Tonie Sadler: From High school to Precarity: How disability policies shape the experience of transition to early adulthood for low income young adults with disabilities
The transition to early adulthood can be particularly challenging for low income students with IDD and
their families. Not only are they experiencing change developmentally, but they also experience a
sudden drop in comprehensive day services provided through the US education system and possibly
other types of cash assistance provided through children’s Supplementary Security Income (SSI). During
this period, families often scramble to secure a patchwork of both formal and informal supports to assure
a successful transition to early adulthood. In addition to these challenges navigating various disability
policies and services there is a question of whether these services will facilitate what is perceived as a
“successful” transition from both policy and family perspectives. Using multiple methods including
extended case study methodology and statistical analysis on the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2
(NLTS2), the following study will first examine early adult outcomes such as employment, education,
perceived unmet needs, and social service receipt for students with IDD mediated by family income,
race, and receipt of transition services in high school. Second, this study will examine the transition to
early adulthood for students with IDD from low income backgrounds in Chicago focusing on perceptions
of a “successful” transition within the context of normative policy structures. Perspectives from students
with IDD, their family members, as well as stakeholders including school social workers/educators and
disability service providers will be examined to better understand how families and stakeholders
experience this transition.