Beyond the “service cliff”: experiences of an inclusive postschool transition program for autistic youth with intellectual disability

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.

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Edwards, C., Cai, R. Y., Love, A., White, L. M., Harris, K., Brooker, K., Kendall, E., & gibbs, v. (2025). Beyond the “service cliff”: experiences of an inclusive postschool transition program for autistic youth with intellectual disability. Advances in Autism, 11(4), 385-399. https://doi.org/10.1108/aia-06-2025-0053

Journal or book title
Advances in Autism
Publisher
Emerald
Volume
11
Issue
4
Pages
385-399
Publication date: 16 Sep 2025 Added to AutiHub: 5 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) Full text OpenAlex source

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
8
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 8 (12.5%)
  1. Chris Edwards *
  2. Ru Ying Cai
  3. Abigail Love
  4. Louise Maree White
  1. Kathy Harris
  2. Katie Brooker
  3. Elizabeth Kendall
  4. vicki gibbs

Abstract

Purpose Autistic youth with intellectual disability (ID) are underrepresented in transition research and services, particularly in programs that prioritize social inclusion, emotional wellbeing and autonomy. This study explores stakeholder experiences of Campus Life, an inclusive, postschool transition program designed specifically for autistic youth with ID. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study drew on multiple stakeholder perspectives. Accessible, visually supported surveys were completed by four autistic participants. Survey data from participants were analyzed descriptively to capture their priorities at program entry. In-depth interviews were conducted with six parents, and eight staff participated in focus groups or individual interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to generate key themes across parent and staff data. Findings Participant surveys revealed interest in friendship and enjoyable activities, with more varied interest in work or further learning. Thematic analysis of parent and staff data generated four themes: (1) a supportive and structured environment, (2) growing into independence, (3) finding confidence in connection and (4) uncertain future access to a valued opportunity. Stakeholders perceived Campus Life as promoting psychological safety, social growth and autonomy in ways not commonly achieved through traditional employment-focused models. Originality/value This is one of the few studies to foreground the experiences of autistic youth with ID within a postschool transition program. It highlights the importance of holistic, person-centered supports that extend beyond employment to address broader developmental and social goals. The findings support rethinking what successful transition can look like for this population.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 17:07.

Cited references
37
With a DOI
37
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
0
5 / 37 (13.5%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
0 / 37 (0.0%)
References with detected author names
37 / 37 (100.0%)
Without detected author names
0
Without a structured title
0
Without a stable identifier
0
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
228
From DOI or external metadata
228
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
85 / 228 (37.3%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 143 / 228 (62.7%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
14 / 228 (6.1%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 14 / 85 (16.5%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 12 / 203 (5.9%).
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