ABSTRACT
Parents of children with moderate to severe disabilities face greater obstacles and challenges in life compared to parents of typically developing children. Life-course transitions for students with disabilities, such as the imminent transition from public school systems to adult life, often elicits stress-induced emotions and perceptions in parents and students. Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Individualized Transition Plans (ITPs) are collaboratively developed with input from the student, family, and many different professionals in the school systems. Ensuring students and families are able to access proper supports aligning with postsecondary goals for familial quality of life necessitates collaborative input from all stakeholders. This study explored how parents of students with moderate to severe disabilities perceived the IEP/ITP teams and experiences with systems of support as their children transitioned from high school to post-secondary education. Quality of life domains and transition theory provided the conceptual lens to analyze the experiences and perceptions of 9 families with children who have moderate to severe disabilities and have transitioned their children to postsecondary education. This phenomenological study took place during an unprecedented time of the global COVID-19 pandemic;results illuminated unique stories of transition interwoven with the impacts of the pandemic. Findings from this study corroborate prior studies in transitions and quality of life of families of children with special needs. Self-determination, positive family outlook and perceptions of self, as well as culturally and familial sensitive strategies and supports appropriately initiated by IEP school teams, gleaned more seamless transition experiences for positive familial quality of life. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)