Enablers and challenges of post-16 education and employment outcomes: the perspectives of young adults with a history of SLI

Background: Research studies have begun to investigate the post-16 outcomes for young adults with a specific language impairment (SLI). As yet only tentative conclusions can be drawn with respect to academic and employment outcomes and the factors that are associated with more positive outcomes. Evidence for these findings has relied predominantly on associations between various language, academic and psychosocial assessments. Little attention has been paid to the perspective of the young person. Aims: To investigate from the perspective of a group of young people with a history of SLI the factors they believed have enabled and presented a challenge to their post-16 education and employment outcomes and experiences. Methods & Procedures: Nineteen (four female, 15 male) young people aged from 19 to 23 years (average age 21 years), who had all attended the same residential special school for pupils with SLI, were interviewed face to face to explore their views as to what had enabled and limited their transition experiences to date. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Outcomes & Results: The majority of the young people saw themselves as key agents of change and very active participants in steering their own transition since leaving school. They acknowledged the important role played by their parents and families and how factors such as SLI had affected their transition experiences. Conclusions & Implications: The study supports evidence from research with different groups of young people with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities of the importance of school and post-16 curriculums which develop agency on behalf of the young person.