The experiences of students with disabilities during transitions
Subject
Abstract
The field of Special Education has evolved over the years. There has been and continues to be a steady increase in the number of students with disabilities transitioning out of high school and into post-secondary institutions. This has become the natural step of growth for students. As the number students with disabilities enrolling into post-secondary increases there is a need for post-secondary institutions to identify how students can access supports to be successful. This study focused on the skills and knowledge students utilize as they transition to post-secondary and access required supports. A descriptive, mixed methods online and hard copy survey was implemented for this study. The purpose of the study was to discover the knowledge and skills identified by participants as they transition into post-secondary education after the completion of high school. In particular, self-determination skills and knowledge such as self-advocacy, goal setting, problem solving and self-efficacy were found to be important. The results of the study indicated that education systems need to continue their efforts in supporting the development of student’s self-determination skills and knowledge to improve transition programs and inter-institutional relationships for students with disabilities.