Family expectations and transition experiences for young adults with severe disabilities: does syndrome matter?
Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities
ISSN: 1753-0180
Article publication date: 15 March 2010
Abstract
The differential impact of young adult diagnosis on families during the period of transition from school to adult life was examined. Participants were parents of 246 young adults with severe learning disability aged 18‐26. Young adults were classified into four diagnostic groups: autism (N = 30), Down's syndrome (N = 68), cerebral palsy (N = 95) and an undifferentiated learning disability group (N = 53). Research questions pertained to parent expectations about their young adults' transition to living and working environments post high school. Parental satisfaction and worries were also assessed. The results indicated more community expectations of work for young adults with Down's syndrome, and more restrictive expectations for young adults with autism, including more expectations that young adults with autism would move out of the family home into a residential environment. Parents of young adults with autism also worried significantly more about various aspects of transition than other parent groups.
Keywords
Citation
Blacher, J., Kraemer, B. and Howell, E. (2010), "Family expectations and transition experiences for young adults with severe disabilities: does syndrome matter?", Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, Vol. 4 No. 1, pp. 3-16. https://doi.org/10.5042/amhld.2010.0052
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited