Life Planning: Transition: Youth and Parent Networks

Parent Networks

Life Navigators of the United States, with chapters throughout the United States, offers significant support to parents of youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Many chapters also provide school to community transition programs. To find out more, contact your Local Life Navigator Chapter.

Regional Parent Technical Assistance Centers provides a State Directory of Parent Centers. Parent Centers serve families of children of all ages (birth through 26 years) with all disabilities; physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and emotional. Services for young adults with disabilities can include housing referral and coordination and employment programs, among others.

Youth Networks

Getting Students to Self-Advocacy�Step by Step Two SLPs help students see hurdles to their self-advocacy and strategize how to methodically build their confidence. By Bonnie D. Singer and Jennifer Mogensen

National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for Youth (NCLD) is a youth-led resource, information, and training center for youth and emerging leaders with developmental disabilities. They develop projects and educational materials to better prepare youth with developmental disabilities for the transition to adulthood. Check out their website or call (877) 871-0744 to learn more about their initiatives in your area.

National Youth Leadership Network is a youth-led organization that works to build power and community among young people with disabilities. They have developed a number of helpful guides on such topics as housing, transportation, life after high school and voting, among other topics. The network also establishes partnerships with organizations across the United States to develop local youth-led initiatives. Parents and youth are encouraged to become members to experience the full benefit of the network.

Youthhood is an online community for teens and young adults with disabilities to gather to discuss and plan their futures. The web site is organized using the metaphor of a neighborhood, with each content area reflecting a place in the neighborhood that youth can "visit." For instance, there is The High School, The Job Center, The Community Center, and several other "neighborhood" centers. By visiting the different locations, youth learn about issues related to planning for a successful transition from high school to adult life.

-