Successful Transition to Adulthood: Do We Really Need to Teach Shopping, Sex and Social Skills?

Abstract

Living independently is an envisioned post-school outcome for many individuals with disabilities. One roadblock for this outcome for individuals with intellectual disabilities is insufficient self-determination or autonomy skills. The purpose of this study was to determine which autonomy skill (i.e., Self & Family Care, Self-management, Recreation, and Social & Vocational skills) was the greatest predictor of successful independent living as measured on the Transition Planning Inventory2 (Clark & Patton, 2006) with individuals with moderate intellectual disabilities. Results show that Self & Family Care is the greatest predictor of successful independent living. Based on these findings, families and schools should address Self & Family Care curriculum and best practices in order to enable individuals with moderate intellectual disabilities to develop skills necessary for independent living.