AbstractThis study examines how parents, families, .docx

Abstract
This study examines how parents, families, and students with
moderate intellectual disability perceive their role in planning
for post-secondary life of their children. Adequate preparation
for post-secondary life is important due to aging caregivers and
other challenges such as physical, psychological, social and
financial challenges. As a result, without adequate preparation,
the future of those they have been caring for over the years
becomes bleak. Ten parents of students with various disabilities
identified as students with moderate intellectual disabilities and
ten students with moderate intellectual disabilities completed a
survey for this study. Areas explored in the interviews are
academics, employment, independent living, community living,
leisure, and socialization. Analyses of data collected from
parents, family and students’ responses, indicate their
perception of planning for post-secondary life of children with
moderate intellectual disabilities.
Keywords: MOID, IDEA, IEP, TRANSITION
The Problem
Introduction.
As a teacher with years of teaching experience in a

Moderate intellectually disabled classroom, I have often
wondered why parents, families, and students with intellectual
disabilities are not well-prepared for the transition from high
school to post-secondary life. This deduction stems from a
common response of parents and families to issues relating to
the Individualized Education Program (IEP), transition
planning, and goals. At every Individual Education Plan (IEP)
and transition meeting, that I have held; I have always asked the
question: “where will you like your child to be or what will you
like your child to do after high-school?” The parents, family or
student’s answer usually is "stay at home with me or just stay at
home.” This is a concern to me and some of my colleagues in
the school who have found themselves in a similar situation,
thus, making it imperative that I attempt to unravel the
influencing factors. Sometimes we call some of our students
who have graduated to find out where they are or what they are
doing, and we find out they are at home despite all the
information provided to the parents for a successful transition
to independent post-high school life. For some Parents,
families, and students, the IEP and transition meetings are just
another annual meeting for setting transition and short time
annual goals which may not be talked about again till the next
IEP and transition meeting.
The purpose of this study, therefore, is to examine how
parents, families, and students with moderate intellectual
disability perceive planning for post-secondary life for their
children with moderate intellectual disability (MOID). It also
aims at understanding the reason(s) for parents and student’s
apathy towards planning, as well as the limiting factors for
accomplishing the desired planning process for adequate post-
secondary life of their children. This brief qualitative survey
will help give an insight into what can be done by special
education teachers and school administrators to ensure that
students are able to access and gain maximum benefits from
available services and programs as they transition into young
adulthood. Young adults with intellectual and other disabilities

who graduate from high school encountered obstacles when
accessing services from outside agencies, colleges, and
employment organizations (Baker, 2013; Blacher, Kraemer, &
Howell, 2010; Canha, Owens, Simoes, & Gaspar de Matos,
2013; Carter et al., 2013; Kerr, 2013.) Parents of adult children
with disabilities may have difficulty to fully understand the
services available to their children once they transition from
high school programs to post-secondary school life. At the
same time, some parents attributed their lack of understanding
of services to limited access to general information or guidance
from school personnel (Grigal et al., 2011.) Preparation for
post-secondary life starts with transition and future planning
process. Future planning assessment is the first step of all
transition assessments. Future planning assessment is pivotal in
assisting parents, students and teacher to develop a plan to
attend career goals and other lifestyle goals after high school.
If future planning is properly carried out, it will assist students
and families to identify their interests, preferences, and goals
that will prepare them for life after high school. Transition
services help adult students with disabilities prepare for life
after high school in the following areas: independent living,
employment, Community living, socialization, leisure skills,
and postsecondary education. The future planning process for
students with disabilities are planning and at the same time
problem-solving. The future life of a child with disabilities is
very important and that is why transition planning starts early in
the life of a child with disabilities.
.
Definitions
Transition Assessment- Transition assessment is the “ongoing
process of collecting data on the individual’s needs,
preferences, and interests as they relate to the demands of
current and future working, educational, living, personal, and
social environments.” (Sitlington, Neubert, & Leconte, 1997.)
Moderate intellectual disability (MOID):
SPECIAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT GLOSSARY (2014)

defines
A moderate intellectual disability is defined by the GaDOE as
intellectual functioning ranging from an upper IQ limit of
approximately 55 to a lower IQ limit of approximately 40; and
deficits in adaptive behavior that significantly limit a child’s
effectiveness in meeting the standards of maturation, learning,
personal independence or social responsibility, and especially
school performance that is expected of the individual’s age-
level and cultural group. (P. 8)
Future Planning: This is a process of addressing areas of
significance to the individual with a disability, their family, and
other planning team members. This process allows team
members to actively work to help them develop life skills and
also provide real life experiences to be independent, happy and
successful.
IDEA -Individual with Disability Education Act.
Individual Education Plan (IEP): The Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) requires that any students receiving special education
services in a public school
must have an IEP. The IEP is a legal document that includes
the learning goals and type
of services students will receive (Bryant-Davis et al., 2012).
Research Questions:
What are the perceptions of students and parents of MOID
students concerning effective planning from high school to
post-secondary life?
What are the limitations to a successful post-secondary life
planning from the parents of MOID student’s perspective?
Why do MOID students and their parent have apathy towards
post-secondary life planning.
Review of Related Literature
In a research article by Burke, M., Arnold, C., & Owen, A.
(2018), 388 parents participated in a web-based survey on what
they consider to be limitations to future planning for their
children with intellectual disabilities. Through the survey, they

were able to express their view about the challenges they face
with planning for their children life after high school. They
identified the barriers they faced such as lack of available
services, financial challenges, the reluctance of family
members, lack of time, emotional nature of future planning,
inertia, and lack of family members to be caregivers as barriers
to planning for the future of their children with disabilities.
From their perspective, many parents see future planning for
their IDD children as a dream and not a definitive process. Over
50% of the participants reported engaging in only three areas of
future planning activities. Only a few of the parents have
planned for their child post-secondary life. They Some of the
participants reported lack of appropriate residential,
employment, and recreational supports, as a challenge for them
while other participants reported financial barriers and limited
of information as a barrier to planning for their child post-
secondary life. Others showed apathy by not responding.
Parents who are more likely to engage in planning for an
effective transition to postsecondary life where their child with
disabilities will live their best life are those with more formally
educated or connected with disability training and support.
Some of the barriers are (a) lack of available services, (b)
financial challenges, (c) reluctance of family members, (d) lack
of time, (e) the emotional nature of future planning, (f) inertia,
and (g)
a lack of family members to be caregivers. About 39% of
parents said their greatest challenge to planning was getting
information on how to develop a care plan for their children
with disabilities (Burk 2018). Some parents felt they required
more in depth knowledge of the transition process and
postsecondary choices available to their child and how they will
meet their child’s support needs. Some of the parents did not
understand their transition-planning process and their role. 104
participants provided write-in responses regarding barriers to
future planning. The majority 61.54% of participants reported
that lack of services was a barrier to future planning. Parent and

family involvement in the transition planning process is
important to achieve post-secondary success for young adults
with disabilities. On the other hand, parents who attended the
graduate school of some form of transition training were more
likely to report engaging in future planning activities. The
limitation of this study is that they did not engage a more
diverse group for the survey. The participants were primarily
White and highly educated parents.
Some of the parents expressed apprehension with learning how
to navigate the adult agency support systems. Other parental
concerns include (a) identifying residential living options, (b)
determining available employment opportunities, (c) locating
and planning for social outlets for their adult child, and (d)
finding available agency assistance (Chambers, Hughes, &
Carter, 2004; Cooney, 2002; Hanley-Maxwell et al., 1995;
Whitney-Thomas & Hanley-Maxwell, 1996).
In a study by Blue-Banning, M., Turnbull, A. P., & Pereira, L.
(2002), perspectives of Hispanic parents of youth and young
adults with disabilities transitioning from high school to
adulthood, their hopes, and expectations for their child's future
is examined. The parents will like service delivery for their
children with disabilities to recognize the cultural and linguistic
difference of Hispanic children with disabilities. A focus group
interview of 38 Hispanic parents of youth and young adults with
developmental disabilities (e.g. cerebral palsy, autism,
cognitive disabilities was conducted in four states. They had
difficulty articulating their expectations for the future of their
children with disabilities. Their vision is to support the
preferences of their children characterized by their participation
in the community. While some of the parents will like their
children to live in a supervised home, others will like them to
be independent if they have to live outside. Parents considered
the future for their children in three categories-future living,
employment, and leisure options. Most of the parents would like
a caregiver in the future for their child. They also will like a

transition process that will include activities of daily life that
will make them less dependent on other people, improved
communication, self- and vocational skills, the limitation of this
study is that those who participated in the study had received
services by attending workshop, they may not represent the
typical Hispanic in the community. Parents have divergent
views about the most appropriate future residence for their son
or daughter. Some indicated that they anticipated their son or
daughter would live in the family home. Others envisioned their
child living either in a supervised, residential care facility, or
living independently in his or her own apartment or home.
comments implied that living at home was a natural course of
life. It was clear that many of these parents were concerned
about what would happen to their son or daughter when the
parents could no longer care for their child. A central part of
their vision was finding someone who, in the future, would
provide a nurturing environment for their child. Several parents
voiced the desire to find a future caregiver who would take care
of their children when they are not there.
Parental hopes for the future included the improved ability in
activities of daily life that would allow their child to become
less dependent on others. These skills included eating, dressing,
and personal hygiene-skills that would enable them to manage
by themselves. Parents did not often articulate a specific
occupation; however, it was evident that they considered it
important for their children’s preferences to be considered when
getting and job and for such a job to be consistent. Hispanic
children with disabilities will like to remain in the family home.
Their responses indicate the influence of not only the Hispanic
culture but the multicultural contexts in which these parents
live. To provide effective support services to individuals from
culturally diverse backgrounds and their families, research must
continue to provide a clearer understanding of the perspectives
of Hispanic parents concerning their experiences during the
transition and their preferences for culturally responsive
support.

In a study by Camarena, P. M., & Sarigiani, P. A. (2009), The
results from these semistructured interviews revealed that both
the adolescents and their parents have clear postsecondary
educational goals but have significant concerns about the
readiness of postsecondary institutions to meet the adolescents’
needs
Results from Camarena and Sarigiani’s 2009 study, limited or
total absence of social skill were found to be one of the
concerns of many young adults with ASD and their parents. For
an effective and successful transition, social skills training is
necessary for transitioning students with ASD into PSE
environments. Students with ASD tend to have poor social skills
which result in isolating themselves. This isolation can continue
into adulthood ASD students have different needs depending on
the level of the spectrum, either on the higher end of the autism
spectrum or those with more severe impairments.
Parents/families of those who are higher functioning spectrum
start to plan for post-secondary school years of their children by
requesting for both information and programs that can help
support them during their post-secondary life. For the
adolescents' group interviewed in this study, social challenges
played an important role in educational success especially in the
transition from secondary to postsecondary education settings.
At the same time, some of the students interviewed for this
study had difficulty explaining their disability, their strength,
and weaknesses. The mothers noted their children with ASD
were likely to experience anxiety or resist changes needed to
transition to post-secondary education. The limitations of this
study are that this study is not able to capture the diverse needs
and issues of this population with sample participants of only
21 families.
In a research study by Griffin, Megan M.; McMillan, Elise D.;
Hodapp, Robert M. (2010). investigated what family’s
transition-aged students with intellectual disabilities consider

when making decisions about postsecondary education (PSE)
for young adult children with intellectual disabilities. Family
members of young adults with intellectual disabilities who
responded to the survey were180. Most of the parents identified
limited knowledge of information and guidance among the many
barriers limiting their understanding of PSE options. Such
barriers include the absence of information and guidance from
educators and school system, financial difficulty, poor
communication from educators, and different agencies and
services. There were safety concerns over their child’s
vulnerability being taken advantage of by other people. Of the
108 respondents, 94% were parents or guardians, and 91%were
female; in all, 87% of respondents were the student’s mother.
The majority of respondents were White (88%); remaining
respondents were 8%, Black was 1%, Hispanics were 1%,
Asian/Pacific Islander and others were 2% The majority of
respondents were 40 years or older (87%); from urban areas.
From the perspective of the respondents, PSE opportunities are
more beneficial for their transitioning children, but that they did
not think that educators encouraged this option. Most
respondents (73%) lacked information and guidance about
planning for PSE. While poor communication has been well-
documented as a general barrier to effective transitions to
adulthood, this issue was addressed specifically within the
context of PSE planning.
As an alternative to such poor post-school outcomes, a
movement numbering over 150 schools across the United States
has arisen to provide these young adults with inclusive post-
secondary education (PSE) options. The limitation of this study
is that parents’ responses were not confirmed by records,
student observations, teacher reports, or other sources
In this study, Ankeny, E.M., Wilkins, J., & Spain, J. (2009)
examined transition process as perceived by four mothers: They
viewed transition as an ongoing quest for options and
opportunities for their children with disabilities. The four

mothers had children with moderate intellectual disabilities
whose age ranged from 18 to 25. They want their children to be
happy, independent and successful. Some mothers in the study
stated their perspective as follows: “. . . beyond school. We
know that school ends, but I think as parents we tend to live in
the today and the now, but transition should start our brains
thinking about what life is going to be like when school ends
and then to make a picture of what that’s going to look like and
how we’re going to get there.” Ankeny et al.. One of the
participant's concern was the safety of her daughter with
disabilities, They want transition process needs to start early in
a child’s life which can lead to independent living. The
participating mothers viewed the transition process as an
ongoing quest for options and opportunities for their children.
The parents knew how to navigate transition process because
the professionals availed them with much-needed information.,
All of them considered transition planning as a process that
should be started early if a meaningful out is expected. All of
them viewed the transition process from a positive point of view
because they had been to seminars. The participants
communicated often with the teachers. The mothers view the
transition to post-secondary life as preparing them for real-
world things, which take their children with disabilities a long
time to achieve. The mothers felt they were supported by
teachers who enhanced their children's visions, abilities, and
future outcomes. The limitation of the study is that only four
women were interviewed, and they do not represent the views of
that gender whose children have disabilities of various types.
In a research article by Natalie A. Henninger and Julie Lounds
Taylor(2014) examines what parents of Individuals with
disabilities (IDD) consider to be a successful transition to
Adulthood. Parents worried most about their child with
disability’s safety, happy residential situation; strong social
networks; and effective use of his free time in their adult life.
From the parent’s perspective, postsecondary goals should be
more than independent living, employment, and friendships.

Goals like physical health, psychological well-being, and
transportation which are not always addressed in formal
transition planning should be included. The participants in this
study were 198 parents of individuals with disabilities (IDD)
who answered an Internet survey about transitioning to
adulthood. Majority of respondents were mothers About 89.3%
of the parents reported that their child with disabilities was
living at home with them. The parents most common transition
concerns were their child’s interactions with others, and the
ability to care for them self, responsibility, and sexuality. The
result of this study found Nearly two thirds (65.2%) of
participants identified vocation to be necessary for a successful
transition.
.
Since this study was an internet survey based, it is not a
representation of all families of individuals with IDD. A
sample survey of families with a wider range of educational,
socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds may be different or
more varied perspectives on a successful transition to adulthood
for individuals with IDD... The people who conducted the
survey do not know the exact disabilities of the people
who…….
The perspectives of a successful transition to adult life may
differ between parents of individuals with IDD and individuals
with IDD themselves.
may be different or more varied perspectives on a successful
transition to adulthood for individuals with IDD. writers of the
article. The people who conducted the survey do not know the
exact disabilities of the people who
The perspectives of a successful transition to adult life may
differ between parents of individuals with IDD and individuals
with IDD themselves.
8

Margarita Bianco, Dorothy F. Garrison-Wade, Romie Tobin, and
Jean P. Lehmann(2009), in this qualitative study, interviewed
nine families who gave a vivid description of their experiences,
responsibilities, and roles they played in supporting their
children’s transition into adult life. They perceived their roles
as balancing between advocating for their young adult
children’s needs while promoting their independence and self-
determination. During high school transition meetings, some
parents felt helpless when they were faced with unfamiliar
procedures and unexpected obstacle with adult service agency
network. Some parents expressed their apprehension at having
to learn how to navigate through adult agency support systems
and frustration with the lack of collaboration with them. Parents
expressed their concern at the post-school program options
discussed during transition meetings which did not parallel their
child’s capabilities. Many of the families in this study reported
not being prepared to navigate the adult service agency
network. It is probable that the participants in the study had not
envisioned what supporting their children to achieve adulthood
would entail. Some of the parents felt they were ill-equipped for
the new responsibility and the realities that awaited them when
their child transitions from high school to adult life. Some of
the participants in this study felt they had limited opportunities
to understand the new roles they would play after their children
graduates or exits from high school. The limitations of this
study are as follows: The number of parents who participated in
the study was 9 and this number limits the ability to generalize
their views with the perception of other parents who did not
participate in the study. All the participants were Caucasian,
monolingual English speakers and their views may not reflect
other non- Caucasians. It is likely the participants in the study
did not envision the extent of supporting role their children
would need to achieve relative independence in their adult life.
Kendra L. Williams-Diehm and Patricia S in this article,

(2007) surveyed 103 students receiving special education in
Texas to assess their perceptions of the transition planning
process. Students surveyed represented those with mild to
moderate disabilities. They completed a ten-question survey on
their knowledge of and opinions of the transition planning
process that was utilized at the high school. In the interview,
students were asked what they desire for (1) employment, (2)
post-secondary education, (3) independent living, and (4)
recreation and leisure.
This high school where the survey was carried out served 3,695
students of which 15.4% of these students received special
education services. The high school population was considered
economically disadvantaged. The ethnic population of the
school district was 39.9% Anglo, 34.8% Hispanic, 24.6%
African American
However, students should be leading the meeting and guiding
all decisions by his or her senior year in high school. These
results indicate that high school students were not well
informed about the transition process. They were not able to
differentiate between their annual IEP meeting and their
transition plan. The students were asked the date of my last
transition planning meeting and 83.5% of the students surveyed
could not respond to this item. After the interviewer responded
to this question stating that transition planning is required for
all students ages 16 and up and may have been part of the IEP,
only eleven of the students could respond with a question
asking whether the transition planning meeting was done at the
same time as the annual IEP meeting. Only six (5.8%) students
or knew the date of their transition planning meeting without
asking about
Only 10.7% of the students interviewed knew the purpose of
transition plans. Unfortunately, 74.9% of the students stated
they did not know the purpose of a transition plan and did not
attempt to answer the question. (Kandra et al….) When their
interests and preferences for their individual transition plan
were compared to the content of their actual transition plan to

ensure student desires were being recorded, they did not match.
About 54.5% of the transition plans described the career choice
of the student. The students were expected to name a form of
recreation other than “hanging out with friends.” But they did
not do so. Most of the student believed their impute in the
transition planning was valued. The study found that 81.6% of
the parents were in attendance at the transition
Results of this study indicate that students need guidance and
assistance from their teachers, administrations and all team
players to ensure the transition process is working so they can
achieve the desired outcome that best meets their ………….,
The results of this study indicate that there are areas were areas
that need improvement in the current transition process.
Limitations Although roughly 18% of the students served
through special education were surveyed, only 11% of the actual
transition plans were examined.
9
This study Mason, C. Y., Mcgahee-Kovac, M., Johnson, L., &
Stillerman, S. (2002) examines options that can help students to
be adequately prepared for the post-school experience. There is
a concern for lack of significant improvement in post-school
outcomes for students with disabilities has been an enduring
concern in special education (Hasazi, Gordon, & Roe, 1985;
Lock & Layton, 2001; Thompson, Fulk, & Piercy, 2000).
Students have reported that they are not involved in their
individual education plan (IEP) process. They do not feel they
own their IEPs. From the student’s perspective, they believe
need self-direction to be adequately prepared for post-school
experiences and be able to make important daily and life
decisions. Student-led IEPs was introduced to this school four
years prior to this study and 18 (42%) student participants and
four (40%) of the teacher participants had prior experience with
student-led IEPs. 43 students, in grades 9-11 participated in this
study. About one-third of the students who were involved in
student-led IEPs were interviewed. 42% percent of the students

have had two-year experience leading their IEP meetings.
Students indicated that transition plans helped them set goals
for life after high school. From their perspective of transition
planning, they were able to describe the positive impact of
planning on their attitude towards the future. All the 35
students interviewed were able to describe their disabilities, and
the impacts their disabilities have on their performance in
specific areas. The students with prior training on the student-
led IEP made statements their knowledge of the challenges they
have.
Less favorable outcomes occurred in studies of post-secondary
education and students
Anderson, K. A., McDonald, T. A., Edsall, D., Smith, L. E., &
Taylor, J. L. (2016). examined the 31 high-school students with
autism spectrum disorder (ASD) perception of adulthood. They
had two research aims: (a) to report students’ postsecondary
expectations in terms of school, work, friendships, and living
arrangement and (b) to describe how our sample defined
adulthood. The majority of students expected to attain
traditional markers of adulthood after high school. The
interview participants were asked what they expected life to be
like after high school. About 90% of respondents expected to
further their education, 62% planned to work, 42% planned to
leave their parental home for independent or semi-independent
living arrangements. Two of the participants did not expect to
have friends while 48% expected to either maintain current
friendships or make new friends after high school. About 43%
of adolescents expected to continue with their parental and 13%
of those students expect to move out eventually. The result of
this study concluded that nontraditional adult roles should be
incorporated in transition plans and services, high schools need
to prepare adolescents for the uncertainties of adulthood, and
community-based services that help all students attain
employment, living, and social transition outcomes should be
incorporated into planning.

13
Rueda, Monzo, Shapiro, Gomez, and Blacher (2005) used
Sixteen Latina mothers of young adults with disabilities
participated in the study which involved various focus groups.
The study examined attitudes, belief, and meanings of transition
as perceived by Latina Mothers of Young Adults with
developmental disabilities. The Latino mothers viewed their
children as an intricate part of the family. They believed that
educators did not recognize the importance of their personal
knowledge of their children, rather they promoted belief in
professional expertise.
, with varied education qualifications. Latinos are seen as a
homogenous group with a significant population and Spanish
Language. They have lived in the united states between 8-40
years. In this study, only 4 out of the 16 mothers were
employed. Participants were paid a $40 honorarium immediately
following their participation. In the focus group, they were
asked to express their opinion of transition as a home-centered,
sheltered adaptation as opposed to a model emphasizing
independent productivity. Life skill like bathing washing plates,
clothes, cooking l was a high priority for the participants. The
mothers were concerned about their children being taken
advantage of by other people. The viewed care of their young
adults with disabilities as a mother’s own responsibility while
she was alive, and the responsibility of another family member
if she was no longer able to provide care. Some of the mothers
indicated that the professionals did not give them detailed
requested information about their child’s services. Some
mothers felt that there was significantly less supervision in
these work placements than there had been at school. Related to
this concern was the possibility of discrimination against young
adults with disabilities (et al…..) They believe they are the best

advocates for their children with disabilities. Also, the mothers
believed that educators did not recognize the importance of
their personal knowledge of their children, rather they promoted
belief in professional expertise. These mothers did not view
employment, now or in the future, as a major aspiration for their
young adults with disabilities.
This study provides further evidence that there may be multiple
perspectives on transition, some of which may conflict with the
views of transition. The participants were recruited from a
community agency known to the agency. By design, focus
groups, are not generally representative, nor should any attempt
be made to generalize from them. Also, the participants are few
and may not represent the views of all Latino mothers. different
ways of understanding the issues discussed.
In this study, Agran, M., & Hughes, C. (2008). piloted a tool
that required students with intellectual and other disabilities to
provide input their involvement in IEP development and their
opportunities to learn self-determination strategies. Participants
in this study were 17 students who attended classes for students
identified as having moderate to severe intellectual disabilities
from high-poverty urban high school. The survey developed for
this study was on the basis of a review of literature in self-
determination and student involvement in the IEP process and
transition-related activities (e.g., Agran et al., 1999; Wehmeyer
et al., 2000). Only 4 out of the 17 participated reported having
knowledge of IEP. Majority of the students had never been
taught to lead IEP meeting. Students actively involved in their
transition goal planning are most likely to achieve those goals
The study revealed that majority of the students reported that
they were taught to speak up for themselves, only a few did so
during their IEP meetings because few learned how to lead their
IEP meetings. Majority of the participants did not know what an
IEP was, and almost half of them did not attend their own
meetings. The report from this study revealed that the majority
of the students reported receiving some instruction on one or
more self-determination strategies, few students were provided

instruction in having an active role in the IEP process
Zachary Rossetti, Donna Lehr, Dana Pelerin, Shuoxi Huang,
Leslie Lederer. 2016. "Parent Involvement in Meaningful Post-
School Experiences for Young Adults With IDD and Pervasive
Support Needs.." Intellect Dev Disabil, Volume 54, Issue 4, pp.
260 - 272.
In this study, Zachary Rossetti, Donna Lehr, Dana Pelerin,
Shuoxi Huang, Leslie Lederer. (2016) examined parent’s role in
their children’s post-school experiences, their perception and
involvement in post-school experiences by eight young adults
with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and
pervasive support needs. The participants were eight parents
(seven mothers, one father) of young adults with IDD and
pervasive support needs who resided in four US states in the
Northeast Zahary et al sought to determine how meaningful the
parents thought their children's lives were and what the concept
of ''meaningful'' meant to them. In their theoretical framework,
meaningful meant “being active or busy in the community, and
independent from one's parents with peers, staff, or others who
love the individual; engaging in a variety of interest based, age-
appropriate, typical, and purposeful activities; resulting in the
individual seeming happy, being stimulated, and making a
positive impact on others”. Achieving post-school success
should not be limited only to parents of intellectual and
developmental disabilities (IDD)children whose parents have
the resources, knowledge, and experiences to advocate for them
but all parents should be able to achieve post-school success for
their children. Schools and adult should develop individualized
supports would lessen the reliance on parental advocacy for
positive post-school outcomes by young adults. Service
agencies should help teach all parents about the option and
process for the effective post-school outcome. These parents
were active, problem solvers and fierce advocates in children's
post-school experiences. They developed busy schedules filled
with a variety of activities their children liked. They

consistently advocated for them for what they wanted for their
children even.
The participants possessed resources to advocate for their
children, navigate the adult service system, and creatively solve
problems that other parents do no
The limitation in this study is that participants are few and
therefore not representative of the general public. A larger and
more diverse participating families may result in additional
experiences and perspectives
Collette Sosnowy, Chloe Silverman and Paul Shattuck.
In this study, 21 parents and 20 adults with ASD were
interviewed about their experiences on transition to adulthood
in order to understand their perspective of what they consider as
desired out come and how they plan to achieve those out comes.
From parent’s perspective, outcome is based on their child’s
individual abilities, needs, and desires. Young adults with
autism face significant difficulties transitioning out of high
school. A total of 22 person were interviewed (10 parents, 12
young adults), 16 by phone (11 parents, 5 young adults), and 3
(young adults) were conducted via email. From this study
parents expressed divergent views about their child transition
plan to post-school life. Some of the parents expressed concern
about the long-term security, safety, getting needed support and
quality of life of their child disability. Some of the parents who
are concerned about existing supported housing options, want to
be able to customize their child’s living environment. Financial
support for their child is another concern to parents. The
transition plan to independent living indicated the challenges
their child is likely to face with full independent living, like
keeping up with daily task and self-care. Some of the parents
feared their child will be isolated if they did not want to
socialize or had trouble reaching out to others. Others said that
their child would prefer to stay at home

12 young adults participants live with their parents, others want
to live away from home . life. Some f the need significant
support from their families. Young adults and parents had
similar perspectives on the challenges of pursuing college and
the desire and need for services. Most students needed academic
accommodations, such as extended test taking time, and some
used other services, such as tutoring.
Parent and Sibling Perspectives on the Transition
to Adulthood
Cynthia R. Chambers, Carolyn Hughes, and Erik W. Carter
Vanderbilt University
In this study…. investigated parent and sibling perspectives
concerning the transition of family members with significant
cognitive disabilities to adult life. Eight parents and eight
siblings of high school students completed a survey addressing
transition outcomes. The student participants were enrolled in
seven comprehensive high schools., From the perspective of
parents and siblings, they believe they lacked knowledge of
post-school options for persons with disabilities, though they
rarely discussed post-school options with each. They reported
playing more active roles in the transition process than did
siblings. Future employment and independent living were
important to the respondents. Parents and siblings predicted
that after high school their family members with disabilities
would (a) work in segregated employment settings (i.e., work
activity or day center, sheltered workshop, enclave) for adults
with disabilities and (b) live in their parents’ homes. Cynthia et
el….. The limitation to this study parents and sibling may have
identified only postschool outcomes of which they were
knowledgeable
Lehmann The purpose of this study is to explore high school
student’s participation in transition related activities. From the
study students and mother did not observe transition related
process occurring both in school and at home. Qualitative study

was carried out for a period of 9 months. The study focused on
12 students with disabilities. Participants were drawn from both
urban and rural schools. Eight students were 16 to 18 years of
age, two were between 14 and 15 years. Their mother’s
perception is that they did not participate in formal activities to
help their children with disability get ready for their future.
Mothers assisted their children with transition process like
facilitating friendship. The students in the study did not have
any knowledge of post school out comes. There were few
opportunities for students with disabilities to practice skills
related to self-advocacy, empowerment and leadership
activities. The mothers expressed frustration at not being give
enough information about transition process and planning by the
teacher. the study concluded need for students with disabilities
to possess some level of self-determination in order to reach
future goals. Because the teachers had limited communication
about transition related activities with the parents, the parents
tried to achieve some of the same goals through the nature of
parenting instincts. The mothers believed there were not a lot of
opportunities available for their children. The report indicated
the students were not observed to be involved in the transition
process. From the students perspective, they had little
knowledge or interest about postschool outcomes. They were
passive recipients of transition-related information and did not
really engaged in transition-related activities.
Conclusions drawn from the study are that (a) transition is more
of a promise than a reality for many due to limited resources
and confusion about roles; (b) transition meetings are an
important venue for linking students' involvement to the
transition process; and (c) although teachers and mothers desire
student involvement, achieving this involvement will require
changes in everyone's role. It is important for both the teachers
and administrators to keep a consistent open communication
with parents and constant readjustment of transition plans. A
lack of transition-related opportunities in school means students
have no choices to make.

Cheak, Z. N. C., Teti, M., & First, J. (2015). used two focus
group to explore the perspectives of youths with ASD and their
caregivers by examining their social, education, vocation needs
, service needs, barriers and coordination. The result of this
study indicated that both groups experienced fear and anxiety
about transitioning with a lot of needs that are not met.
The youth with disabilities does not know how to accomplish
their future goal and they are hesitant to talk to caregivers. The
result of this study concluded that there are unmet needs for the
caregivers and youth with ASD. When the families are more
involved in the lives of their young adults with disabilities
successful outcomes will be achieved and maintained. The
participants in this study were youths with ASD and their
caregivers. Young participants were 13 and their age ranged
from 15 to 22 years while the caregivers were 19 were primarily
female (n = 17) and lived in the same home as the youth.
Majority of the caregivers were parents of a youth with ASD.
They live in the same home together. Both caregivers and
youths expressed concern and anxiety due to limited availability
of service like social, educational and vocational assistance
services. Caregivers helped youth with various tasks like
cooking, driving, cleaning, finance management and basic
chores. There is lack of educational, employment opportunities
for adolescents with ASD. They did not receive adequate a
transitional service.
From the perspective of the participants, education and vocation
needs were on the uppermost in their mind.
The purpose of the study by Rabren, K., & Evans, A. M. (2016).
was to examine how parents of children with disabilities’
perceived transition and received assistant for improvement.
Three focus groups of parents of students with disabilities in
one southeastern participated in this study. There were 23
parents representing 26 students with disabilities because some
parents had more than one child with a disability. Six areas of
parental concerns about transition weir identified: (a) transition

preparation, (b) integration, (c) adult services, (d) parent
support, (e) advocacy, and (f) professionals’ roles. s parent 21
The participants were apprehensive over their child safety.Other
parental concern were self-awareness, community awareness,
socialization, communication, employment, Independent living
and education . One of the parent participants asked “Do I
prepare for being at home full time with him?. Sharing this
concern, another participant stated, “We want him to be secure
and to provide him some skills for future living. We want them
to gain future independence to know they’re taken care of so we
can rest easy and in peace” (Parent 22). However, the
limitations of transition planning included a lack of readiness to
transition to life post-high school with an emphasis on
establishing relationships, managing societal pressures and
coping with a lack of community resources The result of this
study indicated there is need for transition professionals to
collaborate with parents of children with disabilities complete
and seamless services because of the list of transition concerns
they have..
Packing the Parachute: Parents' Experiences as Their Children
Prepare to Leave High School.
Whitney-Thomas, Jean; Hanley-Maxwell, Cheryl
Exceptional Children, v63 n1 p75-87 Fall 1996
Whitney-Thomas & Hanley-Maxwell (1996) examined parents’
experiences as their children prepared for life after high school
and found that parents of students with disabilities share some
of the same concerns as parents of children without disabilities.
From the parents perspective, they indicated their concern about
their young adults with disability being able to live
independently, make good decisions and manage their finances.
The families of the students with disabilities have been
integrally involved as they plan their futures in both college and
in finding a job (Morningstar, 1997). The parents were actively
involved as advocates in the transition process but found that
time period filled with challenges and unknowns.

Pleet. A., & Wandry, D. (2010). Building transition partnerships
with families of youth with emotional or behavioral disorders.
In D. Cheney (Ed.) Transition of Secondary Students with
Emotional or Behavioral Disorders (pp.79-118). Champaign,
Illinois: Research Press.
SURVEY------
This survey has been developed to obtain responses from
parents /families and adult students with moderate intellectual
disabilities about their personal /future plan for
themselves/their children for post-secondary life. It is also
aimed at understanding the views of students with moderate
intellectual disabilities/their parents about planning process for
their post-secondary life. This study explored 9 young adults
with moderate intellectual disabilities and their parents/family
on planning for post-high school life. An understanding of their
perspective will help us as teacher to understand areas of
improvement because it is all about the student with disability
living their best life after high school.
1. What are the parents’ means of accessing information to
achieve their desired and expected post school goals for their
young adults?
2. What is the relationship between (1) parental involvement; -
rewrite
(2) access of information regarding the transition
process, options, and outcomes for youth with moderate
intellectual disabilities; and (3)
parents’ desires and expectations for their young adults’
postsecondary outcomes?
Participants and Setting
The participants in the study include(n=9) parents of (n = 9)
current high school students who are receiving individualized
education plans (IEPs) and transition plans for various

disabilities under the category of Moderate intellectual
disability. (ASD, Down syndrome, Intellectual developmental
IDD). (n=4) of the participants are diagnosed with
Autism……(ASD)of different levels of severity, (n=2) are
identified with down Syndrome, (n=1) has traumatic brain
injury, (n =2) is identified as having intellectual developmental
disparity. The students are in their senior year of high school.
They were recruited from two MOID class in one high school.
(B high school in Di county school district). The students who
participated were (n=1) Vietnamese, (n=2) White and (n=6)
Black. The high school where the survey was administered was
notified of the need for the study. Consent was obtained from
the school administrator, and the parents of the students to
participate. Paper surveys were administered in the school by
the research student. Parents completed and returned their paper
survey. Participants were chosen based on their proximity to the
researcher and their willingness to complete the paper survey
Running head: STUDENT ASSESSMENT 1
STUDENT ASSESSMENT 6
Antony Jacob
Cheanel Nolden
April 17, 2019

Student Assessment
Elements of worthy Object for Program Evaluation
The student assessment plan is an individual and programmatic
scheme that is concerned with examining student’s
competencies. The program deals with analyzing individual
student’s social and academic abilities through strategies that
identify student’s strengths and weaknesses with regards to
academic, innate talent, and social parameters. The
programmatic nature of the program is concerned with learning
functions and student’s decision-making functions. In order for
students to participate in their learning processes
constructively, the learning process should be supported by
programmatic schemes that can positively influence the learning
process (Heeneman et al., 2015). As such, the student
assessment program is a supportive and programmatic tool that
seeks to aid in student development and improvement of the
learning process. There will different types of stakeholders to
develop, evaluate, and administer the program to ensure its
success. Teachers who teach different classes will be involved
in developing the assessment program in collaboration with
some parents and counselors because they are the ones who
fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of each student.
Education stakeholders such as administrators will be needed to

analyze the feasibility of the program with regards to the
requirements needed for its effective implementation. Teachers
will be responsible for implementation of the program. The
target population for the student assessment program includes
students in K-12 classes because the program seeks to mentor
and improve student’s competencies as early as possible.
Program Purpose and Expected Results
The student assessment program was idealized in 2018 and has
been undergoing different developments and improvements so
that it is almost in its last stages to implementation. The main
purpose of the student assessment program is to improve
individual student’s competencies in all angles of life from
social skills, personal talent development, improvement of
student’s critical thinking skills, and aligning the educational
process to suit students’ needs and future career prospects to
increase their chances of success in their professional life in the
future (Conley, 2015). Through purposeful selection of specific
learning outcomes, a compilation of aggregate information will
be used by students individually or collectively to empower
them to induce self-directed learning amongst students.
The program is expected to improve students’ critical
thinking skills, and to enable them to learn and appreciate
education through motivational elements that are part of the
program. Further, the program is also expected to improve the
robustness and quality of student assessment processes to
include social and congenital skills so that students can value
the wide dimension of education that focuses beyond academic
performance alone (Heeneman et al., 2015). Besides, the
program seeks to add value to student assessment processes to
motivate students so that they can value education and become
focused on identifying the right career and how to integrate
their education in their personal, social, and future professional
lives.
Reasons for Selecting the Program
One of the main reasons for selecting the program is its
potential to have positive impacts on student’s views and

attitudes towards education. The student assessment program
has the potential to motivate students to like education, and to
look at education positively because it expands the scope of the
traditional student assessment model that mainly focuses on
student’s academic performance. The program seeks to examine
and facilitate the development of student’s social, intellectual,
and innate skills. As such, students are likely to find it
fascinating because its multidimensional nature has the
potential to explore the interests of all students with regards to
career preferences. The second reason is its relevance. The
program is relevant because it enables students to realize that
there are important areas in life that they are good at even if
they did not perform excellently in their academic work. The
third reason is that the program is cheap and does not require a
lot of resources to implement.
Advantages of Evaluating the Program at This Time
There are various benefits that come with evaluation of the
program within this period. First, the outcome of the assessment
can be returned in a timely fashion to students as soon as each
evaluation process is complete (Heritage, 2010). In so doing,
the students can understand the areas that they need
improvement. The second benefit rests in the fact that both the
students and instructors are kept informed of all students’
progress, both with respect to the objectives of the study. This
forms the essence of formative student assessment, which is
often done on a continuous basis. Further, by embracing a more
formative method of assessment, the evaluation gives room for a
more comprehensive process (Heritage, 2010). For instance,
each section of a subject can be evaluated in more details that
would have been possible with the utilization of a single final
examination. As such, remedial work may be done as prescribed
at the most relevant period.
Major Constraints in Conducting the Evaluation
There are various constraints that are associated with
evaluations mechanisms used in the student assessment
program. First, the inflexibility of the institutional systems,

policies, and procedures pose major obstructions. For instance,
institutional policies and procedures are only designed to
support the traditional standardized academic approaches to
assessment. In so doing, it focuses on academic contents alone
(Heritage, 2010). This fails to give room for other important
areas of students’ life such as their application of theory and
technical skills, as well as their attitudes and critical thinking.
Inflexibility in the evaluation process may also fail to examine
students’ communication skills, problem-solving capabilities,
and team-spirit. The second constraint emerges when the
summative final assessment bears no relationship with the
formative assessments and thus departs from what has been
learned.
References
Conley, D. (2015). A new era for educational
assessment. education policy analysis archives, 23, (8), 1-
41.
Heeneman, S., Oudkerk Pool, A., Schuwirth, L. W., van der
Vleuten, C. P., & Driessen, E. W. (2015). The impact of
programmatic assessment on student learning: theory versus
practice. Medical education, 49(5), 487-498.
Heritage, M. (2010). Formative assessment: Making it happen in
the classroom. New York:
Corwin Press.

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