Open Collections

Bailey, Darcie-Anne

University of British Columbia

Young people with intellectual developmental disorders (IDD) often experience challenges, particularly during the transition from secondary school to post-secondary life. Person-Centred Planning (PCP) tools, including PATH, play a crucial role in supporting transitions within British Columbia schools. PATH is used to facilitate the transition process by learning about a youth’s dream and goals through solution-focused questions and visually representing them. This tool creates a graphic depiction of an individual's aspirations across various domains, including employment, social relationships, leisure, and life skills (Bristow, 2013; Pearpoint, O'Brien, O'Brien, 1993). This study conducted in a British Columbia secondary school included youth, families, PATH attendees, and school staff and employed a case study design to explore PATH implementation and its perceived impact through diverse perspectives. The research closely followed the PATH processes of two youths from the initial preparatory meeting to the actual PATH meeting, with follow-up interviews conducted three months post-PATH. Data from observations, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring themes. A review of students' IEPs was incorporated into the discussion. Research Question One focused on themes related to PATH implementation and revealed insights into adaptation (subthemes: boosting youth motivation, managing expectations, breaks), PATH characteristics (subthemes: before and after elements, teamwork, amplifying youth voices, facilitator qualities, visuals), and implementation challenges (subthemes: process concerns, goal-setting difficulties, tensions). Research Question Two examined the perceived impact of PATH. The themes identified included accountability (subthemes: community impact, motivation/follow-through), barriers (subthemes: blaming, understanding the process challenges, uncertainty), and positive impact (subthemes: clarity about youth perspectives, improved skills, positive feelings). Participant feedback underscored potential areas for PATH improvement and the need for further research, particularly robust studies integrating theory into practice.

Text

2024-04-29

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/88059

School and Applied Child Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/