Transition Trends Associated with Topic Focus Since 1990: A Literature Review

Abstract

A systematic review of transition literature was conducted on 743 articles published in 22 special education journals from 1990 to 2015. Demographic data and topics of transition-related articles were coded to identify the trends in transition literature. Results found only 4.1% of articles in those journals focused on transition. Student participants were primarily White males with a specific learning disability or intellectual disability. Key topics of transition (e.g., self-determination, transition planning) were supported by several studies in the literature. Yet, crucial topics (e.g., transportation skills, interagency collaboration) contained little research support. A summary of the current trends in transition research and implications for future research are discussed.

Keywords

transition students with disabilities literature review

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alwell

Cobb

(2006). A map of the intervention literature in secondary special education transition. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 29, 3–27. doi:10.1177/08857288060290010301

Baer

R. M.

Daviso

A. W.

III. Flexer

R. W.

Queen

R. M.

Meindl

R. S.

(2011). Students with intellectual disabilities: Predictors of transition outcomes. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 34, 132–141. doi:10.1177/0885728811399090

Carter

E. W.

Brock

M. E.

Bottema-Beutel

Bartholomew

Boehm

T. L.

Cease-Cook

(2013). Methodological trends in secondary education and transition research: Looking backward and moving forward. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 36, 15–24. doi:10.1177/2165143413475659

Carter

E. W.

Swedeen

Moss

C. K.

Pesko

M. J.

(2010). “What are you doing after school?” Promoting extracurricular involvement for transition-age youth with disabilities. Intervention in School and Clinic, 45, 275–283. doi:10.1177/1053451209359077

Chadsey-Rusch

J. C.

Rusch

F. R.

O’Reilly

M. F.

(1991). Transition from school to integrated communities. Remedial and Special Education, 12(6), 23–33.

Clement-Heist

Siegel

Gaylord-Ross

(1992). Simulated and in situ vocational, social skills training for youths with learning disabilities. Exceptional Children, 58, 336–345. doi:10.1177/001440299205800406

Douglas

K. H.

Ayres

K. M.

Langone

(2015). Comparing self-management strategies delivered via an iPhone to promote grocery shopping and literacy. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 50, 446–465.

Field

Sarver

M. D.

Shaw

S. F.

(2003). Self-determination: A key to success in postsecondary education for students with learning disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 24, 339–349. doi:10.1177/07419325030240060501

Finn

J. E.

Kohler

P. D.

(2009). A compliance evaluation of the transition outcomes project. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 32, 17–29. doi:10.1177/0885728808315332

10.

Flowers

Test

D. W.

Povenmire-Kirk

T. C.

Diegelmann

K. M.

Bunch-Crump

K. R.

Kemp-Inman

Goodnight

C. I.

(2018). A demonstration model of interagency collaboration for students with disabilities: A multilevel approach. The Journal of Special Education, 51, 211–221. doi:10.1177/0022466917720764

11.

Grigal

Hart

Migliore

(2011). Comparing the transition planning, postsecondary education, and employment outcomes of students with intellectual and other disabilities. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 34, 4–17. doi:10.1177/0885728811399091

12.

Haber

M. G.

Mazzotti

V. L.

Mustian

A. L.

Rowe

D. A.

Bartholomew

A. L.

Test

D. W.

Fowler

C. H.

(2015). What works, when, for whom, and with whom. Review of Educational Research, 86, 123–162. doi:10.3102/0034654315583135

13.

Harvey

M. W.

(2002). Comparison of postsecondary transitional outcomes between students with and without disabilities by secondary vocational education participation: Findings from the National Education Longitudinal Study. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 25(2), 99–122. doi:10.1177/088572880202500202

14.

Hughes

Eisenman

L. T.

Hwang

Kim

Killian

D. J.

Scott

S. V.

(1997). Transition from secondary special education to adult life: A review and analysis of empirical measures. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 32(2), 85–104.

15.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 20 U.S.C. 33, § 140[a][19]. (2004).

16.

Kelley

K. R.

Bartholomew

Test

D. W.

(2013). Effects of the self-directed IEP delivered using computer-assisted instruction on student participation in educational planning meetings. Remedial and Special Education, 34, 67–77. doi:10.1177/0741932511415864

17.

Kim

K. H.

Morningstar

M. E.

(2007). Enhancing secondary special education teachers’ knowledge and competencies in working with culturally and linguistically diverse families through online training. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 30, 116–128. doi:10.1177/08857288070300020201

18.

Kohler

P. D.

(1993). Best practices in transition: Substantiated or implied? Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 16, 107–121. doi:10.1177/088572889301600201

19.

Kohler

P. D.

(1996). Taxonomy for transition programming: Linking research and practice. Champaign: Transition Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.

20.

Kohler

P. D.

Gothberg

J. E.

Fowler

Coyle

(2016). Taxonomy for transition programming 2.0: A model for planning, organizing, and evaluating transition education, services, and programs. Kalamazoo: Western Michigan University. Available at www.transitionta.org

21.

Kohler

P. D.

Greene

(2004). Strategies for integrating transition-related competencies into teacher education. Teacher Education and Special Education, 27, 146–162. doi:10.1177/088840640402700206

22.

Kraus

(2017). 2016 disability statistics annual report. Durham: University of New Hampshire.

23.

Landmark

L. J.

Zhang

(2010). Substantiated best practices in transition: Fifteen plus years later. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 33, 165–176. doi:10.1177/0885728810376410

24.

Langone

G. A.

Langone

McLaughlin

P. J.

(1991). Evaluating the impact of a secondary transitional teacher preparation program. Teacher Education and Special Education, 14, 94–102. doi:10.1177/088840649101400203

25.

Larson

S. A.

Eschenbacher

H. J.

Anderson

L. L.

Taylor

Pettingell

Hewitt

. . . Bourne

M. L.

(2017). In-home and residential long-term supports and services for persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities: Status and trends through 2015. Minneapolis: Research and Training Center on Community Living, Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota.

26.

Leake

Boone

(2007). Multicultural perspectives on self-determination from youth, parent, and teacher focus groups. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 30, 104–115. doi:10.1177/08857288070300020101

27.

Madaus

J. W.

Gelbar

N. W.

Dukes

L. L.

Faggella-Luby

Lalor

A. R.

Kowitt

J. S.

(2013). Thirty-five years of transition topics: A review of CDTEI issues from 1978 to 2012. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 36, 7–14. doi:10.1177/2165143413476734

28.

Mazzotti

V. L.

Test

D. W.

Wood

C. L.

Richter

(2010). Effects of computer-assisted instruction on students’ knowledge of postschool options. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 33, 25–40. doi:10.1177/0885728809338714

29.

McFarland

Hussar

de Brey

Snyder

Wang

Wilkinson-Flicker

. . . Hinz

(2017). Condition of education 2017 (NCES 2017-144). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.

30.

Mechling

O’Brien

(2010). Computer-based video instruction to teach students with intellectual disabilities to use public bus transportation. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 45, 230–241.

31.

Morningstar

M. E.

Clark

G. M.

(2003). The status of personnel preparation for transition education and services: What is the critical content? How can it be offered? Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 26, 227–237. doi:10.1177/088572880302600208

32.

Morningstar

M. E.

Kim

K. H.

Clark

G. M.

(2008). Evaluating a transition personnel preparation program: Identifying transition competencies of practitioners. Teacher Education and Special Education, 31, 47–58. doi:10.1177/088840640803100105

33.

Newman

Wagner

Knokey

A.-M.

Marder

Nagle

Shaver

. . . Schwarting

(2011). The post-high school outcomes of young adults with disabilities up to 8 years after high school. A report from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.

34.

Noonan

P. M.

Erickson

A. G.

Morningstar

M. E.

(2013). Effects of community transition teams on interagency collaboration for school and adult agency staff. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 36, 96–104. doi:10.1177/2165143412451119

35.

Noyes

D. A.

Sax

C. L.

(2004). Changing systems for transition: Students, families, and professionals working together. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 39, 35–44.

36.

Oertle

K. M.

Trach

J. S.

(2007). Interagency collaboration: The importance of rehabilitation professionals’ involvement in transition. Journal of Rehabilitation, 73(3), 36–44.

37.

Oesterreich

H. A.

Knight

M. G.

(2008). Facilitating transitions to college for students with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Intervention in School and Clinic, 43, 300–304. doi:10.1177/1053451208314733

38.

Povenmire-Kirk

T. C.

Diegelmann

Crump

Schnorr

Test

Flowers

Aspel

(2015). Implementing CIRCLES: A new model for interagency collaboration in transition planning. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 42, 51–65. doi:10.3233/JVR-140723

39.

Povenmire-Kirk

T. C.

Lindstrom

Bullis

(2010). De escuela a la vida adulta/From school to adult life: Transition needs for Latino youth with disabilities and their families. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 33, 41–51. doi:10.1177/0885728809359004

40.

Powers

Geenen

Powers

L. E.

(2009). Similarities and differences in the transition expectations of youth and parents. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 32, 132–144. doi:10.1177/0885728809346302

41.

Ramasamy

(1995). Effectiveness of high school curricula for the transition of Apache special and general education students. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 18, 51–58. doi:10.1177/088572880002300204

42.

Rodriguez

R. J.

Cavendish

(2013). Differences in the relationship between family environments and self-determination among Anglo, Latino, and female students with disabilities. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 36, 152–162. doi:10.1177/2165143412461524

43.

Rowe

D. A.

Test

D. W.

(2010). The effects of computer-based instruction on the transition planning process knowledge of parents of students with disabilities. Research and Practice for Persons With Severe Disabilities, 35, 102–115. doi:10.2511/rpsd.35.3-4.102

44.

Santamaría

L. J.

Santamaría

A. P.

(2015). Counteracting educational injustice with applied critical leadership: Culturally responsive practices promoting sustainable change. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 17, 22–42. doi:10.18251/ijme.v17i1.1013

45.

Sitlington

P. L.

Frank

A. R.

(1990). Are adolescents with learning disabilities successfully crossing the bridge into adult life? Learning Disability Quarterly, 13, 97–111. doi:10.2307/1510654

46.

Test

D. W.

Fowler

C. H.

Richter

S. M.

White

Mazzotti

Walker

A. R.

. . . Kortering

(2009). Evidence-based practices in secondary transition. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 32, 115–128. doi:10.1177/0885728809336859

47.

Test

D. W.

Mazzotti

V. L.

Mustian

A. L.

Fowler

C. H.

Kortering

Kohler

(2009). Evidence-based secondary transition predictors for improving post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 32, 160–181. doi:10.1177/0885728809346960

48.

Thomson Reuters. (2013). Incites: 2012 journal citation report [Database]. Retrieved from https://jcr.incites.thomsonreuters.com/

49.

Trainor

A. A.

(2008). Using cultural and social capital to improve postsecondary outcomes and expand transition models for youth with disabilities. The Journal of Special Education, 42, 148–162. doi:10.1177/0022466907313346

50.

Trainor

A. A.

Lindstrom

Simon-Burroughs

Martin

J. E.

Sorrells

A. M.

(2008). From marginalized to maximized opportunities for diverse youths with disabilities: A position paper of the Division on Career Development and Transition. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 31, 56–64. doi:10.1177/0885728807313777

51.

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. (2015). 2013-14 state and national estimations for IDEA enrollment [Dataset]. Retrieved from https://ocrdata.ed.gov/StateNationalEstimations/Estimations_2013_14

52.

U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. (2016). People and families in poverty by selected characteristics: 2015 and 2016. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2017/demo/income-poverty/p60-259.html

53.

Wagner

M. M.

D’Amico

Marder

Newman

Blackorby

(1992). What happens next? Trends in postschool outcomes of youth with disabilities. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.

54.

Wagner

M. M.

Newman

L. A.

Javitz

H. S.

(2014). The influence of family socioeconomic status on the post-high-school outcomes of youth with disabilities. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 37, 5–17. doi:10.1177/2165143414523980

55.

Walte

Cushing

L. S.

Athamanah

L. S.

Posey

(2017). Seeking the perspectives of transition-age students with significant disabilities since 1990. Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities Online Journal, 4(1), 47–62.

56.

Will

(1983). OSERS programming for the transition of youth with disabilities: Bridges for school to working life. Washington, DC: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.