Development of a manual on transitional education models

Abstract

The transition of students with disabilities into adult life is an area of education which is receiving increasing emphasis. The importance of transition services was emphasized by the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. That statute requires a transition statement in the individualized education program of each student with disabilities by the age sixteen. The development of appropriate, practical service delivery models is quickly becoming a major concern of education agencies throughout the country. Developing Transition Service Delivery Models is a manual to facilitate the development of transition services delivery models designed specially to meet the needs of the individuals and local school districts.

Research and development methods used in this study include: (l) initial product development based on review of current research literature and governmental regulations, (2) review by knowledgeable professionals in education and individuals with no prior knowledge of the subject, (3) case studies of applicability to two school districts - one small (fewer than 5000 students) and one large (10,000 or greater students), and (4) qualitative and descriptive analysis of data obtained in the case studies.

Everyone makes transitions throughout their life. There are certain pervasive commonalities in the transition process. A simple quasi-formal procedure for the design and development of transition services delivery models can provide the tools necessary to identify and implement appropriate outcome oriented goals and objectives for students with disabilities. This should help them in this progress towards successful transition into adult life.