Transitioning from high school to adulthood requires young people to master essential life skills, including finding a job and housing, learning practical skills (like communication and computer use), developing their identity and preferences for living in their communities, and managing their learning, health, wellbeing, and leisure activities.
For those facing challenges, particularly those with disabilities, this transition requires support in key areas, including accessing post-secondary education, gaining job training and experience, finding and maintaining housing, navigating friendships and other relationships, and orienting themselves in public and healthcare spaces.
These supports are delivered through crucial services like special education, home and community-based services (HCBS), vocational rehabilitation Services (VRS), as well as through natural supports.
Understanding these layers of services (their offerings, funding, and potential outcomes) is often overwhelming for young adults with disabilities and their families. Resources and guidance are available to help manage this process.
The Institute on Community Integration (ICI) offers extensive expertise in every facet of this journey, including transition planning, assessment, service coordination, work-based learning, post-secondary education and employment navigation, staff training and professional development, and other technical assistance.
We advance this work through a number of federally-funded projects and collaborative initiatives focused on improving outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities. These grants support research, training, technical assistance, and resource development to improve transition services and opportunities for youth with disabilities. Learn more by visiting: The Administration for Community Living Project of National Significance on Transition , HRSA Transition for Youth with Epilepsy, the National Center for College Students with Disabilities, and the Minnesota Inclusive Higher Education Consortium.
Partners
ICI’s Transition and Post-Secondary Education program area collaborates with school districts, transition programs, state agencies, employers, employment development agencies, university centers, non-profit organizations, and healthcare organizations.
Funding
The work of the Institute's transition program area, including this website, is supported by the grant "A Project of National Significance," funded by the Administration on Community Living, award #90DNCE007-01-00.