Getting Ready for Adult Life

Part of our goal in special education is to get students ready for adult life, and I have a few concerns about how we are doing in trying to meet this goal.  The problem, in my mind, is in the definition.

Take a look at this study that was recently completed by a researcher at San Diego State University who reviewed the transition goals of over 1.000 students:

More than 95 percent of students didn’t have an appropriate, measurable goal for independent living, which can include things like learning to ride public transportation or balance a checkbook. He also found that 41 percent didn’t have an educational goal and 21 percent didn’t have an employment goal.

His analysis of this data was that we are doing a bad job of getting students ready for adult life.

Clearly, this researcher used a standard that says adults live independently, ride public transportation, balance their checkbooks, continue their education, and work at a job.  This is why he thought it was bad that we didn’t have goals in these areas.  Where did these ideas about adult life come from, do you suppose??

They came from our laws, which are (I believe) a reflection of how the general public defines things like adulthood for people who are in special education services.  Here are a couple of examples:

Title 5:            The goal of transition services is movement from secondary education to adult life that provides opportunities which maximize economic and social independence

IDEA (Expectations of Special Education Graduates)

The purposes of this title are to… prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living. H.R. 1350, Section 601 (d)(1)(A)

I certainly think that, for many people in special education, these are great goals for adulthood.  The vast majority of adults want economic and social independence, which involves a good job, a nice place to live, and a life of their own.  Our society expects adults to pursue an independent lifestyle.

What about adults who CANNOT EVER become independent due to severe physical or intellectual disabilities?  Are they doomed to eternal childhood?  What should their adult transition goals look like?

Here’s my opinion:  The goals we write to get these students ready for their adult life should be based on what makes sense FOR THE INDIVIDUAL.  This may sound like a no-brainer, but it isn’t.  Go back to the results of the research at the beginning of this blog.  The absence of goals directed at employment and independent living was viewed as evidence that we are doing a bad job getting special education students ready for adult life.  I would say that you can’t draw this conclusion because getting a job or living independently may be ridiculous goals for an individual.

The reason why we developed Special Needs Life Quality Plans is because we need to do LOTS more talking about adult lives that make sense for people BEFORE we set goals for adult transition.  Our goals need to reflect the vision that the person with special needs and their team believe will result in a happy life.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  A happy adult life is all about relationships—not work or living independently.  Do you have a different opinion?  Leave a message.  Till next week—Dr. K.