ASD is a complex developmental disorder with  characteristics that can range from mild to more pronounced (see fig. Most School Districts Reported Providing Life and Social Skills Services; Other Services Varied Based on Factors Such as Size and Poverty Level

		School Districts Reported Providing Life and Social Skills Services; Fewer Provided Services to Prepare for Employment, Housing, and Transportation

Based on the results of our nationally generalizable school district survey,  we estimate that in school year 2015-16 most school districts (about 85  percent) provided transition-age students with ASD instruction on life and  social skills, as well as behavioral skills (see fig. Fewer, though still a majority of, school districts reported providing certain  types of services to support the transition to employment, according to  our survey. Specifically, while an estimated 85 percent of districts  reported providing career counseling, we estimate that 74 percent  provided interview skills, 69 percent provided work experiences, and 63  percent provided job coaching. District-Provided Transition Services Varied by District Size and Poverty Level

While the majority of school districts reported providing some types of  transition services to students with ASD, the specific services that districts  reported providing varied depending on the size and poverty level of the  district, according to our analysis of school districts’ survey responses. Untimely Transition Planning, Complex Adult Systems, and Few Employment Opportunities Are Key Challenges to Transitioning to Adult Life, According to Stakeholders Transition Planning Sometimes Occurs Too Late to Meet Students’ Needs, According to School Districts, Service Providers, and Others

IDEA currently requires schools to include in the IEP transition services  needed to assist youth in reaching their appropriate measurable  postsecondary goals no later than the first IEP in effect when students  reach age 16. Our estimates from school districts’ survey responses  indicate that approximately 32 percent of districts—which represents  about 4,000 school districts—begin transition planning when students are  older than age 14. However, providing discretion in this area may not serve some students  well, according to stakeholders we interviewed. Although Education funds research on transition planning  for students with disabilities, Education currently does not fund research  evaluating the appropriate age to begin transition planning. Lack of service options. Federal Collaborative Efforts Have Missed Opportunities to Enhance Support of Transition-age Youth with Autism

		The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Has Not Regularly Engaged Key Federal Agencies That Support Youth with Autism

The IACC, managed by HHS, has facilitated collaboration across its  member federal agencies on research related to individuals with ASD,  including transition-age youth, but it has not regularly engaged several  key federal agencies that serve transition-age youth with ASD. Further, during an IACC working group  conference call in November 2016, some members of an IACC working  group tasked with updating the lifespan and transitions area for the  strategic plan suggested that HHS invite representatives of federal  agencies who serve transition-age youth and adults to join the IACC to  better inform development of the strategic plan. Unless HHS finds ways to regularly engage certain non-member federal  agencies that serve or provide financial assistance to populations  including individuals with ASD, including transition-age youth, the IACC  may miss the opportunity to leverage the knowledge of other agencies as  it works to fulfill its expanded responsibilities under the Autism CARES  Act. Unless Education examines the outcomes for students who begin  transition services at age 16 and the merits and implications of requiring  earlier transition planning for all students with disabilities, policymakers  may not have critical information when considering changes to IDEA. Recommendations for Executive Action

To determine whether IDEA’s current transition age requirement allows  youth with disabilities, including those with ASD, the time needed to plan  and prepare for the transition to adult life, the Secretary of Education  should examine outcomes for students when transition services begin at  age 16 and the merits and implications of amending IDEA to lower the  age at which school districts are to begin providing transition services to  students with disabilities, such as 14. Agency Comments and Our Evaluation

We provided a draft of this report to the Departments of Education, Health  and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, and the  Social Security Administration for review and comment. Interviews with State Officials and Local Service Providers

To examine the types of services and supports provided at the local level  to assist youth with ASD in transitioning to adult life and the key  challenges for youth with ASD in successfully transitioning to adult life, we  conducted interviews with stakeholders in selected states and local areas. We also met with public high school special education  teachers and multiple adult service providers in each state. Review of Federal Laws and Regulations, and Interviews with Federal Agency Officials

To examine the extent to which key federal agencies have collaborated in  their efforts to assist youth with autism in successfully transitioning to  adult life, we reviewed relevant federal laws, including the Autism  Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act of  2014 (Autism CARES Act); the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;  and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by the Workforce  Innovation and Opportunities Act in 2014; regulations; policy and  guidance. We evaluated their  collaborative efforts against leading federal practices for interagency  collaboration, as appropriate.
Why GAO Did This Study

Research suggests that youth with ASD are less likely than youth with other disabilities to be successful in transitioning to work and postsecondary education and therefore, they may face a lifetime of reliance on public assistance. GAO was asked to examine services provided under IDEA to assist youth with ASD in transitioning to adulthood. For this report, GAO examined (1) services and supports provided to assist youth with ASD in transitioning to adulthood, (2) key challenges in successfully transitioning, and (3) the extent to which federal agencies have collaborated to assist in the transition.
GAO reviewed relevant federal laws and regulations and conducted a nationally generalizable survey of 588 school districts to gather information on services provided in school year 2015-16. GAO also interviewed federal officials and state and local stakeholders in three states selected to highlight a mix of localities with and without initiatives serving this population, urbanicity, and geographic dispersion, and GAO evaluated federal collaborative efforts against leading practices.

What GAO Found

According to GAO's nationwide survey of school district special education directors, GAO estimates that about 85 percent of districts in school year 2015-16, provided youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) services such as instruction on life, social, and behavioral skills, as they transition from high school to adulthood. ASD is a group of complex developmental disorders characterized by difficulties with social interactions, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Districts provided these services as part of the planning for the transition to adulthood required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Fewer, though still a majority of, districts reported providing certain types of employment-related supports. For example, GAO estimates that 69 percent provided work experiences and 63 percent provided job coaching. While the majority of districts reported providing transition services to students with ASD, the services provided varied by factors such as the size and poverty level of the district, according to GAO's analysis of survey responses.
Youth with ASD face key challenges transitioning from high school to adulthood, such as untimely transition planning by school districts, complex adult service systems, and lack of job opportunities, according to stakeholders. IDEA requires districts to begin providing transition services when students with disabilities reach age 16, with the option to start earlier. However, according to GAO's prior work and stakeholders GAO interviewed, providing discretion in this area may not serve some students well. School officials, advocates, and others report that earlier transition planning—with age 14 commonly cited—can have multiple benefits such as allowing more time to obtain important work and academic experiences; however, the Department of Education (Education) is not funding research on the appropriate age to begin transition planning. Unless Education, which administers IDEA, examines the merits of earlier transition planning, policymakers may not have critical information when considering changes to IDEA. Currently, about 32 percent of districts begin transition planning when students are older than age 14, according to GAO's analysis of survey responses.
While the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) has facilitated collaboration across its member agencies, including Education, to support research for transition-age youth with ASD, it has missed opportunities to collaborate with relevant nonmember agencies. Specifically, the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act of 2014 calls for the IACC to include in its strategic plan, as practicable, services for individuals with ASD. However, HHS has not regularly engaged certain federal agencies that provide services or financial assistance to transition-age youth with ASD, but are not IACC members, such as the Departments of Labor and Housing and Urban Development. These agencies are not part of working groups tasked with updating the current strategic plan nor has HHS invited them to join the IACC. As a result, IACC may continue to miss opportunities to leverage the knowledge of other agencies—a leading practice for effective federal interagency collaboration—as it works to fulfill its expanded responsibilities under the Act and improve the well-being of individuals with ASD.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is making three recommendations to federal agencies, including one to Education to examine the merits and implications of amending IDEA to require earlier transition planning and one to HHS to enhance collaboration with non-IACC member agencies. Education neither agreed nor disagreed with the IDEA recommendation. The agencies generally agreed with or did not comment on other recommendations.