Paeds · growth-development-and-behaviour
Adolescent transition for neurodevelopmental disability
Also known as Health care transition neurodevelopmental disability · Transfer to adult care disability · Transition planning intellectual disability autism CP · Emerging adult disability medical home · Six Core Elements transition disability
Fellowship guide to adolescent transition for neurodevelopmental disability: structured transition frameworks, readiness assessment, portable summaries, warm handoff, legal and family preparation, crisis rescue, and ANZ/UK/US/Canada system differences.
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Target exams
Red flags
- Abrupt paediatric discharge at 18 with no named adult provider
- Lost to follow-up with seizures, technology dependence or mental-health risk
- Assuming capacity or incapacity without careful assessment and supports
- Transfer without emergency seizure, tone, feed or device plan
- Safeguarding or abuse risk ignored amid 'transition paperwork'
- Young person excluded from planning because communication is atypical
Life stages
Care settings
Clinical exam formats
Board mappings
- General and Community Paediatrics
- Adolescent and young adult health
- Disability and developmental medicine
- Renewed curriculum — Learning goal 12: Communication with patients, families, and health professionals
- Adolescent medicine and transition
- Neurodevelopmental disability longitudinal care
- Professional practice and systems improvement
- Clinical Applications — transition and disability
- Long Cases
- Communication stations
- Structured discussion of transition planning
- 2. Professional skills and knowledge: Communication
- Adolescent health
- Disability and long-term conditions
- Leadership and team working
- Foundation of Practice (FOP)
- Applied Knowledge in Practice (AKP)
- History
- Communication
- Development
- General Pediatrics Content Outline — adolescent health and transition
- General Pediatrics Content Outline — developmental and behavioral pediatrics
- General Pediatrics EPA: Transition care for CYSHCN
- Patient Care: Care of adolescents and young adults with chronic conditions
- Systems-Based Practice: Care coordination and transitions
- Interpersonal and Communication Skills
- Medical Expert
- Communicator
- Collaborator
- Health Advocate
- Leader
- Pediatrics EPA — transition planning
Two jobs that get mixed up
Health-care transition
Transfer alone
Overview & Definition
A 17-year-old with intellectual disability, epilepsy and gastrostomy still attends only paediatric clinic. No adult GP. No adult neurologist. Mum carries every plan in her head. In six months the hospital “paediatric age policy” may end. That is not a clerical problem. It is health-care transition for neurodevelopmental disability. [1] [15]
Health-care transition is the planned process of moving from child-centred to adult-oriented health care. It is more than sending a letter. Classic adolescent-medicine position papers defined transition as purposeful, planned and continuous. Modern medical-home guidance organises it into policy, tracking, readiness, planning, transfer and adult-care integration. [1] [2] [5] [6]
This page owns the transition process for intellectual disability, autism, cerebral palsy and related complex neurodevelopmental care. Disease-specific treatment algorithms live on dedicated leaves. Cross-link those rather than hiding second chapters here. [14] [17]
References20ShowHide
- [1]White PH Supporting the Health Care Transition From Adolescence to Adulthood in the Medical Home. Pediatrics, 2018.PMID 30348754
- [2]Cooley WC, Sagerman PJ Supporting the health care transition from adolescence to adulthood in the medical home. Pediatrics, 2011.PMID 21708806
- [3]Sawicki GS Measuring the transition readiness of youth with special healthcare needs: validation of the TRAQ--Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire. Journal of pediatric psychology, 2011.PMID 20040605
- [4]Wood DL The Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire (TRAQ): its factor structure, reliability, and validity. Academic pediatrics, 2014.PMID 24976354
- [5]Rosen DS Transition to adult health care for adolescents and young adults with chronic conditions: position paper of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 2003.PMID 14519573
- [6]Blum RW Transition from child-centered to adult health-care systems for adolescents with chronic conditions. A position paper of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 1993.PMID 8312295
- [7]Suris JC Key elements for, and indicators of, a successful transition: an international Delphi study. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 2015.PMID 26003575
- [8]Suris JC Transition from paediatric to adult care: what makes it easier for parents? Child: care, health and development, 2017.PMID 27625071
- [9]Schmidt A Outcomes of Pediatric to Adult Health Care Transition Interventions: An Updated Systematic Review. Journal of pediatric nursing, 2020.PMID 31981969
- [10]Jones MR Evaluation of a Health Care Transition Improvement Process in Seven Large Health Care Systems. Journal of pediatric nursing, 2019.PMID 31029928
- [11]McManus MA Current status of transition preparation among youth with special needs in the United States. Pediatrics, 2013.PMID 23669518
- [12]Gabriel P Outcome Evidence for Structured Pediatric to Adult Health Care Transition Interventions: A Systematic Review. The Journal of pediatrics, 2017.PMID 28668449
- [13]Ilango SM Disparities in Health Care Transition Preparation Among US Youth. Pediatrics, 2025.PMID 40953840
- [14]Okumura MJ Improving Health Care Transitions for Children and Youth With Special Health Care Needs. Academic pediatrics, 2022.PMID 35248248
- [15]Houtrow AJ Pediatrician reported experiences of transitioning adolescents with disabilities. Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicine, 2026.PMID 41860103
- [16]Macaulay L Mortality Risk Between Ages 11 and 22 Years Among Young People With Neurodisability in England: A National Cohort Study Using Linked Health and Education Data. Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology, 2026.PMID 42423521
- [17]Fortune J Transition to adulthood: Perspectives from young people with cerebral palsy, parents, and health professionals. Developmental medicine and child neurology, 2026.PMID 42277597
- [18]Malik FS Incorporating the Six Core Elements of Health Care Transition in Type 1 Diabetes Care for Emerging Adults. Endocrinology and metabolism clinics of North America, 2024.PMID 38272598
- [19]Gorter JW An e-health transition intervention for youth with brain-based disabilities: Pilot and feasibility results from a Randomized Controlled Trial. Health care transitions, 2026.PMID 42317484
- [20]Ehrenberger KA Structural Ableism and Healthcare Transition for Adults with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities. Journal of general internal medicine, 2026.PMID 42151527