New ESRI research highlights need for better transport coordination and work placement support for young adults with disabilities

March 19, 2025

Education
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New research Paths, Tracks, Gaps and Cliffs: The post-school pathways of students with special educational needs published today (19 March 2025) by the National Council for Special Education and Economic and Social Research Institute, tracks the experiences of young people with special educational needs/disabilities from second-level education through the transition into subsequent pathways.

Key findings: 

  • Young adults with disabilities report a high level of positive engagement and reflections on school experiences, although students with multiple conditions fare less well. Students reported liking school’s social aspects, the feeling of belonging to a community and their enjoyment of specific subjects.
  • Students preferred individualised rather than group-based supports. They saw high-quality support as timely and tailored, meeting their individual needs as soon as they became apparent. Criticism focused on supports reliant on formal diagnosis, supports which othered the student or supports that they or their families had to wage a protracted struggle to access.
  • Transition preparation at school was generally perceived positively, particularly among young adults and their parents in special schools. However, the results suggest schools are doing less well in preparing students for adult life, independent living and career decisions. Further, these students, especially those reporting multiple conditions, were less likely to report being encouraged to pursue education or training and to feel adequately supported.
  • Most students surveyed either planned to continue their education or progress to work after leaving school. Family background plays a role in the likelihood of applying for post-school courses and in DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) application rates, with students from more highly educated families more likely to apply. Additionally, a significantly higher percentage of non-DEIS school students made a DARE application.
  • Decision-making is heavily shaped by context. In some schools, a dearth of information on non-higher education pathways pushed students in that direction. While in predominantly DEIS schools, students felt funnelled into PLCs and apprenticeships rather than having access to the guidance they wanted for higher education.
  • Across special schools, a collaborative approach to transition preparation was evident, with active parental engagement. Young adults and parents generally appreciated the thorough Health Service Executive (HSE) system for assessing the needs and interests of young adults preparing to leave which typically began at the start of their school year. However, concerns were raised about access, site visits, and comprehensive support. There was also a desire for increased work placement opportunities, but schools reported growing barriers to organising and supporting student work experience and placements.
  • While many special school leavers successfully progressed to education/training programmes or services, others experienced delayed or disrupted transitions. School personnel repeatedly spoke of challenges around staff turnover in adult day services affecting the readiness of service providers to enrol young adults as planned and the intensity of the service provided.
  • Transport support issues, especially travelling to and from the post-school setting, were frequently highlighted by school personnel, parents and young adults. Addressing this will require greater coordination between the relevant government departments, including the Department of Transport, the local authorities, the Department of Education and the HSE.
  • The need for responsive and accessible socio-emotional and mental health services was highlighted repeatedly and vociferously.

This study uses surveys and interviews with a range of stakeholders in school and post-school settings, as well as secondary data sources like Growing Up in Ireland. These research methods were used to capture the diverse experiences characterising these pathways, involving a range of key stakeholders while centring the young adults’ own accounts of their trajectories.

Prof Selina McCoy, one of the authors of the report, commented: “This study has highlighted challenges in resourcing and staffing adult day services and other programmes, affecting the readiness of service providers to enrol young adults as planned and the intensity of the service provided. This underscores the need for a comprehensive workforce plan in this sector, addressing issues like competitive compensation, professional development opportunities and improved working conditions to attract and retain qualified staff. The evidence also highlights diversity of provision available in different geographic areas, emphasising the importance of policies to ensure equitable access. This may involve expanding services in underserved areas or implementing strategies to make existing services more accessible.” 

Dr Eamonn Carroll, one of the authors of the report, commented: “Leaving school is a watershed moment for all young adults, a time of excitement and opportunity but also anxiety and risk. This study shows the importance of appropriate, high-quality pathways for disabled young people. Where these pathways are available and students are supported along them, we saw young people thrive. Where there were obstacles to participation, gaps in support or no opportunities at all, we saw young people disengaging, or being disengaged from, further or higher education, their pathways cut short.”