The transition of youths with disabilities from mandatory schooling
into further education or vocation is still a major challenge for
inclusive measures in the Austrian transition system. In the last
decade, projects from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), including
‘Participatory experiences in the vocational biography of persons
with intellectual disabilities’ and ‘Cooperation for an inclusive education transition’, have undertaken research into how youths with
disabilities can achieve a successful transition and which factors
limit or prohibit this process. Since continuous cooperation
between transition professionals, parents and youths has been
shown to be the most promising approach, this article considers
and analyses the views of experts on the transition process. The
research methodology is located within basic research, as it
explores the notion of ‘participative cooperation’, which has not
yet been explicitly addressed. Through three Reflecting Teammodified group discussions, the various professionals and the
research team maintained a continuous three-year research cooperation. The main concerns of the professionals are the plethora of
jurisdictions, actors with different degrees of power and intentions,
coaches with too many assigned youths, the lack of incentives for
youths with disabilities to seek work in the general labour market,
and the lack of cooperation of parents