All students go through a variety of transitions throughout their life (i.e., middle school to high school, high school to the workforce). However, students with disabilities tend to experience disparities compared to their peers without disabilities in regard to in-school and postschool outcomes. One way to enhance outcomes for students with…

Since the transition mandates were introduced, multiple models, instructional programs, and published curricula to promote student involvement have been developed and evaluated that are evidence- and research-based practices. The federally funded "National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative" (NTACT:C) has…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA; 2004) requires that special education teachers include transition in student individualized education plans (IEPs) in preparation for adulthood. The law also requires that, at a minimum, educators invite students with disabilities to attend their IEP meetings starting no later than…

Research has shown that there are consistently poor post-school outcomes for students with disabilities, especially for students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds. Therefore, it is important for educators to develop culturally responsive transition plans for youth from CLD backgrounds that address their needs.…

The United States Senate's unwillingness to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) notwithstanding, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) contains significant safeguards protecting the rights of students with disabilities, acknowledging their participation rights in decisions about their futures. In the first of…

An in-depth literature review was conducted to identify the skills, behaviors, expectations, and experiences (SBEEs) associated with employment, further education, and independent living for students with significant cognitive disabilities following high school. Analysis of 53 quantitative and qualitative studies identified 103 specific SBEEs…

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…

Background: School closures and service disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted students' postschool transitions. Students with disabilities who were also members of historically marginalized groups including immigrant students, multilingual students, students of color, and those experiencing poverty, were…

The person-centered individualized education program (IEP) transition planning has emerged as a primary indicator of quality services, and as a predictor for successful post-school outcomes for transition-age youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, these person-centered transition practices are not uniformly implemented across the…

Transition from high school to adulthood is a difficult period of life for all youth, especially those with disabilities. Research indicates students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experience difficulties in transitioning to a postschool environment. Their postschool outcomes in the areas of education, employment, and community…

Principals in the United States are responsible for creating educational environments that enable students, including those with disabilities, to achieve both academic and postschool goals. Unfortunately, many principals lack the preparation necessary to effectively lead special education programs. To support principals and ensure that students…

Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have the poorest post-high school, or postsecondary, outcomes in comparison to their peers with and without disabilities. They experience low levels of engagement or even lack of engagement in employment, education, independent living, and community activities. As a result, these outcomes place a heavier…

Purpose: The purpose of this tutorial is to provide speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with foundational information that will assist them in transition planning for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) based on a review of current literature. SLPs must be knowledgeable of transition planning in order to assist students with ASD and their…

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…

The purpose of this literature review was to examine transition related activities that are associated with securing competitive employment upon graduation from high school for transitioning youth with I/DD. Studies included in this review met the following required criteria: (a) participants were transition-aged individuals with I/DD and (b)…