Resources
Transition issues for Young People with Special Needs
Annotated Bibliography
The following annotated bibliography contains articles on a variety of transition issues. Many of the articles are written from an American point of view, but there are enough that are generic in nature that this website will be very useful for families who have young adults or teens with disabling conditions. Included below are the annotations from a number of the articles specific to the transition into the work community. The website itself has links to all of the included articles.
Making Experiential Education Accessible for Students with Disabilities
(Institute Brief, November 2004, Order #IB19)
College students with disabilities enter with less work experience and have a harder time finding jobs than their nondisabled peers. Experiential education-- mentoring, internships, job shadowing, and so on-- can create a bridge to graduation and employment. However, that requires college professionals to consider access issues for all students. A new Institute Brief provides basic disability awareness information, suggests ways to create welcoming career offices, and offers ideas to increase access to experiential education.
Moving On to High School: A Tip Sheet for Parents of Children on Individualized Education Plans
Time spent in school is probably the single greatest feature of a young person's life. So it only makes sense for parents to make sure their sons and daughters get what they need from school. Even though families don't have much influence over how schools structure courses, there are things they can do to make the most of what schools have to offer. This tip sheet is based on the experiences of students with disabilities in public schools and their families.
Making Dreams a Reality: Using Personal Networks to Achieve Goals as You Prepare to Leave High School
(Tools for Inclusion, 10pp., August 2002, Vol. 10 No. 2, Order #TO15)
Getting ready to leave high school can be both exciting and stressful. Young adults with disabilities need to figure out their interests and develop goals for the future. Although young adults with disabilities may become more independent during this time, the support and encouragement of others remains crucial for success. ICI interviewed high school students with disabilities and their parents/guardians to learn about their plans.
Starting with Me: A Guide to Person-Centered Planning for Job Seekers
(Tools for Inclusion, 8pp., July 2002, Vol. 10 No. 1, Order #TO14)
Reviews a three-stage career development process, with emphasis on using a person-centered approach to help individuals with disabilities make satisfying job choices.
Transition Planning for Adolescents with Special Health Care Needs and Disabilities: Information for Families and Teens
(Edited by Stephanie Porter, Linda Freeman, and Lynne Reeves Griffin, 40 pp., 2000)
This booklet has been developed for families to help you prepare with your teen for his/her adulthood. Just as families have had to spend more than the average amount of time attending to their young child's care, the transition to adulthood will be best accomplished if families devote extra effort and energy to that transition. This booklet has been written to help and guide you --- to give you the information, ideas, tools and resources you need along the way.
Transition Planning for Adolescents with Special Health Care Needs and Disabilities: A Guide for Health Care Providers
(Edited by Stephanie Porter, Linda Freeman, and Lynne Reeves Griffin) (80 pp., 2000)
This resource manual addresses four aspects of adulthood: health, education, employment, and recreation. It is written for providers (pediatricians and nurses), but contains family and teen-specific fact sheets and resources on transition planning that can be used by families and adolescents.
Moving On...Planning for the Future (Transition)
(8 pp, 1995, Order #IB10)
Introduces the topic of transition at its ideal, and addresses the realities of adult services that youth and families face at transition time.
Moving On: Planning for the Future (Manual)
The ICI's transition guide for students, parents, and educators. Each section of the guide addresses an aspect of the transition process. Transition from high school includes all areas of life and more topics than can be adequately described on paper; however, this guide provides you with a detailed introduction to what lies ahead and descriptions of enough resources to get you started in the transition process.
