Establishing, Pursuing, and Renegotiating Career Goals at the Post-School Transition Among Young Women with Learning-Related Disabilities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53967/cje-rce.7563Keywords:
learning disabilities, post-school transitions, post-secondary transition, education, genderAbstract
Young women with learning-related disabilities (LRD), like specific learning disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, face significant academic, social, and institutional barriers in their post-school transition. Using thematic analysis, this study examined the profiles of 12 women in Quebec with LRD interviewed four and eight years after exiting high school—most without a high school diploma. Common themes were identified among young women having transitioned into meaningful occupations in early adulthood, highlighting the value of contextual school-based supports and the importance of setting and adhering to clear and specific individual vocational goals, both in the short and long term. Findings also underscore the pitfalls of pursuing general academic paths without a well-chartered plan, while advocating the potential of vocational programs as promising avenues toward employment or further education for women with LRD for whom traditional post-school trajectories pose challenges.
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