The Post-High School Outcomes of Young Adults With Disabilities up to 6 Years After High School

Traditional social indicators of adolescents emerging into adulthood include living
independently, earning a postsecondary degree, obtaining full-time employment, getting married,
or becoming a parent (Haber et al. 2008; Keller, Cusick, and Courtney 2007; Oesterle et al. 2010;
Settersten and Ray 2010). Although there has been a shift in the timing and sequence of adult
transitions these core indicators have remained the same (Furstenberg 2010). As youth with
disabilities leave high school and transition to adulthood, they are increasingly exposed to
opportunities for postsecondary education, employment, and independent living (Newman et al.
2010). Current national policy mandates are holding schools and states more accountable for the
postschool outcomes of youth with disabilities.