Quality of the Transition Component of the IEP for High School Students With Autism

Oct 15, 2026

The study examined the transition component of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) for 62 secondary students with autism, using a rubric adapted from Indicator 13 under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. Mean plan quality was 10.5 out of 20.0 (range 3.0–20.0), with strengths in Transition Services and relative needs in Course of Study and Transition Assessment. Student factors such as adaptive behavior, IQ, and self-determination related to plan quality, while differences emerged by diploma status and school environment quality; implications guide educators in planning and implementation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Pages13

Reading Time33 min

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Abstract

Compliance With the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) Transition Requirements

Transition requirements for education, employment, and independent living

Relationship Between Compliance and Quality Transition Programming/Postschool Outcomes

Quality of the Transition Component of the IEP for High School Students With Autism Bonnie R. Kraemer, PhD 1, Brianne Tomaszewski, PhD2, Lindsay F. Rentschler, MA2, Jessica R. Steinbrenner, PhD2, Kara A. Hume, PhD2, Sara McDaniel, PhD3, Leann Dawalt, PhD4, Christopher Brum, PhD 1, and Katherine Szidon, MA4 Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals 2022, Vol. 45(4) 200–212 © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2022 Article reuse guidelines: [sagepub.com/journals-permissions](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[ ](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[DOI: 10.1177/21651434221079743](DOI: 10.1177/21651434221079743)[ ](DOI: 10.1177/21651434221079743)[cdtei.sagepub.com](cdtei.sagepub.com) Abstract The present study examined the transition component of the Individualized Education Program for 62 secondary students with autism. Plans were coded using a rubric adapted from Indicator 13 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. Findings indicated a mean plan score of 10.5 out of 20.0, with a range of 3.0 to 20.0. Strengths were noted in Transition Services, with Course of Study and Transition Assessment as areas of relative need. Student characteristics—including adaptive behavior, IQ, and self-determination—were associated with components of transition plan quality. Plan quality differences were found based on diploma status and the quality of the school environment. Implications for supporting educators in writing and implementing quality transition planning are discussed. Keywords high school, Autism, transition assessment or planning Planning for the transition from high school to adult life for students with autism is critical for success in adulthood. Postschool outcomes for adults with autism continue to lag behind those of adults with other disabilities (Taylor & Seltzer, 2011) . The National Autism Indicators report revealed that 37% of young adults with autism in their early 20s were neither working nor enrolled in postsecondary education (Roux et al., 2015) . Young adults with autism also earn less money, work fewer hours, and are less likely to live independently and engage in their community than peers with other disabilities (Roux et al., 2015) . Lipscomb et al.(2017) found that, relative to other high school students with disabilities, students with autism had more trouble completing daily living activities, were less self-determined, had fewer planned activities and social engagement with friends, and were less likely to have paid work outside of school. These findings support the need to improve both in-school and postschool outcomes for youth with autism. One essential requirement to achieving positive adult outcomes is to provide quality and systematic transition programming during high school (Wehman et al., 2014) . Compliance With the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) Transition Requirements Transition planning for students with disabilities ages 16 and above has been universally mandated in the United States since the 1990 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), with modifications of requirements occurring in 1997 and 2004. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004 included transition requirements for postschool goals in the areas of education/training, employment, and independent living (if necessary); age-appropriate transition assessments based on individual needs, strengths, and interests; transition services, including course of study; and annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals related to the student’s transition service needs (Test & Fowler, 2018) . Although the format of the requirements may vary across state and school district IEP documents, these core requirements are regulated by federal law. Since the initial transition service mandate in 1990, researchers have been investigating the compliance of the transition component of the IEP wi

FAQs

How was transition plan quality measured in the study?

Plans for 62 secondary students with autism were coded using a rubric adapted from Indicator 13 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act.

What components showed relative strengths and needs in transition services?

Strengths were noted in Transition Services, while Course of Study and Transition Assessment were areas of relative need.

Which student and contextual factors were associated with transition plan quality?

Student characteristics—including adaptive behavior, IQ, and self-determination—were associated with plan quality components, and plan quality also differed by diploma status and school environment quality.

Oct 15, 2026

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