Findings from numerous investigations of youth with high-incidence disabilities have indicated that these youth have poorer adult outcomes than do their peers without disabilities. Despite the consistency with which these findings have been observed, little is known about the specific factors that contribute to these poor outcomes, and even less is known about factors and processes that might improve them. Part of this limitation may be related to the lack of an organizing model or framework for thinking about the many factors and processes that can influence the outcomes of youth with disabilities. The purpose of this article is to examine how the related concepts of risk factors, protective factors, and resilience might inform our understanding of the postschool outcomes of youth with disabilities. These constructs are reviewed and their application to research focused on understanding and supporting the adult transitions of youth with high-incidence disabilities is explored. Based on this review, several recommendations are offered for future research and practice efforts aimed at understanding and supporting the life transitions of youth with high-incidence disabilities.
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