Skills, Behaviors, Expectations, and Experiences Associated with Improved Postsecondary Outcomes for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

An in-depth literature review was conducted to identify the skills, behaviors, expectations, and experiences (SBEEs) associated with employment, further education, and independent living for students with significant cognitive disabilities following high school. Analysis of 53 quantitative and qualitative studies identified 103 specific SBEEs associated with post high school outcomes. We then clustered the SBEEs into 10 constructs. We present the constructs and representative SBEEs, discuss implications for their use, and identify next steps needed to develop a new research-based transition assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities associated with positive post-school transition outcomes.