Postschool Outcomes for Students with Significant Emotional Disturbance following Best-Practice Transition Services

Abstract

Six best practices—vocational intervention, paid work experience, social skills curriculum, interagency collaboration, parent involvement, and individualized plans/planning—were linked to postschool outcomes of employment and community adjustment for students with significant emotional disturbance (SED). Telephone and in-person interviews were conducted with 30 (57%) of 53 former students who had participated in supported employment and entrepreneurial education transition grant projects between 1989 and 1994. The former students answered questions about their employment, residential situations, community involvement, recreational pursuits, and citizenship activities 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months after leaving school. Univariate analyses of individual interventions and student outcomes showed that students out of school for 6 months who had been employed for long periods of time while in school had higher rates of employment than those who had not worked. Students out of school for 7 year whose parents were actively involved in their educational programs were more likely than their peers with uninvolved parents to have a successful community adjustment. Recommendations for further study include pursuing the development of appropriate definitions and assessment of transition services and interventions and exploring further interventions over which educators have direct control.