For many young adults, the transition from school to adulthood is a time filled with excitement and new experiences. For those with disabilities, it can also present unique challenges. Moving from a supported educational environment and accessing adult services is a big leap. What predicts greater opportunities for success in the journey? A cohesive, individualized transition plan—with clear goals and strong collaboration among team members—is essential to ensure continuity and success. Key areas to consider include vocational opportunities, continued education, independent living supports, and community participation.
Washing dishes in commercial kitchens helps students build responsibility, efficiency, and hygiene skills in a fast-paced environment.
Developing social, independent living, and self-determination skills throughout the school years lays a strong foundation for adulthood. Early vocational learning increases confidence and readiness for employment, community life, and further education (VanBergeijk & LaVoie, 2024). Vocational education in high school is a major contributor to preparing students with disabilities for independence and meaningful adult participation.
Understanding Transition Outcomes
There are some challenges that students with disabilities face when considering the move to adult living. National data consistently show that young adults with disabilities experience lower rates of employment and post-secondary education compared to their peers without disabilities. Recent national statistics show persistent gaps in employment for youth (ages 20-24) with disabilities. In 2024, the employment–population ratio for youth ages 20–24 with a disability was 46.9%, compared with 73.1% for those without disabilities (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). This disparity highlights the need for strong transition planning and vocational skill-building throughout high school. Common barriers include limited access to transition planning resources, lack of individualized instruction, and society’s tendency to underestimate what they can do.
Federal laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) emphasize the need for schools and adult agencies to work together to deliver coordinated transition services that prepare students for employment, independent living, and community participation. Yet despite these protections, too many young people leave high school without the real-world skills or experiences needed to navigate adulthood. Meaningful vocational skill-building opportunities during the high school years—such as work-based learning, community experiences, and structured career exploration—are essential in promoting positive transition related outcomes.
Vocational Skill Building
Vocational skill building goes far beyond job training—it prepares students for adult life. A strong curriculum offers several components that work together to support successful transitions. Activities such as job shadowing, volunteering, and classroom-based career exploration enable students to identify what they enjoy and recognize the support they may need, while increasing awareness of their strengths and areas for growth. Early career exploration also helps students discover interests, understand workplace expectations, and develop foundational soft skills—factors that research shows contribute to greater employment success later (LaVoie, 2025).
Strength-focused individual planning through Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Person-Centered Planning ensures that vocational training aligns with each student’s abilities, interests, and goals. This approach promotes self-determination and empowers students to take ownership of their transition plans. Ultimately, strong collaboration among schools, vocational rehabilitation agencies, local businesses, and families is essential to creating successful vocational programs that provide students with a broad range of opportunities in the community and the support they need to thrive.
In cafeterias, students gain experience in a variety of roles, building organization, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
Beyond individual planning and career exploration, there are several proven practices that help students gain the skills and experiences they need for successful transitions. Access to work-based learning and paid work in high school are among the strongest predictors of success after high school. These opportunities include internships, on-the-job training, and school-based work experiences. When these experiences are combined with academic instruction, students gain a clearer understanding of how what they learn in class connects to real career paths.
Supported employment and customized employment offer individualized help for securing and keeping competitive and integrated jobs. Job coaches provide support with learning tasks, adapting to workplace expectations, and communicating with employers. Customized employment further matches job duties to an individual’s strengths while also meeting the employer’s needs. Establishing natural support in the workplace, along with regular check-ins, helps individuals meet job demands consistently, increasing their chances of long-term success and job retention.
Self-advocacy and soft-skills training are also essential. In addition to technical knowledge, young people benefit from strong communication skills- how to ask for help, converse with co-workers, express needs, participate as part of a team, manage time, and solve problems. Self-advocacy skills ensure students understand their rights and take an active role in setting and achieving their goals. Students also need to know when and how to disclose their disabilities and understand and express their accommodation needs.
Stocking vending machines gives students a chance to practice attention to detail, organization, and accuracy so that products are available and accessible for customers.
Recommendations for Educators and Families
For educators, it’s essential to integrate vocational goals into students’ IEPs early and tie them to clear, measurable post-secondary outcomes. Providing community-based instruction that reflects real-life situations helps students apply their learning in meaningful, practical ways. Assessing the need for assistive technology and providing these tools, supporting diverse learning needs and promoting independence. These tools may include alarms for time management and task completion, speech recognition/dictation apps, and communication devices/AAC tools. Educators should also recognize that students with autism and multiple disabilities present highly diverse profiles, underscoring the importance of individualized, strength-based instructional approaches across school, home, and community environments (Petretto et al., 2023).
Families and caregivers also play a critical role in promoting strong postschool outcomes. Research shows that high family expectations, active participation in transition planning, and encouragement of early independence are all associated with improved employment outcomes for youth with disabilities (Lund & Cmar, 2020). It is important to advocate for transition planning to begin by age 14 or earlier, ensuring a smooth path toward adulthood. Collaborating with schools and community agencies during IEP meetings helps make sure that training and skill-building opportunities align with the child’s interests and abilities, setting the stage for a successful and fulfilling future.
Working with computers gives students a chance to develop technical skills, focus, and creativity, including editing video content for social media.
Conclusion
Vocational skill building is critical for future transition outcomes. Connecting to a vocational experience—whether it’s volunteering, interning, or paid employment—adds to a meaningful life. When young people with disabilities are given the right tools, opportunities, and support, they gain confidence, independence, and a sense of belonging in their community. To make this happen, schools, families, employers, and leaders all need to work together. By offering vocational skill building and recognizing each student’s abilities, we support individual success while strengthening our broader community and workforce.
For students who are in their final years of high school and need a structured bridge to adulthood, Perkins School for the Blind’s Life Launch program offers a full-year, community-based residential experience designed specifically for young adults with multiple disabilities and complex learning profiles. Life Launch provides immersive independent living instruction, daily vocational skill-building, workplace exploration, and guided community participation—all aligned with each student’s IEP transition goals. By practicing real-world skills in a supportive environment, students build the confidence, readiness, and routines they need to move toward greater independence after graduation.
The Life Launch Program is now accepting applications and will welcome the first class of students to campus in the Summer of 2026. For more information, visit: Perkins.org/LifeLaunch.
Perkins also offers individualized transition counseling for families and a range of impactful programming and resources designed to assist more academically oriented students who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) to transition to post-secondary higher education programs, including colleges, universities, and Comprehensive Transition and Post-secondary (CTP) programs. For more information on these programs and resources, visit Perkins.org/Transition.
Alexandra LaVoie, MSOT, is the Director of the Transition Center at the Perkins School for the Blind and is a licensed occupational therapist and special education administrator. Alex has worked in the field of blindness education for over 10 years and has a deep understanding of the unique supports and accommodations that are needed for BVI students to achieve their post-secondary goals. She is passionate about Perkins’ mission to empower students with disabilities to unlock their potential and live as independently as possible.
Ann Phelan, MA, CAGS, Manager of Resources and Engagement at Perkins School for the Blind, has built her career in education and human services supporting individuals with disabilities. A former Special Education Chair, she has authored curricula on diversity, bullying prevention, and social-emotional learning, including The Peaceful Classroom, and her nationally recognized work in sexual abuse and abduction prevention was featured on 48 Hours. Her background includes social work, counseling, trauma-informed practice, and mindfulness, and she is a certified Sexuality Education Specialist with expertise in intellectual and developmental disabilities. Since earning her Massachusetts Transition Specialist Certificate in 2019, Ann has focused on guiding students and families through the Turning 22 process with personalized, family-centered transition planning that fosters independence and meaningful community engagement.
References
LaVoie, A. (2025, Fall). Career Education Readies Students for Life After High School. Disability & Inclusion, https://disabilityvisibility.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DI-2025-Fall-PDF-Vol.45-No.4.pdf
Lund, E.M., and Cmar, J.L. (2020). A Systematic Review of Factors Related to Employment in Transition-age Youth with Visual Impairments. Rehabilitation Psychology, 65(2), 122–136. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31894991/
Petretto, D.R., Lucarelli, L., Farris, P., Penna, V., Valinotti, S., Pietro, C.G., Gaviano, L., Berti, R., Pili, L., Zolo, B., and Pili, R. (2023). Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Severe Visual Impairments: Some General Principles for Intervention According to the Perspective of Clinical Psychology of Disability. Journal of Public Health Research, 12(2), 22799036231166314. doi: 10.1177/22799036231166314.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025, February). Persons with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics—2024. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/disabl.htm
VanBergeijk, E.O., and LaVoie, A. (2024, October). Fostering Independence for Young Adults with Autism and Low Vision. Autism Spectrum News, https://autismspectrumnews.org/fostering-independence-for-young-adults-with-autism-and-low-vision/
