Special-needs students face even tougher transitions in ailing economy

Ashlee Duncan, 19, is moderately mentally disabled and greets strangers with hugs.

At 21, she will age out of the public school system, which provides her physical, occupational and speech therapy. Her parents will have to learn to navigate a new world of services and agencies.

"She's friendly, sociable and loves everybody," said her mother, Joan Duncan. "I've been really happy with the public school and what they've provided."

Leaving that safety net is daunting for parents, a reality made even more trying by the economy. Jobs are scarce and some assisting agencies are hit hard by state budget cuts.

"The transition age is a scary age for parents," said Art Liberman, a transition specialist serving four Charleston County schools. "All of a sudden, the reality sets in. Where will they live? What jobs will they have?"

The range in disabilities is vast, and so are students' potentials, Liberman said. Matching each with the services they need is important.

The Charleston County School District expects 45 special-needs students will age out of the county's schools this year, a district official said.

Meanwhile, the Disabilities Board of Charleston County has a waiting list of 70 people. And because of state budget cuts, the board is unable to fill any vacated positions.

"We now are not taking anyone from the waiting list," Executive Director Rick Magner said. The county board has lost $1.3 million since October and has laid off 15 employees, he said.

The board offers a variety of services, including residential group homes and apartments, workshops that employ people with disabilities and job coaching for those able to seek independent employment.

Businesses contract with the board to provide light industry work. People with disabilities can work in the bakery or wood shop.

Last year, the Duncans toured the packaging workshop, where clients filled bags with items. "That's a possibility if there's an opening," she said. "Other than that, I really don't know."

To tap every possibility for her daughter, Joan Duncan has attended meetings focused on the transition process led by Dawn Rowe, a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

"Once they leave high school, you have to ask for support," Rowe said. Her presentations are part of her research on how best to plan for life after graduation. "We are trying to find effective ways to involve parents."

She listed agencies for parents and taught them the language of insiders, who talk about transition with terms such as "measurable post-secondary goals."

Mac Mayes and his wife, Mildred, also attended Rowe's presentations to get a head start for their 16-year-old son, Ahmad, who is autistic and loves playing baseball with the Charleston Miracle League.

"A lot of kids fall through the cracks," Mac Mayes said. "If we don't fight for him, who will?"

Starting to plan early, often years before students age out, is key. To that end, Magner still encourages people to register with the disabilities board even though enrollment is frozen. "It's better to go on the waiting list as a freshman than a 21-year-old," he said.

When the board starts filling empty slots again, it will take three years to clear the current waiting list.

Christina Markland is a transition specialist at West Ashley High School, where she helps special needs students with living skills such as laundry, cooking and basic household tasks.

Placing students who are able and want to work in jobs outside school is getting tough. "It's heartbreaking," Markland said. "Our students cannot get jobs. Some are getting laid off."

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the January unemployment rate for people with disabilities was 14 percent, compared with 8.7 percent for people with no disability.

Sally Daniel, Charleston County area supervisor for vocational rehabilitation, said, "There are jobs available. You have to look a lot harder and a lot smarter."