Best practices in adult transition special education for moderate to severe students suggest student-centered planning that maximizes independence in adult life. Based on the above sources, school districts and governing boards would best serve moderate to severe transition special education students with increasing integration into the community…

In a study that examined transition services for students with disabilities aged 18-21 years in the state of Wisconsin, respondents completed and returned 231 surveys. Survey data indicated that 50% of respondents lived in rural communities. The authors analyzed data for participant perspectives on components of transition planning in the areas of…

The levels of post-school life success were examined for a group of 273 minority youth, with high incidence disabilities (HID) one to four years out of high school. In this cross-sectional study, school leavers completed a phone survey regarding their actions beyond high school related to employment, continued post-secondary education, independent…

Background: Life skills can be critical to the success of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) in terms of postschool outcomes. Yet, research suggests a decreasing emphasis on the acquisition of life skills in school for students with ID, raising the question if students then receive training in these areas after graduation. Method:…

Moving Forward Towards Independence, a California-based nonprofit organization founded in 1998 by a group of parents, is a unique residential program where young adults with disabilities learn to enjoy productive, fulfilling and healthy lives within a caring, responsive community made up of fellow residents, trained staff members, parents and…

One of the biggest fears and challenges a parent of a child with special needs faces is navigating the post-22 landscape. When a child hits the age of 22, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is no longer required to provide daily services and support. Whatever the abilities, or disabilities, of a child, every parent has the…

The following program description, literature review, and theoretical bases demonstrate the andragogical soundness of the two projects and a club of the Monterey Adult Transitions Program. The Bistro Project began as a suggestion of an Associate Superintendent, who ran a similar project in the Boston area. The Greenhouse Project began as a…

This booklet is for young people and their families, friends and supporters to read and talk about together. It is based on the stories of four young people. Big changes happened for some of them; others are still waiting for things to change. The goal of the booklet is to give students ideas about how they may want to plan or change things when…

Working at an alternative school requires the ability to balance a plethora of complicated issues. The primary focus is how to give high-risk students, who have spent years developing a suspicion for education and educators, a chance to be successful in life. The second focus, and just as important, is creating a group of educators who have the…

Purpose: To describe a standardized observation protocol to determine if nursing home (NH) staff offer choice to residents during 3 morning activities of daily living (ADL) and compare the observational data with deficiency statements cited by state survey staff. Design and Methods: Morning ADL care was observed in 20 NHs in 5 states by research…

Large-scale reviews of research in deinstitutionalization and community living were last conducted about 10 years ago. Here we surveyed research from 1997 to 2007. Articles were included if the researchers based the study on original research, provided information on the participants and methodology, compared residential arrangements for adults…

A project, which deployed key workers (KWs) to support vulnerable young people (YPs) in post-school transition, aiming to enhance independence and employability, was evaluated. KWs and client YPs were interviewed, and KWs were observed in interaction with YPs. The clients interviewed were generally very positive about the project. Most KWs…

Though research exists related to effective services in inclusive general education settings for students with significant disabilities, there are no longitudinal investigations of adult outcomes for persons with significant disabilities who received services in inclusive general education settings. This study uses qualitative methods to describe…

Differences between 70 adults with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability and 70 age-matched adults with Down syndrome were examined on variables indicative of independence in adult life. Adults with autism spectrum disorder had less residential independence and social contact with friends, had more limited functional abilities and…

The purpose of this study is to confirm the working hypothesis on two major models of functioning decline and two corresponding models of rehabilitation program in an older population through detailed interviews with the persons who have functioning declines and on-the-spot observations of key activities on home visits. A total of 542…