COMPETENCES NEEDED FOR TRANSITION SPECIALISTS IN VOCATIONAL-REHABILITATION VOCATIONAL-EDUCATION, AND SPECIAL-EDUCATION

Transition services and interagency service coordination for youth wit h disabilities have increased significantly during the past 10 years. The development of these services has necessitated the creation of new human services professional roles. One emerging role is that of trans ition specialist. Competencies for this new role of transition special ist have not been validated. This study was conducted to identify and validate competencies for transition specialist practitioners. Practit ioners across the United States from the fields of vocational special education, special education, and vocational rehabilitation identified competencies believed essential to providing effective transition ser vices. ''Knowledge of agencies and systems change'' was the highest-ra ted competency.