Think globally, act locally: Quality improvement as a catalyst for COVID-19 related care during the transitional years

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed distinctive challenges to adolescents and young adults living with spina bifida, especially those from ethic minority populations. With this public health challenge in mind, developing a customized electronic health record to leverage registry data to promote and quantify COVID-19 vaccination uptake among this population is feasible. We provide a brief description of our activities in customizing an electronic health record to track vaccination uptake among adolescents and young adults with spina bifida (AYASB); and the lessons learned, in hopeful support of those scaling-up vaccination delivery for AYASB as they transition to adult-centered care. Thus, as providers think globally and act locally, COVID-19 immunization efforts can be implemented while providing culturally appropriate transition services for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE): Early Impacts from a Multi-Site Random Assignment Evaluation

Background PROMISE was a federal initiative to support youth receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) during the transition to adulthood. Objectives This article presents estimates of the impacts of the six PROMISE projects on youth and family outcomes as of 18 months after enrolling in PROMISE. Research Design The study uses a randomized controlled trial design. Subjects The six PROMISE projects each enrolled a minimum of 2000 treatment and control youth (and their parents) residing in their service areas who were aged 14 to 16 and receiving SSI. Measures We estimated impacts on outcomes related to youth and family service use, school enrollment, training, employment, earnings, and federal disability program participation using survey and administrative data. Results The projects succeeded in connecting more youth to transition services and more families to support services during the 18 months after enrollment, and most increased the likelihood that youth applied for state vocational rehabilitation services. On average, there was no impact on youth’s school enrollment, but there were favorable impacts on youth’s receipt of job-related training, employment, earnings, and total income. The projects did not affect parents’ employment, earnings, or income, on average. For most outcomes PROMISE affected, the impacts varied substantially across the projects. Conclusions The positive short-term impacts of PROMISE on youth’s use of transition services, youth employment, and families’ use of services are consistent with the program logic model and suggest there might be potential for longer-term favorable impacts on youth and family outcomes.

Serving Students With Acquired Brain Injury: Understanding Long-Term Need and Outcomes After the BrainSTEPS Program

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to inform school-based services for children with acquired brain injury (ABI) by describing and analyzing functional student-outcome data from a state-wide, school-based, school re-entry consultation program, BrainSTEPS (Strategies Teaching Educators, Parents, and Students), in Pennsylvania. Method: A nonexperimental, retrospective analysis was conducted with data collected during a pilot follow-up survey for BrainSTEPS. Caregivers reported on 337 students with ABI participating in BrainSTEPS. Results: Most students post-ABI who were participating in BrainSTEPS were enrolled in regular education and reported no ongoing symptoms, as well as no parent perception of need for additional BrainSTEPS consultation during the time period of the follow-up survey. Current receipt of therapy was significantly associated with injury type, χ 2 (1, n = 329) = 16.72, p < .001. A multiple logistic regression was significant ( p < .001) in predicting the need for additional BrainSTEPS consultation. More severe injuries, educational placement postinjury of regular education with a 504 plan (compared to regular education), and current receipt of therapy significantly increased the odds of need for consultation. Conclusions: Due to the wide range of experiences of students in this sample, hospital-to-school transition services, educational supports and services, and long-term follow-up must be individualized for children with ABI. Speech-language pathologists are critical members of the school-based academic team for students with ABI to decrease long-term unmet needs.

Services for Juveniles With Emotional Disturbances in Secure-Care Settings: An Exploratory Analysis of Racial Disparities and Recidivism

This study examines associations between recidivism rates and groups/programs for legally mandated education, behavioral, and mental health services that court-ordered juvenile youth (“juveniles”) with identified Emotional Disturbance or related conditions receive in secure-care juvenile facilities. Using statewide agency data in Minnesota, this exploratory analysis investigates whether there are racial/ethnic and county disparities in residential placements or secure-care settings via programs and groups for court-ordered juveniles ( n = 1,092). The study also considers whether program and group placements contribute to racial/ethnic patterns of recidivism. This study finds that recidivism rate differences by program/group level are largely attributed to differences in racial/ethnic compositions. Findings suggest placements lack strong effects on recidivism, and assignments may perpetuate inequalities. In addition, from this exploratory analysis examination, this article offers considerations for future research-to-practice partnerships to strengthen legally and policy-mandated program and service delivery with practices that increase training to juvenile justice system professionals, access to secure-care setting services, and transition services for juveniles.

‘We Are Helpless, Hopeless and Living in Despair’: Impact of COVID-19 on the Overall Health and Well-being, and Participation of the Transgender Community in India

This article investigates the impact of COVID-19 on the health and lived experiences of the transgender community in India. In particular, the study analyses how COVID-19 affects the lives of the transgender community in terms of their interaction with the government policymaking and identity negotiation, livelihoods, access to health resources, availability of gender transition services and status of mental health. The analysis shows that the COVID-19 pandemic and the government strategies to curb the spread of infection have exacerbated the challenges faced by the transgender community in India and threatened their survival. As disease outbreaks traditionally perpetuate gender inequities and increase vulnerabilities borne by marginalised groups, the analysis has implications for purposefully creating appropriate platforms for participation of the transgender community and designing and delivering suitable programs and services to enhance their welling and human dignity.

Teachers’ Transition Attitudes for Students With Disabilities in Two Regions of Botswana

Postsecondary transition planning and programing is a fundamental process that allows students with disabilities (SWDs) to engage in adult roles such as higher education, employment, and independent living successfully. Despite the importance of the role of teachers regarding the effective implementation of transition practices and principles, teachers’ transition attitudes in Botswana are not clearly understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ attitudes concerning the effective implementation of transition practices and principles to SWDs in Botswana secondary and vocational schools. The study further examined the differences between teachers on their attitudes toward delivery of transition services for SWDs based on demographic variables of gender, age, education qualification, teaching experience, school type, current position in school, and school region. A quantitative research approach entailing the use of a paper survey to collect data was adopted in this study. A total of 1,186 teachers participated in this study and mean scores were calculated to determine teachers’ transition attitudes. Moreover, t tests and one-way ANOVA tests were conducted to determine teachers’ attitude differences based on demographic variables. The findings of this study showed that generally teachers had somewhat positive attitudes toward transition practices and principles for SWDs. Furthermore, significant differences were noted on teachers’ attitudes based on all demographic variables except gender. The results indicate the importance of positive transition attitudes as well as the need to develop a national transition framework to guide and improve the transition process in Botswana.

Strengths-Based Transition Planning: A Positive Approach for Students With Learning Disabilities

Students with learning disabilities (LD) benefit from individualized transition services that address their strengths and assets. This article provides three steps to facilitate strengths-based transition planning, including (a) independent and guided reflection, (b) assessment, and (c) alignment of strengths to each component of the transition plan. Sample materials provide guidance on identifying a wide range of strengths, (i.e., attributes, relationships, contexts, skills) and writing positive disability impact statements, present levels, goals, and services.

Job Interview and Vocational Outcomes Among Transition-Age Youth Receiving Special Education Pre-Employment Transition Services

Vocational outcomes among transition-age youth receiving special education services are critically poor and have only incrementally improved since the implementation of the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act. Few studies highlight whether interviewing may be critical to obtaining vocational outcomes such as competitive employment or internships. This study evaluated vocational interviewing and outcomes among 656 transition-age youth receiving special education pre-employment transition services from 47 schools. Results suggest 20.8% of these youth were currently employed, and 88.8% of these employed youth interviewed prior to obtaining their job, which is higher than anecdotal evidence suggests and speaks to the importance of job interview skills as an intervention target for special education pre-employment transition services. We discuss the implications and directions for further study.