BEST PRACTICES IN POSTSECONDARY TRANSITION PLANNING FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD)

Abstract

Students with an educational classification of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) make up 1.1% of the total enrollment in public schools and 8.3% of the total number of students receiving special education services and is the fastest growing disability classification (U.S. Department of Education, 2016). As more students with these unique needs begin to age out of the educational system, the demand for quality transition planning services that address the spectrum of ability in this population increases. While IDEA (2018) provides some basic guidelines, there is significant room for interpretation and individualization within these mandates. As such, practitioners are often left searching the available literature to determine the best way to provide students, families, and school personnel with some guidance in interpreting and implementing federal law. Furthermore, the best practices literature is limited and often does not address some of the unique needs of students with ASD, given the core features of the classification (Wehman, 2013). The current study evaluates school program variables that predict postsecondary outcomes in education/training and employment for students with ASD and considers the individual student and family variables that vary with this relationship. Consistent with the literature (Kohler & Fields, 2003), results suggest that student focused-planning, student development, and interagency collaboration correlate with postsecondary education/training and employment outcomes. In addition, consistent with what we know about the broader population of students receiving special education services (Landmark, et al., 2010) and the theoretical work (Wehman, et al., 2014), the current study demonstrates that inclusion in the general education setting in an academically rigorous content area is also related to postsecondary success in education/training and employment. These findings not only highlight the importance of including students with ASD in the general education classroom as part of their transition programming, but it also speaks to the need for additional research about inclusion practices as part of the child’s transition plan for students with ASD.