Abstract
The majority of school-leavers over two years from two special SLD schools in Belfast were individually interviewed (N=34) as were their parents (N=37).The almost unanimous wish of the young people to have a job was not matched by the parents although nearly half of the parents did express the wish that they would have at least part-time work. The majority of young people and the parents envisaged living with the family albeit for different reasons. However there was a strong emphasis on fostering the young person’s independence and living with friends. Consequently only a minority of families mentioned their son or daughter moving into traditional residential care settings.It is argued that it is not just the availability of services that need to increase in order to meet the aspirations of the young people and their parents. Major changes are also needed in their form and function.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 54-59 |
Journal | British Journal of Learning Disabilities |
Volume | 31 |
Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 1 Jul 2003 |