The field of transition--and the Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT)--was built upon a foundation established by theories of career development that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s and paved the way for the work/study movement of the 1960s and the vocational and career education for students with disabilities movement that…

This chapter describes the importance of self-determination for transitions and supports for adults with disabilities. Self-determination is defined and its application to the disability context examined, followed by an overview of a multicomponent model to engage adults with disabilities to self-regulate problem solving to set and attain life and…

Special education teachers report lack of time and a shortage of appropriate curricula as reasons impeding implementation of transition education in their classrooms. However, research indicates school and postschool outcomes of students with disabilities improve significantly with transition instruction. The ME! Lessons for Teaching…

This study examined the degree to which the three of the four essential characteristics of self-determination (autonomy, self-realization, psychological empowerment) predicted quality of life-related adult outcome constructs using secondary analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). The pattern of predictive…

This study examined the degree to which the three of the four essential characteristics of self-determination (autonomy, self-realization, and psychological empowerment) predicted quality of life-related adult outcome constructs using secondary analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2. The pattern of predictive…

Positive teacher-student relationships provide adolescents with disabilities the confidence to explore new challenges in and out of the classroom. Goal-setting and self-determination skills have been consistently shown to promote healthy transition adjustment among students with disabilities. Despite the growing awareness of the importance of…

This theoretical paper comprised the development of a conceptual framework for blending academic and transition content to help members of the special education field meet both the academic and transition needs of students with disabilities, including students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The current conceptual framework…

The use of peer support arrangements can be an effective strategy to improve educational services for students with disabilities, including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). When developing peer support arrangements, secondary teachers should consider aligning these services with evidence-based predictors of positive postschool outcomes…

This study examined, using data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2, the impact of constructs associated with self-determination (i.e., autonomy, self-realization, and psychological empowerment measured while youth were in secondary school) on postschool--(a) employment and payment/benefits, (b) education, (c) independent living, and…

This study conducted a secondary analysis using data from the "National Longitudinal Transition Study-2" (NLTS-2) to examine the degree to which three of the four essential characteristics of self-determination (autonomy, psychological empowerment, and self-realization) predict enrollment in, and completion of, postsecondary education…

Post-school outcomes are poor for youth with disabilities, in general, but even more discouraging for certain subpopulations of individuals with disabilities, particularly those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds. The authors discuss structural inequalities in public schools which potentially contribute to the poorer…

This dissertation is an exploratory study on self-determination in students with disabilities in a postsecondary environment. Two questions were asked on self-determination levels in higher education students with disabilities and vital self-advocacy skills in higher education. A survey with closed-ended and open-ended questions was administered…

Students with disabilities, especially those with non-apparent conditions, are entering universities in growing numbers. Yet more and more students are going off to college unprepared to manage their disabilities, in part because their high schools are overburdened, understaffed, and uninformed to identify and support them. A recent survey of…

This article discusses the importance of the professional school counselors' participation in the development of self-determination skills students with disabilities need to transition from high school to college. An intervention is proposed to guide high school counselors' involvement. Strategies to promote college readiness through the…

This study, by Emma Corrigan of the Plymouth Excellence Cluster and Community Psychology Service, explores the use of person centred planning (PCP) in supporting young people who have experienced school exclusion, in their transition and re-integration to mainstream settings. Young people of different ages participated in the PCP process and…