Educators’ knowledge about strategies and supports for autistic students in the transition from school to adulthood

High school educators play an integral bridge role in facilitating successful transition services for autistic teenagers moving into adulthood. To better understand everyday educator perspectives, we surveyed 54 general and special education educators about their knowledge and attitudes regarding transition services for autistic students, with additional open-ended questions on perceived barriers to success. Overall knowledge was at a basic level but on average educators would not feel comfortable coaching or teaching others about transition implementation. Educators emphasized the need for student input at all phases of transition planning but acknowledged this happens too rarely. They reported significant challenges because of difficulty connecting with other school staff and with community providers, of too little time and resources, and the struggles students face to advocate for themselves effectively. Educators called for increased family involvement and better communication amongst school staff. Recommendations for transition best practices for autistic students include providing adequate resources for educators to have time for training, transition planning and implementation, and family and student engagement. In some circumstances, it may make sense for students to take more than four years of high school to complete their transition goals. • School-based transition services offer vital opportunities for autistic youth in postsecondary education and employment. • Special educators have basic autism/transition knowledge but lack confidence to teach others about implementation. • Special educators desire more training, time for transition planning, and student and family engagement opportunities. • Self-determination is critical for success but training and resource limitations mean it's often overlooked.