 by Jessica Awsumb, Erik Carter, Ben Schwartzman, Michele Schutz, and Leah Burgess -- Equipping students with severe disabilities for the world of work has been the longstanding emphasis of transition education. A good job enables young people to connect to their community, to assume valued roles, to contribute to local needs, to develop friendships, to find purpose, to experience personal satisfaction, and, of course, to earn a paycheck. Adolescence is a critical period for employment preparation. Indeed, paid employment during high school is a normative experience for youth without disabilities. However, the opposite is true for students with severe disabilities.
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