Parent perspectives on what is important when schools are preparing autistic young adults for transition to post-school life.

Autistic young adults often encounter barriers when transitioning on from secondary school and into adulthood. Preparation for the transition is known to be key, but what is important for schools to prioritise during these preparations remains under explored within current research. Using an online questionnaire, this preliminary study invited 51 parents of autistic young adults to discuss and rank the importance of skills, activities, and supports that schools could consider during transition preparations. Descriptive statistics and inductive content analysis of data revealed that schools need to take a holistic approach to skill development during transition preparations. Parents also indicated the need for personalised transition preparation. Finally, parent responses indicated inconsistency across schools’ approaches to transition preparation. Together, these results reinforce what is known about the importance of personalised transition preparation for autistic young adults, and indicate key areas upon which these preparations may focus, such as the development of important life and academic skills. This study also highlights the need for a systemic approach to consistent transition preparation. Consequently, findings of this preliminary study may guide schools as they work to increase the effectiveness of their preparations designed to support autistic young adults’ successful transition to post-school life.