Transition From High School to Adulthood for People with Moderate to Severe Disabilities

The researcher examined the transition from high school to adulthood for people with moderate to severe disabilities. The researcher posed the question, ???What can parents do to assist their child with moderate to severe disabilities in the transition from high school to adulthood???? The purpose of the project included the assembly, design and production of a manual for parents to support them in assisting their child with a moderate to severe disability before, during, and after the transition to adulthood, in part through accessing the local regional and educational resources and services available in North County San Diego, CA. Activities are provided for the parents to utilize at home with their child to facilitate the transition process. The three areas of the Individual Transition Plan (ITP), which include education or training, employment, and independent living, as required by law, were addressed in the manual for parents. The method employed for creating the project were to examine current research, then determine areas of unmet needs, and finally to produce the transition guide for parents. The resources determined to be most relevant to parents of children with moderate to severe disabilities were compiled and incorporated into the guide. The most relevant topics formulated the sections in the manual. The intended audience for the manual is parents of a child or children with moderate to severe disabilities in high school, however, Education Specialists, Counselors and other educators are encouraged to utilize this manual and to distribute to parents in their classrooms.Educatio