Alabama Department of Education designed to inform citizens and educators about…

This annotated bibliography and resource guide is intended to familiarize administrators, educators, service providers, parents, and others with resources and services available to assist in the transition of students with disabilities into postsecondary education and the world of work. The first part lists 236 references published from 1985…

Employment is one of the biggest contributors to quality of life for people with disabilities--and that means well-planned work experiences should be an integral part of transition preparation for every secondary and postsecondary school aged youth. Make that happen with this practical guide, developed to help educators, transition specialists,…

The article describes a process for use in high-school transition programs to promote student independence within the context of vocational training. Strategies described include: evaluating student independence in community-based settings, teaching student adaptability, and transferring control of student independence to work-related stimuli. A…

Intended to assist special educators as they help students in the transition from school to work, this article describes vocational education and vocational rehabilitation programs. Issues discussed include the referral process, eligibility, range of services and curricula available, preparation of students for entry into vocational education and…

This booklet is for young people with handicaps who are getting ready to graduate from high school and begin working and living in the adult world, with special focus on individuals with cultural differences. The booklet provides advice on completing preliminary, essential tasks of adult living. It also explains the services of various agencies…

This Spanish version of "How to Work and Live in the Real World: Basic Steps for Youth with Handicaps and Their Parents and Teachers" is for young people with handicaps who are getting ready to graduate from high school and begin working and living in the adult world. The booklet places a special focus on individuals with cultural…

Guidelines for helping special educators contribute to transition planning for students with disabilities include understanding the legislative mandate, identifying relevant persons and resources at the school district level, investigating alternative approaches to transition planning, promoting family participation, using various assessment…

A blind individual offers career education guidelines concerning helping blind children make realistic vocational choices, providing job awareness, setting up work-experience programs, and developing special job-seeking skills. (DB)

This brief report applies research on self-determination to suggestions for helping students with disabilities make a successful transition from school to adult life. First, it defines the concept of self-determination and considers how self-determination is learned. It summarizes research supporting the view that self-determination in high school…

This guide for parents of individuals with intellectual disabilities emphasizes the need for a transition plan as a crucial stage in continuous service delivery for on-going supports and for fostering the individual's successful participation in the community. The guide contains three main headings. Under the first of these, "What Is…

These six fact sheets are designed to communicate strategies for serving all youth, especially youth with disabilities, in school to work programs: (1) "Overview of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act" briefly describes this 1994 federal law and the three components of school-to-work programs: school-based learning, work-based learning,…

This curriculum kit contains a teacher manual, five student workbooks, a program guide, informational brochures, and a videotape recording, designed to teach high school students with and without disabilities how to begin planning for their lives after they leave school. NEXT S.T.E.P. (Student Transition and Educational Planning) is intended to…

Transition planning for young people with special educational needs is a crucial but often overlooked element of social inclusion. While there is now considerable official guidance on how to manage the school leaving process for young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, little is known about how to make effective transitions…