For several decades, institutions of higher education (IHE) have been addressing the need for postsecondary education (PSE) for students with intellectual disabilities (ID). These efforts have increased significantly since 2008 with passage of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA). The law includes a defined set of services and activities…

Despite legal mandates and evidence of predictors of success in transition, there continue to be poor outcomes for students with disabilities as compared to students without disabilities. This article describes the first steps of a quality improvement project, including a needs assessment and description of the current constraints of transition…

Based on the increasing numbers of students with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) entering colleges and universities, many schools are at a loss for how to support students needing services outside the typical academic assistance often required by students with disabilities. The diagnostic features and psychiatric characteristics…

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, together with the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, set in motion policy changes that have allowed many thousands of children and youth with disabilities in the United States the opportunity to gain the educational and vocational skills needed to transition to living, working, and participating as…

Four articles comprise this monograph on interventions which lead to employment of youths with disabilities. Articles are based on investigations and demonstrations sponsored by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). In "Promoting Employment for Youths in Transition: Outcomes, Activities, and Indicators,"…

This article describes characteristics of adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders, transition outcomes for these students, model transition programs, and key transition service delivery components, including: intake and functional skill assessment, personal future planning, wraparound social services, competitive employment, flexible…

The document contains materials relating to the annual meeting of the project directors working with the Secondary Transition Intervention Effectiveness Institute, held December 1-2, 1988. The document includes an agenda, summaries of 10 featured project presentations, summaries of 32 poster sessions, a list of meeting participants, and a…

This paper defines outcome assessment for youth with disabilities; explores the relevance of transition outcome assessment to vocational rehabilitation; and reviews the relevance of using special education outcomes to assess skills and service needs of school exiters, to improve linkages with schools, and to improve rehabilitation programming.…

This paper presents an overview of a three-phase investigation that featured: (1) an analysis of Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services demonstration projects focused on employment; (2) consensus development with respect to specific employment-related outcomes and activities; and (3) the identification of employment-related…

This article summarizes 43 empirical studies of school-to-community transition of hearing-impaired persons with developmental disabilities; discusses data collection and interpretation issues; and recommends future research, development, and evaluation. The studies deal with such areas as career/vocational preparation, independent living skills,…

This literature review examined the current status of young adults with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) two to five years after leaving high school, in employment, residential environment, social and interpersonal networks, dependency, and learned helplessness. Suggestions for school-implemented community adjustment programs are offered. (DB)

The Competitive Employment through Vocational Experience (CETVE) Project was a 2-year, federally funded model transitional program for secondary-level handicapped students. The model involved use of competitive work experience to provide severely vocationally handicapped students with a work history prior to graduation. CETVE students were…

High school noncompletion is a complex problem that requires complex solutions that schools are often inhibited from implementing quickly. Alternative educational services are often necessary for students who are able to complete high school but who find school an unrewarding place in which to learn. A loose network of public and private programs…

This final report details the activities of a project called VECTOR (Vocational Education, Community Transition, Occupational Relations). VECTOR sought to increase the employability of severely to mildly mentally handicapped students (aged 18-21) in transition from school to work in the greater Minneapolis, Minnesota, area. VECTOR's objectives…

This guide provides information to assist in developing and monitoring programming for students with learning disabilities. It focuses on key components of programming based on research and best practices. Expected outcomes of implementing the suggested strategies are described for each key component. The guide stresses that these key components…