The child-to-adult transition for Albertan youth with disabilities
Date
2019-07-19
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
PolicyWise for Children & Families
Abstract
Youth with disabilities often face challenges in the child to adult transition. This report identified challenges Albertan youth with disabilities face during the child to adult transition using administrative data from 2005/06 to 2010/11. Analyses examined four challenges faced by these youth: (1) educational outcomes and support use, (2) health care use, (3) corrections involvement, and (4) homelessness. This report found that after the child-to-adult transition youth with disabilities had lower educational achievement, higher dependence on public supports, less use of health care services related to their needs, higher corrections involvement and a greater likelihood of being identified as homeless compared to youth without disabilities. In addition, the report found social risks and service use patterns associated with these transition outcomes. These findings provide policy-relevant evidence that policymakers and support providers can use to inform strategies on how to support youth in the critical child to adult transition period.
Description
This report describes children and young adults with disabilities’ trajectories as they transitioned from child to adult supports sometime between 2005/06 and 2010/11.
Keywords
special education, disabilities, youth, transition, big data, longitudinal, social services, health services, administrative data, data linkage
Citation
Child and Youth Data Laboratory. (2019). The child-to-adult transition for Albertan youth. Edmonton, AB: PolicyWise for Children & Families.