Special Education- Intellectual/ Developmental Disabilities

Special Education- Intellectual/ Developmental Disabilities

port Introduction

Youth with intellectual disabilities have been found to experience poor post school outcomes compared to youth with other disabilities and youth in the general population. To improve post school outcomes, several best practices are recommended by researchers and professionals in the field of transition either specifically for youth with intellectual disabilities or all youth with disabilities. A handful of studies have examined the extent to which best practices are implemented and some no experimental studies have found that best practices are predictive of post school outcomes. However, no study has yet examined whether the combination of several best practices is predictive of outcomes in multiple domains for youth with intellectual disabilities or provided a comprehensive examination of whether individual, family, and school characteristics make a difference in whether youth with intellectual disabilities experience best practices.

Area of Transition

One key difference from members of the dominant culture is that traditional concepts such as self-determination, choice, and individual achievement, will not always fit easily into the many ways that cultural experiences and cultural frames of reference affect interpretations of what constitutes successful adulthood (DiGiacomo, 2002). Families can interpret the lack of accommodation to their perceptions of the self-care, domestic living aspect of transition as insensitivity on the part of school and agency representatives, and this can lead to a basic lack of trust and a sense of isolation for the family which can have the effect of limiting their awareness of supports for their child within the school system and other networks (DiGiacomo, 2002). Efforts to increase levels of self-determination and self-advocacy skills take on a greater urgency when schools recognize “that special education is a cultural institution that may or may not reflect the values, beliefs, and cultural perspectives of all parents” ((DiGiacomo, 2002, p. 69).

School to School Transition

The educational services or the school principle receive information about the new students by parent contact or by the school community agencies. They share the student information and arrange a meeting o transition at the school with parents, school staff and the preschool agency (Cabell, Justice, 2009). During the meeting, the child's strengths, special need and the support is assessed and discussed with the parents and the staff. In addition, the action plan is determined which outlines the school visits, Gathering of assessments for planning, day care visit, transportation arrangements and other specific details to ensure a smooth transition

Transition from School to Adult Life

The transition from school to adult life is an exciting but daunting period of time for all youth. Between their teenage years and mid- to late-20s, youth set off on paths toward financial, residential, and emotional independence and begin to take on adult roles (Cabell, Justice, 2009). For many youth, this transition is successful, but for others, achieving success is more difficult. The transition to adult life is particularly challenging for youth with disabilities, who experience poor outcomes relative to youth without disabilities. The National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS), which followed ...