Adolescents are challenged to adjust to a new physical sense of self, new intellectual abilities, and cognitive demands; expand verbal skills; establish emotional and psychological independence from parents; establish adult vocational goals; develop productive peer relationships; manage their sexuality; and develop self-control. Transitional…

This article describes the establishment of Individual Development through Employment, Assessment, and Learning (IDEAL), a summer transition program for adolescents with blindness or visual impairments in Pennsylvania. The program emphasizes independence, work exploration, and social skills development. Data from participants, parents, and staff…

A study of eight students with moderate to severe disabilities investigated the nature of their involvement in transition planning during their final year of high school. Teachers and parents made little investment in preparing students for their transition planning meetings, and none were active participants with designated roles. (Contains…

Examines differences in the educational transition process among Black, Hispanic, and White students at a community college. Researchers used first-time freshman focus groups to discuss expectations, transitions, and comfort levels. Indicates shared experiences, but differences in transition within ethnicities. Contains 20 references. (KC)

As the number and diversity of high school graduates increase, secondary school systems and colleges must work together to prepare students for the demands of higher education and the labor force. This document describes a partnership between Montgomery College (Maryland) and Montgomery County Public School district that is focused on student…

This article examines the emancipation program of a residential/day school for students with emotional/behavioral disorders. Although interviews with seven students (ages 17-18) indicate their perceptions of the process of emancipation were fairly positive, they expressed a detached sense of reality when asked about their futures. Comprehensive…

Twelve case studies describe the kinds of decisions that young people with disabilities and their families have to make as they prepare to leave school. The seven types of decision-making processes that are identified attempt to describe some of these complexities as experienced by young people and their parents. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This article explains how administrators make it possible for their staff to initiate and implement advocacy efforts on behalf of students with special needs. A step-by-step series of actions and decision points are described to support the implementation of an innovative student-led Individualized Education Program process. (Contains 7…

This study examined how 14 Hispanic adolescents either with or without learning disabilities fared academically and socially during the transition from elementary to middle school. Students had been in a sixth grade consultation/collaboration inclusive classroom. Findings suggested that both groups of students experienced the transition similarly…

This article provides an overview of programs based in post-secondary settings in Maryland that serve students ages 18-21 with significant disabilities who are still receiving public school special education services. Student and setting characteristics, staffing, funding patterns, referral and admission practices, and program components are…

An introduction to this theme issue on special education transition policy and practice summarizes articles and notes a focus on the importance of transitional services in the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Emphasis is on practical information based on research, legislative development, and empirical evidence to support best…

This article describes the design and outcomes of a project to promote the reintegration of pupils with emotional and behavioral difficulties at transfer to secondary school. It reports on a series of successful placements and discusses the factors that have helped sustain the inclusion of the pupils. (Contains four references.) (Author/CR)

This article discusses the discrimination faced by minority youth with disabilities. Federal legislation promoting equality of opportunity for all students is reviewed and the lack of true educational equality is lamented. The article emphasizes the need to prepare minority youth with disabilities as they transition into adults. (Contains…

This article describes BEGINNINGS, an interim Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for use in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). It discusses the rationale that supports the process, the format, and recommendations for its implementation. The program's early intervention services help to identify supports and to facilitate transition to…

Respondents to a questionnaire about the elementary-middle and middle-high school transition experience respectively were 173 sixth grade students, 83 parents, and 12 teachers, and 320 ninth grade students, 61 parents and 17 teachers. Results revealed that school transitions posed both challenges and opportunities for students. Parents and…