Promoting Successful Transition to Adulthood for Students with Disabilities

Robert L. Morgan, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation at Utah State University, where he is also Director of the Severe Disabilities Program, Director of the Transition Specialist Master's Program, and Co-Director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Transition Services. He has worked in classrooms as a behavior specialist and transition specialist and has consulted to schools and transition programs throughout the United States. Dr. Morgan has published nearly 100 journal articles and book chapters as well as three books, and has assisted in the development of nationally disseminated educational products for students, teachers, and transition specialists.Tim Riesen, PhD, is Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation and a Faculty Fellow at the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University. He specializes in employment for people with significant disabilities, transition, and adult services. Dr. Riesen has developed and conducted trainings for over 2,000 professionals and parents across the United States, on topics including supported employment, customized employment, work incentives, systematic instruction, transition to employment, and behavior supports in the workplace. His published research has focused on response prompting, school-to-work barriers, and embedded instruction.

"This up-to-date book is a great text for courses on transition education and services. The content in each chapter is very current and comprehensive. The authors focus on evidence-based practices and draw on research on predictors of post-school success. The case studies threaded throughout, as well as the user-focused exercises, make it easy to understand and implement the strategies discussed."--Mary E. Morningstar, PhD, Department of Special Education, University of Kansas"Morgan and Riesen have masterfully interwoven the most current information and evidence-based practices in the field of transition. Examples and thought-provoking questions help to guide readers in applying transition principles to their individual situations. I highly recommend this practical and valuable 'must-have' resource."--Melanie Allen, MEd, Transition Educator, Davis School District, Utah"The book provides an up-to-date overview of transition legislation, research, and practice, with vignettes designed to show practical application. The discussion questions are a useful resource for any transition-focused course.”--Lori Y. Peterson, PhD, School of Special Education, University of Northern Colorado "In a time when transition services are receiving increased attention, Morgan and Riesen address both larger, sweeping issues and the nuances of individual service provision. Transition for students with disabilities is a process, not an event that happens at the end of high school. This book covers in detail the questions that need to be addressed within different educational and adult service systems, while keeping the student with a disability as the central focus. Morgan and Riesen’s attention to all aspects of transition for students and families (such as work, education, independent living) is significant, and provides a perspective that is frequently lacking."--Jared C. Schultz, PhD, Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Utah State University -

• 1. Transition to Adulthood: Creating a Pathway to Independence2. Establishing the Need for Successful Transition Outcomes3. Transition-Related Legislation and Policy4. Overview of Transition Models and Practices5. Transition Assessment6. Transition Planning7. Student Involvement and Self-Determination to Guide Transition8. Transition to Employment9. Transition to Postsecondary Education10. Transition to Independent Living11. The Role of the Family in Transition12. Interdisciplinary and Interagency Collaboration13. Accessing Supports in Transition14. Future Pathways: Opportunities and Challenges