Parents' perceptions of postschool years for young adults with developmental disabilities.

Bianco et al. (2009) talked with parents of young adults who had developmental disabilities.

The young adults had just left school.

Parents told stories about what they do every day to keep their son or daughter safe and busy.

Parents said they wear four hats at once.

They fight for services, teach daily skills, watch for danger, and push agencies to change rules.

These jobs overlap all day, every day, with little outside help.

Sosnowy et al. (2018) asked both parents and autistic youth the same question.

They found the same heavy load on parents, but youth added their own goals like making friends or gaming clubs.

The picture is bigger than parents alone.

Whaling et al. (2025) talked to caregivers sixteen years later.

Barriers are still high, money is still tight, and parents still run the show.

The role has not shifted to paid staff or better systems.

Gauthier-Boudreault et al. (2017) looked at adults with profound ID.

Those parents reported even starker gaps in diapers, transport, and respite.

The lighter the disability, the more parents focus on jobs and college; the deeper the disability, the more they hunt for basic care.

If you write transition plans, list the unpaid jobs parents already do.

Build goals that reduce that load, not add to it.

Add objectives for caregiver training, respite vouchers, and sibling support.

When you measure success, count parent stress and free time, not just client skills.