The transition process of young people with mental handicaps from secondary to postsecondary placements or employment are discussed. Drawing from the literature and service programs in Vancouver, British Columbia, new directions and promising practices are described. (Author/DB)

The paper addresses the needs of learning disabled (LD) students making the transition to secondary schools. Ways in which learning disabilities may magnify typical adolescent concerns are noted, such as social difficulties presented by poor perceptual skills and the effects of poor self image. Recent research suggesting successful strategies for…

The supplement to a previous bibliography lists 39 references concerned with the transition of learning-disabled (LD) students from secondary to postsecondary and work settings. An introduction provides a review of current issues and identifies five assumptions in the literature: (1) the transition process does exist; (2) transition is an…

Through a review of the transition literature and a survey of 225 students about to enter middle school, the most significant anxieties identified were the following: (1) space concerns about a new and larger building, especially getting lost and being late to class; (2) contact with older and possibly rougher students; and (3) heavy homework…

This review focuses on both published and unpublished literature in the areas of education, employment, and independent living outcomes across 13 handicapping conditions.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…

This article synthesizes descriptions of and recommendations for community transition teams which assist in the transition of youth with learning or other disabilities from school to adult life. The levels, composition, and functions of transition teams are described. Community-level transition teams are shown to be critical support vehicles for…

This research review summarizes the current research literature regarding Gesell screening. It also explores the controversy over whether developmentally unready children should be held out of kindergarten, retained at the end of the kindergarten year, or placed in pre-kindergarten or pre-first grade classes. A seven-page bibliography on…

This publication provides curriculum developers with a model of a pretechnical curriculum with special emphasis on human factors at the workplace. Section 1 describes this model, the focus of which is self-empowerment, which in turn is related to an individual's mastery of three categories of interrelated skills and knowledge: generalizable,…

The objective of the Australian Commonwealth's Full Service Schools (FSS) Program has been to provide additional support to schools to develop innovative programs and arrangements that address the specific needs of students who are considered at risk of not completing Year 12 to a satisfactory level. The target group has been students primarily 16…

This paper addresses the transition of young children from preschool programs that provide special education services to kindergarten or alternative elementary school placements. The roles of the child, family, and service providers in transition preparation, planning, implementation, and evaluation are described. Components of successful…

Discusses facilitating culturally sensitive transition plans for young children transitioning to kindergarten and their families. Addresses transition roles for families and adapting transition roles for culturally diverse families. Stresses the need for transition teams to emphasize continuity, communication, collaboration, and family concerns.…

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…

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,…

To assist teachers in promoting successful transitions of preschool children with handicaps to integrated preschools or kindergartens, this article summarizes research findings on teachers' classroom organization, behavioral characteristics of most and least independent children in mainstream settings, and differences in the instructional…

This Introductory Packet provides readings and related activities on support for transitions to address barriers to student learning covering both research and best practices. It explores why transitions are dangerous opportunities that can disrupt or promote development. Key transitions and related intervention strategies are presented for…