Communities Speak Up: Supportive Strategies for Successful School Transitions for K–12 Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

• In Event: Vocational and Transitional Programming in Special Education

Abstract

Using community-partnered participatory research (CPPR) practices, researchers partnered with local schools, community agencies and health centers to investigate disparities in access to ASD services. Aims were to: 1) engage under-represented communities in the identification of barriers and needs of under-served families of children with ASD, 2) develop effective interventions to serve the identified needs, and 3) test the interventions through rigorous scientific methods. This paper reports findings from the Building Better Bridges pilot study, where dialogue groups and interviews with parents and providers focused on pre-K through high school transitions. Results identify transition supports (i.e., people, processes), as well as recommendations for parent action, education, and school system change to better serve families with children with ASD.

Author

• Jolan Smith, University of California - Los Angeles