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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Date of Graduation
Summer 2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Educational Specialist (EdS)
Department
Department of Graduate Psychology
Advisor(s)
Ashton Trice
Abstract
Due to early intervention efforts and improved diagnoses, more individuals with high functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are able to attend postsecondary education than ever before (Adreon & Durocher, 2007). However, due to the inherent nature of autism, the transition to postsecondary education can be of great difficulty and cause a great deal of anxiety for these individuals. The purpose of the current research was to explore what is being done to aid in the transition to postsecondary education for this specific population and what is helpful. All participants were male and either had or currently are receiving special education services. Participants consisted of 3 high school students, 1 Blue Ridge Community College student, and 3 James Madison University students. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and participated in an individual interview with the researcher. Overall, it was found that the majority of participants were not involved in the construction of their transition services plans and none of the participants knew the role of a school psychologist. All of the university participants named one person who took charge of their transition to college and are experiencing academic success as a result. Further results are discussed as well as implications for future research.
Recommended Citation
Gieseke-Smith, Krista M., "Transition services in the public school system for adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder" (2015). Educational Specialist, 2009-2019. 13.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/edspec201019/13
