Date Presented 04/05/19
The purpose of this study was to compare parent and school personnel perspectives regarding transition needs and approaches for youth with ASD. The findings provide insight into: (a) parents’ and school personnel's desired outcomes; and (b) a tension between developing consistency and routines as well as the ability to adapt to changes and participate in novel experiences or situations. These findings raise important theoretical questions related to our current approaches to working with these students.
Primary Author and Speaker: Jennifer Chen
Contributing Authors: Ellen Cohn, Gael Orsmond
PURPOSE: In recent years, researchers and service providers have paid increasing attention to the transition to adulthood for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Reasons for this attention include poor adult outcomes and limited understanding of how to best support this population in transition. Two key players in the transition planning process are school personnel and parents. The purpose of this study was to understand and compare the perspectives of parents and school personnel in preparing students with ASD for success in adulthood.
As potential service personnel in transition services, occupational therapists have a distinct – and perhaps underutilized – skillset in working with students with ASD in transition years. Occupational therapists can support students across the range of areas pertinent to transition, from skills necessary in the home setting (e.g., independent living skills) to the community (e.g., self-advocacy, community mobility). Thus, there is a need for occupational therapists to understand parents’ and school personnel’ priorities for these students.
DESIGN: This descriptive study included 17 parents of transition-age youth (ages 14-21) with ASD and 23 school personnel with experience working with transition-age youth with ASD. Participants were recruited through community organizations, clinics, and schools throughout one state.
METHOD: Data were collected through six focus groups and three individual interviews with parents, and five focus groups with school personnel. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts was conducted separately for parent and school personnel data, identifying both groups’ perspectives related to valued transition outcomes and approaches to achieving such outcomes. Then, findings from the two data sets were compared and contrasted, to explore whether families and schools shared similar perspectives of students’ transition needs and their subsequent approaches to transition preparation.
RESULTS: School personnel and parents shared similar valued outcomes for the students (e.g., well-being, social/community participation, employment). Additionally, both school personnel and parents described a potential tension in the students’ needs in the transition preparation process – the need to develop consistency and routines to promote optimal functioning in the students’ everyday lives, yet the students also need to be able to adapt to changes and participate in novel experiences and situations. For example, a parent of a 14-year old student stated: “I’d like to see him branch out in more ways. I try to push him to try new things. But, I feel like he needs a routine to help him feel like he’s comfortable.”
CONCLUSION: The findings highlight that school personnel and families may share similar desired skills and outcomes for transition-age students with ASD. They also acknowledge a challenging tension in the transition preparation process, due to the importance of both establishing effective routines and adapting to new environments and situations. These findings provide occupational therapists with insight about the desired outcomes families and school personnel regard as important, and thus should be addressed in interventions. Further, these findings raise important theoretical questions related to our current approaches to working with these students. Occupational therapists often help younger students and their families to develop routines and consistency to support their everyday lives. However, as we consider the need for transition-aged students to develop habits/routines that support their everyday functioning, we also need to help them prepare for the inevitable changes in everyday life both during high school and into their adult lives.
References
Hatfield, M., Falkmer, M., Falkmer, T., & Ciccarelli, M. (2017). “Leaps of faith”: Parents' and professionals' viewpoints on preparing adolescents on the autism spectrum for leaving school. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 17(3), 187–197. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.12377
Henninger, N. A., & Taylor, J. L. (2014). Family perspectives on a successful transition to adulthood for individuals with disabilities. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 52(2), 98–111. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-52.2.98
Sosnowy, C., Silverman, C., & Shattuck, P. (2018). Parents’ and young adults’ perspectives on transition outcomes for young adults with autism. Autism, 22(1), 29-39. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361317699585
Kucharczyk, S., Reutebuch, C. K., Carter, E. W., Hedges, S., Zein, F. El, Fan, H., & Gustafson, J. R. (2015). Addressing the needs of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Considerations and complexities for high school interventions. Exceptional Children, 81(3), 329–349. https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402914563703
