title: Transition: a future promise for children and adolescents with special health care needs and disabilities.
abstract: Transitions are a part of everyone's life experience. Most young people with special health care needs and disabilities (SHCN/D) become independent partners in adult society, but some need deliberate guidance and support. This latter group is growing in number. Through a new consensus statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Federal Government (Healthy People 2010), society is recognizing the need to assist young people with SHCN/D in attaining their potential in adulthood. This article discusses the growing number of young people with SHCN/D, their desires for their transition, the definition and areas of transition that should be addressed, and the key elements of successful transition programs. The article ends with a suggested list of actions a health care professional can undertake to foster a successful transition and a selected list of helpful resources for health professionals, families, and young people with SHCN/D.
authors.affiliation: Adolescent Employment Readiness Center, Children's National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Suite 1300, Washington, DC 20010, USA. pwhite@cnmc.org
authors.forename: Patience H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008282:Mainstreaming, Education; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors