Legal mandates, widely postulated professional perspective, and improved teaching techniques have strongly influenced the kind of care provided individuals with significant developmental disabilities such as autism. Children and adults who would have been separated from their families and peers two decades ago are now expected to live in natural settings identical to the settings in which other members of their families live. The conversion of services to correspond with the ever increasing lifestyle expectations for persons with developmental disabilities is described from an organizational perspective with reference to serving these individuals in special education classrooms, residential settings, or other human service settings. Systems we have found effective in moving individuals through a continuum of services are described. Specific examples of implementation strategies in a large comprehensive treatment center for individuals with developmental and neurological disabilities are provided. An example of a wide-scale conversion of an agency that resulted in more progressive transition programming is discussed.
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