The transition of youth with severe handicaps from school to adult services has become a primary concern for parents, advocates, and professionals. Effective transition requires access to high school programs that focus instruction on the development of skills necessary to function competently in the community, an array of adult service programs that address the unique service needs of severely handicapped adults, and comprehensive system of transition planning that establishes the optimal mix of performance opportunities and services for the individuals prior to graduation from high school. While the development of effective educational, vocational, and residential models are critical to successful transition of severely handicapped youth, it is unlikely that the benefits of these developmental efforts will be realized without comprehensive system of individual transition planning. High school programs are the most logical community service agency to coordinate transition planning on a local level. This article presents a procedural framework to assist local programs to conduct effective transition planning.
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