Discovering what works
We are looking for young adults nationally who have exited school, are between the ages of 18 through 26, and have disabilities to complete a short survey about their experience. The first 100 young adults who complete this survey will receive a $10 gift card from Amazon. We also welcome feedback from parents or other family members of young adults with disabilities aged 18-26.
RAISE works with the eight Rehabilitation Service Administration Parent Training and Information Centers (RSA-PTIs), Parent Centers, youth with disabilities, families, and other transition organizations to improve transition for youth and families.
MPACT is Missouri’s only federally-funded Parent Training and Information Center. Its mission is to empower families to advocate for themselves so that children with special education needs can reach their full potential in education and life – through support, training, and education.
The feedback from this survey will identify the products for the Get Linked project. Get Linked will help parent centers, families, and youth to be able to better work with service providers and organizations to make transition smoother.
Transition Topics Addressed
Transition is more than school-to-work. The data collected will focus on multifaceted issues regarding transition to adult life. These include:
- Post-secondary outcome
This section looks at employment, college, and training.
- Job satisfaction
Questions are asked regarding full/part time, disability disclosure, fulfillment, and benefits.
- College or training
This section examines major course of study, or satisfaction with training.
- Housing
Questions determine the living situation whether it is in their own home, family home, supported living, etc.
- Preparation
Various topics are explored beyond job training to include self-advocacy, independent living, and community inclusion. Then each area is drilled down to discover who prepared students, whether it was the child study team, transition coordinator, vocational rehabilitation, or Center for Independent Living.
- Quality of Life
The last area looks at current challenges, what’s working, and what students wished they knew.
Remember: Effective transition for students with disabilities to adult life is key to successful outcomes.
On The Move: Transitioning Resources
MPACT: Missouri Parents Act
www.missouriparentsact.org
RAISE - Resources for Advocacy, Independence, Self-Determination, and Employment
www.raisecenter.org
Parent Training and Information Centers
www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center
National Council for Independent Living
www.ilru.org/projects/cil-net/cil-center-and-association-directory
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cheryl Thompson is the Program Director of MPACT, Missouri Parents Act. For more information, see www.missouriparentsact.org.
Read the article Assessing the Needs of Students with Disabilities During Transition