Parents’ Perspectives on school-Based Supports During the Post-Secondary Transition of Australian Students with Cerebral Palsy

The post-secondary transition is often challenging for students with cerebral palsy who report lower completion rates of higher education and participation in employment after leaving school. Parents/guardians of 19 students with cerebral palsy responded to a survey examining the helpfulness of transition supports using Likert scales and open-ended questions. Parents in mainstream and special education schools rated school-based supports as very helpful particularly those involving information about the transition process and post-secondary options. Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses revealed that parents relied heavily on schools to provide information. Less than 50% of students had transition plans and no students reported participating in work experience despite it being considered best practice during transition. Only one third of students were engaged in further education after leaving secondary school and none were employed underscoring the need to provide practical supports such as work experience and transition plans with realistic, meaningful and measurable goals.