This article synthesizes policy and intervention options for youth with disabilities based on recent reports from the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy. To frame findings from both reports, we utilize a life course approach. This approach is important as…

Educational and vocational rehabilitation programs both have key roles and responsibilities in improving post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. Both entities must be involved in creating opportunities for students to develop skills and knowledge to prepare for careers in the 21st Century. To help facilitate understanding and promote…

Youth with disabilities face difficulties resulting from attitudinal, environmental, and organizational barriers not only in initially accessing and entering school (World Health Organization [WHO], 2011), but also as they transition from school age youth to working adults. With a focus on facilitating a better understanding of the issues,…

While conversations around the inclusion of individuals with disabilities often focus on the educational rights and needs of children with disabilities during their school years, there is a growing recognition that the period of transition from secondary school to adult roles is a critical time in the lives of individuals with disabilities. For…

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) administers programs that assist in educating children and youth with disabilities and provides funding for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services for youth and adults with disabilities. OSERS established the Transition Steering Committee to focus specifically on the services,…

What happens to youth in foster care when they turn 18? Many face unprecedented challenges like homelessness, lack of financial resources, difficulty accessing educational opportunities, and unemployment. In this issue brief, The American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) document these challenges and opportunities in three distinct yet overlapping areas…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates the implementation of a behavior intervention plan based on a functional behavioral assessment when a student's behavior necessitates disciplinary actions. However, IDEA does not provide any clear guidelines as to what the plans should contain nor how they can address behaviors that…

The amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) in 2004 reiterate the significance of producing real postsecondary education, employment, and independent living outcomes. However, current employment data continue to show widespread unemployment and very limited access to inclusive community environments and…

The transition of children between the two programs of Public Law 99-457, serving children aged birth through two and age three through five, can impact on state administration and local agency administration of the programs. Recommendations are provided for facilitating the family's and child's transition and ensuring continuity in services.…

The Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program provides the states and territories with funds to serve homeless individuals who are seriously mentally ill or dually diagnosed with serious mental illness and substance abuse disorders. As part of the mandate of the authorizing legislation, the General Accounting Office…

This paper examines transition from school to post-school activities for students with chronic illness and disabilities, with reference to: four legislative acts that impact transition services, seven legislated implementation mechanisms, seven outcomes areas, and a social system for evaluating services to transitioning youth. Transition…

This hearing, held in conjunction with the reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, examined: (1) rehabilitation services for traditionally underserved groups, particularly persons from the Native American population and Hispanic communities; (2) issues concerning transition from school to work, community job development, and the impact…

Six papers address issues in the transition of students with disabilities into the adult world of work. The first paper by Richard Ashcroft and titled "Attachment and Transition for Troubled Youth," reviews the literature on attachment, transition, social skills, and troubled youth and school, and offers a transition strategy which…

This report covers the major issues that states will face during the implementation of the Family Support Act (FSA) and outlines the relevant FSA provisions. Additionally, the experiences of states that have implemented work-welfare programs with child care provisions are discussed. A general introduction and an overview of the FSA precede the…

This paper provides a synopsis of issues and recommendations regarding school reform, based on discussions held at the 1990 Forum on Emerging Trends in Special Education and Implications for Training Personnel. The paper calls for schools to adopt a collaborative model that infuses special education policies and practices into general education.…