Despite extensive transition provisions in the U.S. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the post-school outcomes for students with disabilities continue to be disappointing. The IDEA designated those transition provisions as priority targets for federal and state compliance monitoring to assure that schools are attaining the goal…

In the school to work transition process, school personnel collaborate with community employment and vocational rehabilitation to establish an employment plan for Individual(s) with Disabilities (IWDs). Development of the Individualized Education Transition Plan (IETP) is often haphazard and not evaluated for effectiveness, resulting in poor…

Transition services support students with disabilities in accessing post-secondary school opportunities including employment. This study used both quantitative and qualitative methods to gather data on practicing school psychologists' experiences, attitudes, and training related to the school to employment transition process. Participants'…

This study explores the perceptions of academic and labor market adaptation among graduates with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), in comparison to neurotypical counterparts. Contrary to the expected significant differences attributed to the unique challenges associated with ASD, the findings did not indicate major disparities in…

This self-study guide provides state and local education agencies and schools with a tool to assess implementation of career readiness practices across a district or secondary school and to plan improvements. It is arranged by implementation areas that have been found to be important to career readiness efforts based on a review of the literature…

Work experiences are linked to positive post-school outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities. Unfortunately, students who struggle to manage conflict and challenges in work settings have a difficult time maintaining employment. Though ecological assessments are used to create supported work plans surrounding socially inappropriate…

Over the past three decades, transition practices research has demonstrated that post-school outcomes of students with disabilities improve when educators, families, students, and community members and organizations work together to implement a broad perspective of transition planning, more appropriately referred to as transition-focused…

Nationally, the recent focus has been on adopting state-developed standards in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics that build toward college and career readiness. Of the states that have elected to adopt the Common Core State Standards (CCSS; National Governors Association, Council of Chief State School Officers, 2012), states either (a)…

Background: The current global cohort of youth has been called "a generation at-risk", marked by a dramatic rise in youth who are not in employment, education or training programmes. In 2010, youth were three times as likely as adults to be unemployed, with youth unemployment worsening in 2012 and 2013. Accordingly, there is an urgent…

Access to effective and comprehensive transition programming is pivotal to transition of youth with disabilities to work and independent living. Successful programs often blend key ingredients, including individualized educational planning, career development, work experiences in secondary school, and interagency partnerships/collaborations.…

Models of career development have been discussed as a matter of growth over the life span and in relation to social learning. An integrated approach using specified career development theories to assist young adults with disabilities will allow professionals to better understand the school-to-work transition and implement meaningful interventions.

Participants with and without specific learning disabilities (SLD) provided responses as to background and school features, postschool plans, dream career, and most likely job after completing school. Findings suggest that participant groups are similar across most background and school features, with apparent differences for grade level and…

Educating students with disabilities gained national attention in 1975 with the passage of Public Law 94-142 the Education of All Handicapped Children Act. This law provided students with disabilities with equal access to the same free and appropriate education as students without disabilities, and mandated that schools provide students with…

This research explores the mediating effects of severity of disability on the employment outcomes of participants with disabilities, taking into account their perception of interest--job match. Participants were 115 high school students with disabilities who took part in an intensive school-to-work transition program that explored occupational…

This workbook and guide offers a step-by-step procedure for establishing and implementing transition programs, for use by educators of students with intellectual handicaps in cooperation with students, parents, and related agency personnel. The guide is divided into six sections, each of which includes several workbook activities. The first…