Funding Challenges During Transition to Adulthood for Young Adults Who Use Medical Technology

摘要

This paper describes some issues related to financing school and postschool needs for young adults who use medical technology, and the challenges families, professionals, and students face in planning for life after school. These descriptions are based on a study of young adults who use ventilators and gastrostomy tubes (g-tubes) as medical technologies to replace or supplement lost physiological functions. We conducted the interviews over a 2-year period (1995-1997), during which time students, parents, and professionals discussed supportive policies and barriers to the student's transition to adulthood. Students using ventilators were found to have different experiences from students using gastrostomy tubes, suggesting that use of medical technology is not the sole factor influencing the transition process to adulthood. Instead, presence or absence of cognitive disabilities and the student's eligibility and involvement with vocational rehabilitation service agencies are more influential factors than the technology they use.