High School Experiences That Support Post-School Success: What Can We Learn?

Students with disabilities continue to lag behind their peers without disabilities in the area of post-school success. This study qualitatively analyzed individual responses from 6 years of post-school outcomes survey data in one state to identify positive experiences said to help students reach their post-school goals. Respondents reported nine themes as being the most helpful in meeting their goals after high school, including having supportive staff members, taking career development coursework, and developing success attributes such as self-advocacy. A negative experience theme also emerged in the analysis. Implications for educators are discussed related to emphasizing instruction in self-determination and career development. Implications for states are discussed related to the post-school outcomes data collection process.

Mental Health of Female Adolescents With Disabilities: Considerations for Career Development

Female adolescents with disabilities are at an increased risk for mental health concerns, which can negatively impact their self-determination, making transition to postschool opportunities difficult. We analyzed two waves of survey data from 366 female adolescents with disabilities, recruited from 26 U.S. public high schools, as part of a randomized controlled trial of a career development intervention. Participants with mental health concerns evidenced a slower increase in self-determination over the follow-up period than those without such concerns. Individuals assigned to the intervention condition experienced significant gains in self-determination compared with the control. Findings suggest that mental health concerns can operate as a barrier to growth in self-determination skills among this population, though targeted interventions can help in boosting these skills.

Parent Expectations, Deaf Youth Expectations, and Transition Goals as Predictors of Postsecondary Education Enrollment

This study used the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 (NLTS2) data set to determine the effects of expectations and transition planning goals on the postsecondary education enrollment of deaf youth. Propensity scoring modeling results indicated that high expectations held by deaf youth and their parents significantly predicted postsecondary education attendance at 2- and 4-year college, and career and technical education (CTE) school. College enrollment as a transition planning goal for deaf youth also significantly predicted enrollment in all three types of postsecondary education institutions. Postsecondary CTE school attendance as a transition plan goal for deaf youth did not make a difference in enrollment outcomes for CTE and 2-year college, and significantly reduced their odds of attending 4-year college. Implications regarding expectations and transition plan goals are discussed.

Coaching in Complexity: Lessons Learned: Investigating Implementation of Interventions in High Schools

High schools hold great potential as contexts within which educators implement evidence-based practices shown to change post-school outcomes for youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Unfortunately, educators feel unprepared to use transition and disability-focused evidence-based practices. Coaching, as an essential feature of effective professional development, is an important process for supporting educators in their development of competencies for use of these practices. To inform the use of coaching in complex high school settings, the model used by the Center on Secondary Education for Students With ASD to implement a comprehensive package of disability- and transition-focused interventions in 30 schools is described and coaching data analyzed to offer lessons learned for developing professional development supports for secondary school practitioners. Limitations and implications for research and practice are discussed.

Transition to Adulthood: Perspectives of Korean Immigrant Parents of Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

As the United States grows more racially and ethnically diverse, Koreans have become one of the largest ethnic minority populations. We conducted this qualitative study to explore the perspectives of Korean immigrant parents about their child’s future and the factors that shape those perspectives. We used modified grounded theory methods. Twenty Korean immigrant parents of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities participated in the study. Four themes emerged: navigating complicated and limited service systems, maintaining safety and relationships through work and higher education, ongoing parental care at home, and the need for culturally relevant adult services. We discuss implications for culturally responsive practice and inclusive research.

A Scoping Review of Technology-Based Vocational Interventions for Autistic Individuals

This scoping review synthesized existing literature to address what is known about technology-based employment interventions for autistic individuals and how these interventions were conducted. A systematic multi-database search yielded 48 studies (362 participants; mean age = 20.5 years; 85.3% male) that met the inclusion criteria. Phones/tablets were used most frequently; 33 studies used technological devices for video modeling and/or prompting independently or alongside cueing or feedback. Most interventions were effective in improving job-specific, transferable, and interview skills of autistic individuals. Future studies are needed to examine whether these interventions lead to generalized outcomes and employment opportunities. We also offer recommendations for practice focused on teaching transition-aged students digital literacy skills and transferable skills for a wide range of job options.

Using Check-In/Check-Out in Vocational Training for Young Adults With Intellectual Disability

Few transition studies have involved training supervisors on interacting and relaying feedback to individuals with intellectual disability during vocational training. We used a multiple baseline across participants design to examine the efficacy of an adaptive check-in/check-out (CICO) intervention for increasing the rate of performance feedback statements given by a supervisor to an intern with an intellectual disability during vocational training. The CICO intervention was effective at increasing the rate of performance feedback statements given by each supervisor. We recommend research and practice focused on training supervisors to use the CICO intervention to assist in helping foster natural job supports.

Preparing Job Coaches to Implement Systematic Instructional Strategies to Teach Vocational Tasks

Job coaches are not typically trained to implement systematic instructional strategies to teach vocational skills to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This study replicated and expanded the evaluation of a job coach behavioral skills training program designed by Brock et al. (2016) to teach participants to implement task analysis, simultaneous prompting, and system of least prompts to teach vocational tasks to students with IDD. We used a multiple probe design with probe conditions across strategies, replicated across three participants, to assess acquisition and generalization. Participants demonstrated mastery of the three instructional strategies in simulated assessments with actors and generalized use of the strategies to teach novel vocational tasks to student interns with IDD. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Transition Discoveries: Participatory Action Research to Design Pathways to Success

A multiyear critical participatory action research study was conducted with a total of 503 youth and young adults with disabilities (ages 14–25), family members, and transition stakeholders across the State of Pennsylvania. Youth and young adults with disabilities, families, and stakeholders served as participant researchers who collaborated in operationalizing post-school outcomes and the high-quality transition practices, resources, services, and supports that contribute to achieving them. As a result of this study, the Transition Discoveries Quality Indicator Framework was developed. We provide examples of how the content of this framework can be used to design experiences for youth and families to learn about transition planning, programs, and services. Guidelines for ecologically relevant research and implications for practice in secondary transition are provided.