Parent Awareness of Adult Services During Transition Planning

Background Many parents report difficulties as they navigate their child's shift from school-based services to adult disability services during the secondary transition process. Connecting families to adult services through interagency collaboration is a way to promote access to adult services. Objective This study examined adult disability service representatives’ participation in transition planning meetings, parents’ awareness of adult disability services, and factors associated with parent awareness of adult disability services. Methods Parents of transition-aged students with disabilities ( n = 240) responded to an online survey, answering questions about their child's most recent transition planning meeting and their awareness of adult disability services. Descriptive analyses and a multiple regression analysis were conducted to answer research questions. Results Overall, parental awareness of adult disability services was low. Most parents reported no adult service representatives attended their child's most recent transition planning meeting. The strongest predictors of increased parental awareness of adult services included older child age, having a child that is not diagnosed with a specific learning disability, and parent input on transition goals. Conclusion By improving interagency collaboration, we can increase parent awareness of services and reduce gaps in services for adults with disabilities as they transition to adulthood.