Certain transitional challenges for vulnerable children and youth can be reflected in some of the most common parental concerns regarding this process (Seltzer et al., 2003). Some of these may relate to the main characteristics of a certain disability, which may vary in intensity and significance at different stages of life. Others have a more systemic nature, i.e. family-related concerns (restriction in family life, need for constant supervision), education concerns (choosing integrated versus specialised services, accessing behavior management services), concerns about relationships with professionals (ineffective communication, criticism or blame from professionals) and concerns about independence and future services (residential, vocational, and leisure services) (Seltzer et al., 2003). Given this fact, transitions for vulnerable groups seem to have a very strong social, cultural and political component.

            The transition to adulthood has become more protracted and complex over the past few decades and is, therefore, more challenging for most adolescents, even for those with access to ample resources in their parental homes (cf. Osgood et al., 2005). The transition may be extremely demanding for those who lack such resources and are making their transitions ‘off time’ in comparison with the socially constructed timetables of the majority of adolescents. The transitions may follow a pattern of circles or spirals or a path of what is referred to in life course theory as life course discontinuity. This phase of life is also ‘transition dense’ because during youth, life changes come in bunches—multiple transitions occurring almost simultaneously (Hagestad, 2003). It would also be of interest to analyse how vulnerable groups of young people manage during this transition dense phase of life and how the local welfare system succeeds or fails in assisting them. This includes the analysis of so-called positive cases, in which the development has been clearly better than might have been expected in light of a poor point of departure. Here, the term resilience—that is, overcoming predictions of failure—is paramount (cf. Rutter et al., 1998). Risk or protective factors in family, school and society interact with the individual’s health conditions to facilitate or impede adjustment.

            Another duality is two complementary perspectives on habilitation and rehabilitation of vulnerable persons. In several countries the traditional perspective is ‘train, then place’ – i.e. practicing skills in shielded artificial situations of which the person feel secure, and then after training, the person is placed into the world of production - a job. An alternative perspective is ‘place, then train’, creating a real situation with something important at stake for the person to whom it may concern – for example getting a real job to live from or starting to live in her own home (Corrigan and McCracken, 2005).

Corrigan, P.W., & McCracken, S.G. (2005). Place first, then train: An alternative to the medical model of psychiatric rehabilitation. Social Work, 50(1), 31-39.

Hagestad, G. (2003). Interdependent Lives and Relationships in Changing Times: A Life-Course View of Families and Aging. In: Settersten, R. (ed.): Invitation to the Life Course: Toward New Understandings of Later Life. New York: Baywood Publishing Company.

Osgood, D.W., Foster, E.M., Flanagan, C., & Ruth, G.R. (2005). Introduction: Why Focus on the Transition to Adulthood for Vulnerable Populations? In: D.W., Osgood, E.M. Foster, C. Flanagan, and G.R. Ruth (eds.): On Your Own Without a Net. The Transition to Adulthood for Vulnerable Populations. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Rutter, M., Giller, H., & Hagell, A. (1998).  Antisocial behavior by young people. Cambridge University Press.

Seltzer, M.M., Krauss, M.W., Shattuck, P.T., Orsmond, G., Swe, A., & Lord, C. (2003). The Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adolescence and Adulthood. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 33(6),565-581.