Transition From Adolescence to Adulthood, Disability and

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law requiring that all students with disabilities receive free and appropriate public education, has since 1990 required that the educational programs for adolescents receiving special education services also include a focus on services and instruction that enable students with disabilities to “transition” from secondary to post-secondary education and adult life. The term transition generally refers to the movement from adolescence and school to adulthood, independent living, and work. This transition from adolescence to adulthood is a universal experience, but by the mid-1980s, it was evident that for students with disabilities, it was an experience that was too frequently unsuccessful. National studies over the past 2 decades have shown that although the situation has improved over time, ...