Emerging evidence demonstrates that integrated programs, which combine academic and socioemotional supports and bridge boundaries between academic and student affairs, can improve college success rates for low-income, first-generation college students. This article explores the organizational value of integrated transition programs across several…

A service-learning pilot project involving occupational therapy (OT) students and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is described. The purpose of this pilot project, developed using Transformative Learning Theory, was to determine if service-learning could be a viable approach to provide in-depth learning in areas…

Transition planning is conceptually and empirically linked to successful postschool outcomes for adolescents with disabilities and has been legally mandated for more than two decades. Unfortunately, young adults with high-incidence disabilities, including learning disabilities (LD), emotional disabilities (ED), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity…

This article describes the Transition Program implemented at a liberal arts college for newly enrolled students who have the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The diagnosis of ASD has risen dramatically; consequently, more students are arriving on college campuses with needs related to social pragmatic functioning. The Transition…

More than 32,000 young people in the United States exit the foster care system in a typical year by aging out to independence (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2011). Despite available financial support for post-secondary education through the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999, only 20% of college-qualified foster youth attend college and…

The transition from college to whatever lies ahead can be exciting and scary for students. How the transition experience unfolds for students will be the result of a combination of factors including individual circumstances, how the student responds to change and unknown expectations, and how well they are prepared and informed for their…

Institutions of higher education address the transition from after-college life in a variety of curricular approaches. Articulation agreements provide greater transferability of courses from one college to another, thereby easing the transition for students. Career courses, which are typically taught by career center staff, are a common offering…

The inaugural report in the National Resource Center's new research series on college transitions examines institutional initiatives designed to support students in the second college year. The authors report on findings from the second administration of the National Survey of Sophomore-Year Initiatives, describing the kinds of programs offered…

Transitioning from college can be a process in life that fills students with trepidation. They may experience feelings of uncertainty and anxiety over issues related to transferring to another college, going on to graduate school, entering military service, or moving into the world of work. Recognizing that these topics may cause distress to their…

Person-centered planning is a process that allows individuals, family members, and friends an opportunity to share information to develop a personal profile and a future vision for an individual. This article describes strategies and technology that teachers can use to promote parents' participation and facilitate communication while maintaining…

Young people with learning and behaviour disabilities often leave school without transition planning. When planning does occur, there is generally a discrepancy between the goals of students, parents, and professionals. Students requiring higher levels of support may not even be included in the planning process and transition plans are often…

According to Sears (1982), career development is "the total constellation of economic, sociological, psychological, educational, physical, and chance factors that combine to shape one's career." This definition was advanced by the Illinois Career Development Task Force that engaged in more than a year of deliberation. Career development…

Black Hawk College (BHC) is a comprehensive community college serving all or part of nine counties and a population of approximately 224,510 residents in a mostly rural area of north-west Illinois. This practice was fully developed and implemented for the Shifting Gears (SG) initiative during the 2007-08 academic years. Heeding BHC's strategic…

Students making the transition into college typically come face to face with increased independence and decreased external structure. This may be especially problematic for students with learning disabilities who may be less capable of managing in times of change than others. The outcome is often chronic procrastination, absenteeism, and…

Various forms of participation in postsecondary education by students with intellectual disabilities have received increased attention from the field of special education over the past decade. This review of literature from 2001 through 2010 builds on a similar review conducted by Neubert, Moon, Grigal and Redd (2001) to determine whether there…