Quality of Life as a Conceptual Framework for Evaluating Transition Outcomes

When the transition movement began as a federal initiative in 1984, it was conceptualized as “an outcome-oriented process leading to employment.” Although many educators viewed this narrow focus on employment as too constrictive, an alternative framework for conceptualizing transition outcomes has been slow to develop. This article explores a broader framework, quality of life, organized around three topics: (1) theoretical issues that pertain to the definition and conceptualization of quality of life; (2) research findings that provide support for quality of life as an outcome framework for evaluating transition programs and services; and (3) a few suggestions about issues we should address as we move through the 1990s.