Assessing Transition Practices for Children With Disabilities: Pathways to a Successful Adulthood

Assessing Transition Practices for Children With Disabilities: Pathways to a Successful Adulthood

Transition to adult care is a purposeful and structured movement of youth with complex disabilities from child centered to adult oriented services.

This complex and potentially challenging period requires careful planning.

The investigators aim to examine the transition practices in the University Hospital of Saint Etienne. The study employs a mixed methods approach, combining:

• A retrospective evaluation : Analyzing transition data over a 10-year period.
• A prospective qualitative study : Conducting semi-structured interviews with patients who have already transitioned within our clinic.

The aim of this study is to assess how transition from pediatric to adult care is currently managed within a university hospital center. By examining existing practices and gathering the perspectives of young people and their families, the investigators sought to identify both the strengths of the current system and the areas where improvements are needed to ensure a smoother, more effective transition process.

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients who had been diagnosed with conditions such as cerebral palsy, neonatal stroke, polyhandicap, spinal cord injury, spina bifida, or other genetic syndromes.
• patients who had visited the pediatric rehabilitation department at least once between 2012 and 2022.

Exclusion Criteria:

• neuromuscular disorders,
• any cancer diagnoses,
• autism spectrum disorders,
• patients still in pediatric care,