# Defining Transition and Transition Success: Perspectives From Different Stakeholders

## TL;DR

This study explores how different stakeholders define transition and successful transition for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Czech Republic.

## Contribution

The paper provides new insights into stakeholder perspectives on transition success for youth with disabilities.

## Key findings

- Successful transition involves gaining independence and having a job or meaningful activities.
- Transition needs holistic support and diverse resources to be successful.
- Current definitions of transition success often overlook non-employment outcomes.

## Abstract

Although research has identified that the transition to adulthood for young persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities is not linear, little is known about how young persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, parents, and teachers conceptualise transition, particularly successful transition. The focus of this paper is on how the different stakeholders conceptualised transition and what constitutes successful transition, in general, and for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Thematic analysis was applied to 8 focus groups with 84 participants, exploring transition and successful transition in the Czech Republic.

Five themes emerged, including gaining independence, having a job and opportunities as everybody else, satisfaction with life, and transition of youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities as an important issue which needs to be addressed.

Our findings point to the need for recognising different outcomes of successful transition from postsecondary education to adulthood, not just those primarily related to employment.

Participants understood transition in terms of outcomes. Successful transition is about gaining independence, which comes with increased responsibility. Having a job and inclusion of other forms of meaningful activities is also important for a successful transition. This is important in a global climate of economic crisis, increasing technology and automation, and fewer jobs for the general population.The importance of transition for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities is not often recognised. It needs to be understood and addressed holistically.Availability of just the right and diverse support is the key to a successful transition.Future research could gather more detailed examples of transition successes and of what happens when transition support is not available or fails.

Participants understood transition in terms of outcomes. Successful transition is about gaining independence, which comes with increased responsibility. Having a job and inclusion of other forms of meaningful activities is also important for a successful transition. This is important in a global climate of economic crisis, increasing technology and automation, and fewer jobs for the general population.

The importance of transition for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities is not often recognised. It needs to be understood and addressed holistically.

Availability of just the right and diverse support is the key to a successful transition.

Future research could gather more detailed examples of transition successes and of what happens when transition support is not available or fails.