The Transition to Adulthood for Children with Down's Syndrome

This paper reports on the transition pathways to adult status of 35 young adults with Down's syndrome over a six-year period (1987-93). Despite educational, social and employment legislation aimed at ensuring greater integration into the community, qualitative and quantitative analyses of 'quality of life' outcomes in this group produced a disappointing picture of a narrow range of leisure opportunities, negligible placement in employment, and continuing dependency on parental caregivers in adulthood. Two case studies illustrate how, in the absence of any improvement in opportunities for real integration into the community and in provision of resources to support meeting the special needs of those with learning difficulties, a marginalised group may be being created.