Abstract
As a result of the apparent need for transition services for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Fairfield University and a community partner, The Kennedy Center, have partnered to create a transition preparedness program: Transition Opportunities for Postsecondary Success (TOPS), in order to explore a new transition paradigm for young adults ages 18–21 of the greater Bridgeport, Connecticut area with ASD. The University-Community partnership aims to address a multitude of social challenges and independent living skills for young adults with ASD, provide increased self-sufficiency and self-advocacy, as well as, offer valuable experiences for graduate and undergraduate students who are planning a career in special education. This article provides an overview of the partnership, program, and preliminary research collected during the TOPS program pilot year. Future directions are discussed.
Highlights
In the United States, approximately one in every 68 children receives a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (CDC, 2016): this translates to approximately 2,400 high-school students in Connecticut (U.S Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, 2016)
Because special education services and modifications provided under the protection of an Individualized Education Plans (IEP) are no longer available in post-secondary contexts, it is essential that students with ASD seeking transition to post-secondary environments begin to understand the protections afforded to them by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Adreon & Durocher, 2007)
There are a plethora of challenges associated with the transition to adulthood for adolescents with ASD/Intellectual Disabilities (ID) that warrant increased attention in the field of special education (Shogren & Plotner, 2012)
Summary
While IDEA includes language to describe the transition process for students with disabilities to post high school life, it does not formally define transition services (Greene & Landmark, 2019): Transition services are a coordinated set of activities that promote movement from school to such postschool activities as post-secondary education, vocational training, employment, adult services, independent living and community participation. They must be based on the individual student’s needs, taking into account his or her preferences and interests. Students’ planning and broad communication skills must be developed adequately to support their being able to effectively self-identify, initiate requests for accommodations, monitor the effectiveness of accommodations provided to them, make decisions related to courses and plans of study, and navigate the campus environment sufficient to access a range of services (Hendricks & Wehman, 2009)
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