Parents' and young adults' perspectives on transition outcomes for young adults with autism.

Sosnowy et al. (2018) asked parents and young adults with autism what a good transition to adulthood looks like. They used open-ended interviews so people could define success in their own words.

The team did not test a program. They simply listened and grouped the answers into themes.

Success looks different for everyone. One person may value a paid job, another may care about having friends or feeling safe.

Standard boxes like employment, college, or living alone miss these personal views.

Krafft et al. (2019) asked the same group almost the same questions and got the same result: parents hope across many life areas, not just work. This direct replication boosts our confidence in the finding.

Webster et al. (2022) seem to disagree at first. Their survey shows schools rarely let autistic students pick their own goals. The clash is only on the surface: Collette shows what success should look like, Amanda shows schools are not doing it yet.

Whaling et al. (2025) widen the lens. They talked to caregivers of adults up to age 65 and found service gaps stay wide after 25. This extends Collette’s point that transition is a long, winding road, not a single finish line.

If you write transition goals, stop using only employment or independent-living scores. Ask the client and family what a good week looks like, then build goals around that picture. One easy step: add a “personal valued outcome” box to every plan and review it yearly.