Windows of Opportunity: Special Education Teachers' Perspectives on Experiential Knowledge and Student Supports for Transition

• In Event: 61.041 - Moving Disability Studies in Education Theory to Practice: Making the Theoretical Practical for Praxis

Abstract

Although special education teachers of transitioning students with disabilities may have a range of practical knowledge and expertise, they are often recipients rather than co-creators of decisions that can directly impact instruction, resources, and opportunities. Literature has supported paid, integrated employment as promoting self-determination as well as positive in-school and postschool outcomes. These opportunities are critically important for students who experience pervasive barriers due to stigma. This study investigated teacher perceptions of their practice as well as relevant resources for transition. Teachers described strengths-based initiatives used to advocate for students and identified promising areas of support. Teachers emphasized collaborative models for fostering opportunities and providing students with successful experiences, while counteracting some of the deficit-based views that exist across settings.

Authors

• Lydia L Ocasio-Stoutenburg, University of Miami

• Wendy Cavendish, University of Miami

• Kristin Watson Kibler, University of Miami