Over decades, there have been opportunities for a lot of disabled children to receive special education that is equal both in quantity and quality. Lately, many people concentrate their attention on disabled students' transition into adulthood, and th...
Over decades, there have been opportunities for a lot of disabled children to receive special education that is equal both in quantity and quality. Lately, many people concentrate their attention on disabled students' transition into adulthood, and the role of parents is very important to ensure their successful shift to adulthood from adolescence.
The purpose of this study was to examine how much parents with children with developmental disorder felt the need for transition education in seven areas, whether or not the grades of school(elementary, middle school and high school divisions) made any differences to their needs for transition education in seven areas, and how the variables of parents (education and total family income) and children(the number of non- disabled child and degree of disability) affected their needs for transition education.
For data analysis, statistical data on mean and standard deviation were obtained in relation to the first purpose, and ANOVA was utilized regarding the second and third purposes. If there appeared any significant gaps, LSD was employed.
The major findings of the study were as follows:
First, the parents whose children suffered developmental disorder felt the strong needs for transition education in seven areas, which was above the average. Specifically, they had the most expectations for family life support, especially financial support. And they had the least expectations for school education.
Second, as for connections between the grades of school(elementary, middle school and high school divisions) and their needs, the parents whose children belonged to high school division felt the stronger needs for residential service, adulthood service and family life support than the others whose children belonged to elementary and middle school divisions.
Third, regarding the influences of the educational background of the parents on their needs for transition education in seven areas, their needs for vocational life was different according to their academic back- ground. As for the impacts of total family income, their needs for transition education associated with everyday life varied with their total family income. The number of non-disabled child made a difference to their needs for adulthood service providers and experts, and the degree of their children's disability made a difference to their needs for school education, vocational life and daily life.
Given the needs of the parents with children with developmental disorder for transition education, school should map out its curriculum in a way to help disabled students lead an independent life, and set up transition programs with parents in collaboration. Far-reaching and long- term transition programs should be prepared to lend assistance to the occupation, residence, family life and future plans of students with developmental disorder, and they also should be helped to live a good life in their adulthood and well settle in local community. Local community should make a preparation for those students to keep benefiting from quality services, and there should be energetic interaction between service providers and their parents.
The government should apply the social security system for the disabled in consideration of the financial needs of parents, and school and local community should be aware that parents' needs for transition education might be different according to their family background variables, and provide appropriate transition education and relevant services to students with developmental disorder and their families in response to their needs.