Failure to Launch: Occupational Therapy for Effective Transition Planning During the School Years

Course overview

In today’s society where we have civil rights legislation, such as the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act, one might suppose that most citizens with disabilities can attain fulfilling lives in adulthood. Despite sharing the same aspirations as their nondisabled classmates, research shows that, for a variety of reasons, young adults with even relatively mild disabilities, such as high-functioning autism disorders and mild intellectual developmental disability, rarely grow up to have careers, a circle of friends, or to live apart from their parents. The cumulative effects of this “failure to launch” are costly to young adults, families, and society. New approaches to transition planning are clearly needed. Having satisfying paid work is a lynchpin to many facets of successful adulthood, including self-sufficiency, respected roles, and social relationships. School-based occupational therapists are well positioned and equipped to help students with career development, starting in the early grades and continuing through high school. This continuing education program describes specific ways to weave career-focused occupational therapy services into direct intervention sessions during the elementary, middle, and high school years.