Young People with Special Educational Needs/Learning Difficulties and Disabilities: Research into Planning for Adult Life and Services
| Title | Young People with Special Educational Needs/Learning Difficulties and Disabilities: Research into Planning for Adult Life and Services |
| Author(s) | Kerry Martin, Ruth Hart, Richard White, Caroline Sharp |
| Organisation | NFER |
| Date | September 2011 |
| No. of pages | 38 |
| Key words | youth strategy; youth unemployment; learning difficulty: school to work transition; information, advice and guidance; employer perceptions |
| Description | This research looks at policy and practice for the transition to adult life and services for young people with special needs, learning difficulties and disabilities through interviews with 49 professionals, parents and young people. |
| Select quotations | “Key Findings - Professionals, parents and young people all identified weaknesses in existing transition arrangements for young people with SEN or LDD, resulting in relatively few young people being systematically prepared for adult life.
- Entry-level courses and foundation learning programmes at further education colleges appeared to be the default destination after compulsory education for young people with low to moderate needs, but these were not always well suited to young people’s needs and may not provide an appropriate level of challenge.
- Whilst most young people with SEN/LLDD want to work, adult interviewees identified a number of barriers to them doing so. These include low expectations, a lack of opportunities and support to develop essential skills, and employer discrimination. There are also concerns that young people’s wider needs, suchas independent living and social relationships, are not adequately recognised and supported.
- Services and practices are developing and clearly provide an important source of support for young people with SEN/LLDD and their families. Interviewees felt that several of the Green Paper’s proposals would be helpful in supporting transition to adult life.”
“The meaningful involvement of young people and parents or carers is the key to successful transition planning. Professionals felt that parents vary in their willingness and ability to be involved and point out that young people can be at odds with their parents. Parents suggested that professionals are not always well placed to gauge whether their child is capable of making complex decisions about their future.” “Parents reported a general lack of good and timely information, advice and guidance about how to plan their child’s transition to adulthood.” “Some parents are fearful about the transition, others struggle with the idea that a full-time college placement typically provides only three days of structured activity per week.” “Whilst many of the young people expressed interest in entering employment, adult interviewees identified a number of barriers to them doing so: low expectations; a lack of opportunities and support to develop essential skills; and employer discrimination.” “A number (of local authorities) had successful supported-employment projects, but these could only accommodate small numbers of young people and, due to a reliance on time-limited funding steams, had uncertain futures.” “Young people expressed ambitions very similar to those of their peers without SEN or LDD to have their own home, a car and a full social life. However, discussions about these ambitions were not always followed up with the actions required to realise them.” “The changes proposed in the Green Paper (DfE, 2011) have largely been welcomed.” |
| Link | http://www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/publications/SENTO1/SENTO1.pdf |
