Investigated impact of childhood family structure on timing of home-leaving. Data from 1988 National Survey of Families and Households suggest that exposure to nonintact family living during childhood raises likelihood of home-leaving prior to age 19. Adopted children and children who lived in nonparental situations were most likely to leave…

Used data from Panel Study of Income Dynamics to examine timing and process of leaving home to different destinations of marriage and independent living. Found that trend has been toward leaving later, especially for men. Other findings suggest that short-term changes in characteristics of family background have important influence on timing and…

Reports the results of a study of final discharge outcomes for an exit cohort of 2,653 foster youths in California who were 17 years of age or older. A youth's number of placements in foster care, time spent in care, and the type of placement in which the adolescent last resided were all found to be related to discharge status. (JPS)

This article reports on a study conducted at a large, comprehensive high school in New England. The study focused on identifying seniors' concerns and sources of excitement as they anticipated their transition from high school. Results indicate that the seniors worried about money, being successful, and leaving friends and family. In contrast, the…

The effectiveness of simultaneous and delayed video modeling when used by three middle-school students with moderate intellectual disabilities was examined. Alternating between modeling systems, students were taught to use the public library computer to locate specific book call numbers and use the Dewey Decimal Classification System to locate…

The "Restrictiveness of Living Environment Scale" has long been the primary way to conceptualize the "restrictiveness" of a child's living situation. However, changes in systems of care and other factors have created a need to revisit how restrictiveness is conceptualized and measured. A measure was created to assess an environment's level of…

Using data from the 1992-2000 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, this article examines the relationship between the presence and age of children in the home and parental mobility in midlife. Although a substantial literature evaluates the factors affecting the timing of children leaving (and returning) home, less attention has been paid to…

Americans with disabilities depend on the disability services infrastructure, which consists of health, education, and social services programs. The need for these services is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades as a result of several factors, most notably the aging of the baby boom generation and declining birthrates. These…

Richard Settersten and Barbara Ray examine the lengthening transition to adulthood over the past several decades, as well as the challenges the new schedule poses for young people, families, and society. The authors begin with a brief history of becoming an adult, noting that the schedule that youth follow to arrive at adulthood changes to meet…

This document is one of eight in a series of guides designed to help teach and counsel troubled youth. This document presents 20 lessons on the social skills necessary to live independently. It includes four lessons designed to help students accurately evaluate their readiness for independent living. Other lessons teach the basic steps for…

Study examined relationship between university students' living arrangements; their identity development status; degree of life difficulties experienced; and manner in which they coped with difficulties. In general, those who did not reside at home had greater levels of problems; used more direct, problem-focused coping strategies to solve their…

Compared influence of expectations of young adults and their parents on leaving home. Used data from High School and Beyond surveys to model odds of leaving home to establish new home while unmarried or in context of marriage. Both generations' expectations strongly influenced later residential behavior, with parental expectations having more…

The medical model has promoted a train-place model for psychiatric rehabilitation. This model carefully trains people with psychiatric disabilities on a range of skills so they can handle real-world demands before placing them in work and independent living situations. More consistent with a social work perspective are place-train programs, which…

Numerous studies show that employment, community participation, and postsecondary training rates of students with severe disabilities after leaving high school are the lowest of all disability categories and compare unfavorably to those of their peers without disabilities. In addition, outcomes generally do not improve as these students age. Certo…

All parents go through a rite of passage when their children turn 18, a time when, in most states, children are recognized as adults. These 18-year-old adults can now enter into contracts, live where they want, and make their own medical and educational decisions, including quitting school, if they so choose. For parents of children with special…