Packing the Parachute: Parents' Experiences as Their Children Prepare to Leave High School

This study explored parents' experiences as their children prepare to leave high school and documented differences that exist in the transition experiences of parents of students with and without disabilities. Survey participants included 93 parents of students with disabilities and 111 parents of students without disabilities. Three factors were identified representing parents' (a) comfort with the transition, (b) vision for their child's future, and (c) response to the schooling process. Differences were found between the groups on a multivariate measure of their transition experiences. Significant differences were found between the groups on the Comfort and Vision measures but not on the Response measure. The results indicate that parents of students with disabilities feel greater discomfort and pessimism than do parents of students without disabilities. Both groups of parents describe school personnel as important players in their child's transition to adulthood.