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Adulthood, Transition to

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Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Definition

For the purposes of this entry, the transition to adulthood is defined as exiting the secondary school system, resulting in the termination of services received through the school system. High school “exit” is differentiated from “graduation,” as some individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) “graduate” with same-aged peers, but continue to receive secondary school services until age 22. We expect that these youth will be more affected by losing school services than by graduation. Thus, high school “exit” refers to the termination of school-based services.

Historical Background

The transition to adulthood for adolescents without disabilities has traditionally been identified as completing a number of developmental tasks of adulthood. These tasks been well identified, stemming from Freud’s notion of “love and work” (cited by Hazan & Shaver, 1990), and most often include leaving the parental home, finishing school and starting employment, and marrying and having...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University, Peabody Box 40-230 Appleton Pl., Nashville, TN, 37203, USA

    Dr. Julie Lounds Taylor (Assistant Professor of Pediatrics)

  2. Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA

    Dr. Marsha Mailick Seltzer

Authors
  1. Dr. Julie Lounds Taylor
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  2. Dr. Marsha Mailick Seltzer
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Correspondence to Julie Lounds Taylor .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Psychology Yale University School of Medicine, Chief, Child Psychiatry Children's Hospital at Yale-New Haven Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar (Director, Child Study Center) (Director, Child Study Center)

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Taylor, J.L., Seltzer, M.M. (2013). Adulthood, Transition to. In: Volkmar, F.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_441

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_441

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1697-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1698-3

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

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