What Do Transition Assessments Look Like for Students With a Significant Cognitive Disability? A Multistate Survey of Educational Stakeholders

Despite challenges educators face when assessing needs of students with significant cognitive disabilities, providing a fair and accurate assessment of skills is crucial to a student's future success. Dismal outcomes for these students indicate the current transition planning process is weak and not appropriate. Research suggests meaningful transition planning is facilitated by appropriate transition assessment to ensure students with significant cognitive disabilities make progress, meet annual transition goals, have individualized supports and services, and receive effective instruction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the nationwide transition assessment process for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Results indicated transition assessments are not fully assessing the needs of this population, thereby denying equal participation and access to inclusive environments.