A Bridge to Nowhere: Experiences of the Transition from High School to Adult Life for Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Ontario

Abstract

The foremost aim of this study is inherent in my primary research question which asks how the families of adult children with intellectual disabilities understand and experience the transition that takes place when their children age out of high school. In order to achieve this goal, I turned to the families themselves and asked participants to recount their lived experiences during this important transition. Throughout my data collection and subsequent analysis, I relied on methods common to interpretative phenomenology to guide my process and ensure its viability. To this end, I have conducted a phenomenological analysis of participant narratives and provide a comprehensive portrayal of how parents experience and understand the transition that takes place when their adult children with intellectual disabilities age out of school. I have strived to embed this study within the framework of the existing literature and policy pertaining to this transition. I have enhanced this research with an original content analysis of news articles pertaining to the post-school lives of adults with intellectual disabilities. Finally, I undertook interviews with community and government representatives. When taken together, these elements illustrate how difficult it is for the parents of young adults with intellectual disabilities to replace the services and supports that they lose when their adult children age out of high school in Ontario.