Preparing Students with Disabilities for Post secondary Life

Students with disabilities have a variety of strengths, interests and needs. When these needs are identified and interests explored, students are more likely to experience a positive postsecondary outcome. Secondary educational programs, in order to help them accomplish this, should include six key elements into the students program and transition planning. These elements, identified in research help students reach their postsecondary goals. The intent of this study was to determine which of these elements are identified and implemented in secondary programs and transition planning and to what extent these elements adequately address the educational and employment needs of students with disabilities. A qualitative case study was utilized to analyze and evaluate one to four years’ worth of transition plans for fourteen high school special education students on the existence of these elements. In addition, parent interviews were conducted to identify the effects these elements had on their student’s post secondary experience. This study found, the six elements were implemented to varying degrees in each transition plan. Some elements were consistently identified including: assessment, student involvement and transition goals. Parent and agency involvement and training however were not identified in all plans and were found to varying degrees. Since all elements work hand in hand, it is important to include them, to the fullest extent possible in order to provide students the greatest opportunity for success. Parent interviews confirm these findings which suggest in order to help set up students for success, all elements need to be implemented into the secondary educational program. This study is limited by the small case sample but hopes to contribute to the existing literature that implementation of the key elements provide students with disabilities the best opportunity for a successful post secondary outcome.