Positive ssychology and secondary transition for children with disabilities

A new theoretical framework

Abstract

In spite of modest improvements in some transition outcomes over the past
several years, students with disabilities still have poorer outcomes on every
measure of transition when compared to their nondisabled peers. Selfdetermination
approaches, while promising, have not been enough to leverage
these students to achieve comparable postsecondary outcomes. We examine the
construct of self-determination and suggest that it is at least partially comprised of
three discrete psychological variables: mindset, grit and optimism. We distill the
latest research findings regarding these three variables and link them theoretically
to the construct of self-determination. We then propose a new theoretical
framework of transition that includes these variables and suggests future avenues
of research to encourage a positive psychology-driven reconceptualization of
transition.