As children become teenagers and move into early adulthood, there are many transitions they face. For young people with disabilities, this is no different except that there are invariably additional complex challenges that must be overcome. Evidence-based research is the foundation for best transition practices, but too many studies seem abstract,…

Since the transition movement in the 1980s, numerous transition practices have been developed. Kohler (1993) provided a comprehensive review and analysis of transition best practices and divided them into substantiated and implied practices based on the existence of empirical evidence. Since that review was published, the field of transition has…

The survey of 107 researchers, program developers, and state directors of special education attempted to identify research questions generally agreed upon as important. Questions concerning social skills and families were most highly rated. Questions submitted by respondents tended to be about transition model program research, program evaluation,…

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process by which people develop the skills to recognize and manage emotions, form positive relationships, solve problems that arise, motivate themselves to accomplish a goal, make responsible decisions, and avoid risky behavior. The Collaborative for Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), at the University of…

While visiting school-to-work sites, the author observed numerous programs that teach students the "new basics" or "basics-plus" skills needed for success in today's economy. These skills include an ability to use technology, communicate ideas and information orally and in writing, work in groups, solve knotty problems,…

A model is presented for the school-to-community transition of disabled students. The model emphasizes occupation, residential adjustment, and existence of desirable social and interpersonal networks. Problems in these three areas are documented, and development of the Oregon Transition Team Model to improve patterns of service and care is…

The article reviews studies on vocational adjustment of the learning disabled as well as current practices and concludes that secondary programs should provide six types of vocationally relevant activities including: occupational awareness/exploration, vocational assessment, instruction in job-related academic skills, instruction in job-related…

A survey of 76 secondary transition teachers resulted in the validation of eighth support strategies: (1) identify and provide social support; (2) identify environmental support and provide environmental changes; (3) promote acceptance; (4) observe student's opportunities for choice; (5) provide choice-making opportunities; (6) identify student's…

An interview with four leaders (L. Brown, A. Halpern, S. Hasazi, and P. Wehman) on the conceptualization and implementation of transition programming for handicapped students focuses on such issues as the role of political factors, the possibility of effective school/adult service agency coordination, the importance of social skills, and emerging…

This article describes how to develop a "job club" for students with disabilities, to assist them with the transition from school to work. The ability of job clubs to teach goal setting, self-determination skills, and interpersonal competence is discussed. Step-by-step instructions are included as well as a sample meeting agenda. (CR)

Part of a series, this document reports on an effort to identify and prioritize research questions of concern to researchers in the areas of educational and rehabilitation transitional services for the handicapped. In the first study 25 research questions were identified and submitted to external review and critique. In the second study, 112…

Six papers prepared for presentations at the 10th Mary E. Switzer Memorial Seminar focus on topics related to transition from school to work and independence for disabled youth. Each paper concludes with excerpts of reviews and comments, followed by recommendations which are presented to further stimulate thinking, discussion, and action. The…

Increasing numbers of capable learning disabled students are attempting to make the difficult transition from high school to postsecondary programming. A comprehensive approach to better serve the college-bound learning disabled high school student includes early transition planning, instructional programming, social skills intervention, and…

Social interactions of 10 severely disabled junior high school students were recorded during school arrival, lunch, and vocational training. Teacher perceptions and parent attitudes were also measured. Results portray subjects as more involved in task-related than nontask interactions, interacting more with teachers than with peers, and dependent…

This digest describes the post-school outcomes of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in education, employment, and social relationships. It also presents several school-based strategies to improve the post-school outcomes for students with EBD, including: (1) social skills training that involves both direct instruction and…