Rural Transition: What Are the Limitations?

Abstract Transition to adult life and adult service settings is challenging for any student with severe intellectual and multiple disabilities, but more so if she or he lives in a rural area. This article discusses the barriers to effective transition in rural communities using Oklahoma as an example and describes a community survey procedure used to identify opportunities for youth in rural communities in this state. John is 16 years of age and has intellectual disabilities. Assessment personnel have had difficulty in accurately determining his level of cognitive ability. He also has physical disabilities and limited vision. John continues to wear a diaper due to limited toileting skills. Although efforts have been made to develop John's vocational skills, he continues to struggle with basic communication and daily living skills of caring for his basic needs. His special education teacher has not been successful in locating job training or a sheltered work environment within close proximity to the community where John lives. John's parents are concerned that John will be placed in a residential facility a great distance from their home. They would like to be able to find a community living arrangement for John that would enable them to maintain daily contact with him. The small school district does not employ a job coach or any full time transition professional. The special education teacher serves all students who receive special education services in the small rural school. Despite being aware that a transition plan is needed, the IEP team has been limited in its ability to provide for John's transition needs. Few businesses are available in the small community, and social services are spread thin across the state. A transition plan guides the lives of people with special needs. Major components of the plan consider how the individual is prepared to integrate into the community setting. Subsequently, transition for secondary students is defined as the movement of a person with special needs from the public school to their adult life in the community. How do we effectively plan transition for a student with severe intellectual and multiple disabilities? This question will be difficult to answer in most situations; however, it is rather daunting for parents and professionals in small rural communities. When the authors discussed the issue of transition with colleagues, the general consensus of opinion is that there is little available in rural communities for individuals with more severe disabilities. Further, there may be a lack of hope, on the part of these educators and their families that the situation will improve in the near future. Approximately 25% of the US population is located in rural areas (Sarkees, 1990). Barriers in rural areas of Oklahoma include a lack of occupational diversity, limited industry, limited or no public transportation, and high unemployment. Theobald (1996) suggested a major issue in transition of students with disabilities is high unemployment and rural poverty. If there is little or nothing available for adults with severe disabilities in rural areas, parents and special educators are faced with relocation issues or helping parents adjust to being full time care givers during the time they would ordinarily be working. The state of Oklahoma is largely a rural state. The descriptions noted in the previous paragraph have been applied to all areas outside the major metropolitan regions. Despite the apparent agreement among educators when involved in general discussion, few are able to provide specific examples of the lack of transition opportunities. It would appear that efforts are needed to more specifically describe the availability of transition opportunities for students with severe and multiple disabilities in rural Oklahoma. For the purposes of this paper, students/persons with intellectual and multiple disabilities will be referred to as having "low incidence disabilities. …