For young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), planning for adulthood begins in Year 9 (the school year in which a child has their 14th birthday), and in some cases will continue until their 25th birthday. We often call this phase in life 'transition' or a 'transition to adulthood'.
It's often hard for a young person to think about what they may want to achieve from their adulthood when they are in their early teens. But early planning is the key to success and so it's really helpful if parents and carers can work with their young people to start thinking about this.
All young people should be helped to develop the skills and experience, and achieve the qualifications they need to succeed.
To find out more, take a look at our 'Preparing for Adulthood - Employment' page
Independent Living means young people have choice, control and freedom over their lives and the support they have, their accommodation and living arrangements.
You can find out more on our page Preparing for Adulthood - Independent Living.
Friendships, relationships and being a part of the community, are important to a young person's quality of life. There are many ways to get involved other than being in education or employment.
To find out more take a look at our 'Preparing for Adulthood - Friends Relationships & Community' webpage
Growing up and becoming more independent it is important to be aware of your health needs and how to look after yourself.
There are a range of health services available for young people with special educational needs and disabilities such as: GPs, hospitals, dentists, pharmacists, and opticians. In some cases, you may need to access specialised services which may be different depending on your need.
To find out more, take a look at our 'Preparing for Adulthood - Good Health' webpage
Parents have also asked for a comprehensive guide to transitions and we have worked with Family Voice to produce the Transition to Adulthood - A Parents Guide, which you can find on this page.
We have also published a documnent 'frequently asked questions' that has been written to help parents prepare and plan for the move to adult services at 18 years.
How can we support young people with SEND to be prepared for adult life?
View a series of Power Point slides that summarise a webinar given by Julie Pointer the Preparing for Adulthood lead at the National Development Team for Inclusion.