Vocational Counselling and Transition Skill Training for Adolescents with Special Needs

Abstract

Adolescence is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood which implies many developmental changes and challenges. One of the most critical turning points in the lives of adolescents is the transition from schools to the world of post-secondary education, employment, and life in the general community as an adult. Developing independence, examining one’s talents and interests, deciding upon a career path and pursuing either employment or additional schooling are just some of the challenges that youth in transition face. Moreover, the children with specific disability and special needs are faced with some serious challenges like un-employability, social maladjustment, and emotional disturbance etc. as the period of transition approaches. These adolescents are unemployed at a higher rate than their general peers, tend to drop out of school halfway, and are more likely to get involved with criminal activities. Thus, the education and rehabilitation of these young children with special needs has really become a challenging field in recent time. Counseling and informal education generally would enable these exceptional children to overcome their disability to a large extent and make them effective individuals in the society. The present paper highlights some of these crucial issues.