Adolescents with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities Transition to Adulthood

This study presents findings of a longitudinal study of the transition to adulthood of high school students with severe emotional disabilities. The sample of this exploratory research included 41 students in the Severely Behaviorally Handicapped (SBH) program and the Transitional Adjustment Program (TAP) in public high schools and a comparison group of non-disabled students in the same community, a mid-sized county in Ohio. Data were collected through personal interviews of the students and their parents/guardians. Participants in the first-year cohort were followed for three years, and participants in the second-year cohort for two years. The report includes quantitative and qualitative findings concerning student and parent perspectives on contributions of school and family to the transition of youth to adulthood.