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Articles/Articoli

Vol. 15 No. 1 (2024): Special Education, Third Mission and Social Impact: Reflections and practices for an inclusive community

The Complex Issue of Transition to Adult Life for Youth with Intellectual Disabilities: Views from the Parents

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/ess1-2024oa17433
Submitted
marzo 6, 2024
Published
2024-06-24

Abstract

Transitions, or the obligatory passages between the developmental phases of life, open up an important question mark for young people with intellectual disabilities (ID) who are preparing to finish secondary school. The dilemma regarding the Life Project opens up, to this end the rights affirmed at international and national levels must be guaranteed through coordinated services which must be present and organized with a planning perspective. The objectives of this research are to detect the needs of parents and young adults with ID during and after the transition to adulthood, analyzing their experiences and the factors that impact to it. The results show that the transition period is characterized by disorientation, lack of knowledge and information, lack of trained personnel and job placement is still a mirage for most. Parental agency represents a turning point but sometimes it is not enough. Unfortunately, it is often "luck" that determines the fate of young people with ID. From the analysis of families' needs, reflections emerge for the construction of guidance tools to support young people with ID and their families. 

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