Abstract
The transition process for young physically disabled people (n = 87) was studied in three districts to determine how it varied between schools, and how it was perceived by the disabled and their carers. The experiences of the young people were compared with guidelines for good practice based on relevant legislation. Results showed that young disabled people experienced a poor handover to adult services if they had no "statement of special educational need" or if they went to further education college. Young people with cerebral palsy or complex multiple problems fared less well than those with spina bifida or juvenile chronic arthritis. There are several deficiencies in the legislation. Physically disabled young people should receive a transition review regardless of whether they have a "statement". The range of severity and type of disorders among the young physically disabled argues for a range of services—the category is too broad to be useful for research, service planning, and provision.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (106.1 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Bax M. C., Smyth D. P., Thomas A. P. Health care of physically handicapped young adults. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1988 Apr 23;296(6630):1153–1155. doi: 10.1136/bmj.296.6630.1153. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Chamberlain M. A. Physically handicapped school leavers. Arch Dis Child. 1993 Sep;69(3):399–402. doi: 10.1136/adc.69.3.399. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- McKinlay I. The Education Act 1993: working with health services to implement the Code of Practice. Child Care Health Dev. 1996 Jan;22(1):19–30. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Morgan D. J., Blackburn M., Bax M. Adults with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus. Postgrad Med J. 1995 Jan;71(831):17–21. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.71.831.17. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ní Bhrolcháin C. M., Klein L. E., Smith M. J. Children with disabilities and the Children Act: who will assess their needs? Public Health. 1993 Mar;107(2):101–106. doi: 10.1016/s0033-3506(05)80406-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Stevenson C. J., Pharoah P. O., Stevenson R. Cerebral palsy--the transition from youth to adulthood. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1997 May;39(5):336–342. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1997.tb07441.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]