Young autistic adults: Transition practices, self-determination, and post-school quality of life

Young autistic adults: Transition practices, self-determination, and post-school quality of life

The purpose of this proposed research was to describe the perceptions of young autistic adults, and their parents, regarding the transition practices implemented during their secondary education. The impact of these practices on the young adults' post-school quality of life (QoL) was also considered. Transition practices are implemented for all students in Queensland secondary schools and are recommended as a guide for the student's education, ensuring that it focuses on preparing students to make a successful transition from school to post-school options. Considering the very specific challenges experienced by young autistic adults in achieving good QoL after school, the effectiveness of current transition practices for autistic students in Queensland schools were unknown. The proposed research was conducted within an overarching theoretical framework of self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2002), while considering the interconnectedness of transition practices and postschool QoL through the well-established and research-based frameworks; Kohler's (1996) Taxonomy for Transition Programming, and Schalock's (2004) Quality of Life indicators. A multiple case study design was used to gather qualitative data from young autistic adults who have made the transition from secondary school to postschool options, and their parents, in Queensland. This research provided a valuable understanding into the relationship between current transition practices and postschool QoL, thus providing a key step in the ongoing evaluation and improvement agenda for Queensland secondary schools. The findings of the proposed research contributed to an understanding of the applicability of these frameworks, and also provided practical knowledge to all stakeholders involved in school to post-school transitions for autistic adolescents and young adults.

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