Many parents reach their child’s senior year of high school with more questions than answers.
What happens after high school if college isn’t the right fit for my child? And if it is, what kind of support will they actually need to succeed?
If these questions sound familiar, you’re not alone. They’re the questions I hear most often from families, and they were the starting point for our recent webinar, The Roadmap After High School: Transition Planning for Neurodiverse Families, with Carmen Zahra of College Living Experience. The full recording is now on YouTube.
Why this stage feels so uncertain
For parents of neurodiverse young adults, the years after high school can feel especially uncertain, for three reasons:
- The structure disappears. The supports that carried your child through school can vanish almost overnight.
- There’s no single roadmap. What works for one family may not work for yours.
- You’re piecing it together. It’s hard to know which questions to ask, or what “success” should even look like for your child.
Watch the webinar
In this session, part of our Fall 2026 College & Transition Webinar Series, Carmen and I talk honestly about:
- What a strong transition really looks like
- What to pay attention to when weighing your options
- How to start building a plan that fits your child, whether that means college, a supported program, or another path forward
Our goal was simple: that every parent would leave with more clarity and less overwhelmed.
Watch The Roadmap After High School on YouTube
About Carmen Zahra and CLE
Carmen Zahra, M.Ed., is National Director of Outreach for College Living Experience (CLE), a national program supporting students with exceptionalities. She is known for reframing “failure to launch” as a strategic relaunch: there are many pathways to independence, not one narrow route to success.
Carmen serves as a Commissioner on Maryland’s Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Commission and sits on the boards of WISER DC, CHADD of Virginia & DC, and the CSahm Foundation for ADHD. She also reviews grants and scholarships for the Organization for Autism Research.
To learn more about CLE, visit ExperienceCLE.com or call 800-486-5058.
Your next steps
If you’re ready to talk through your own child’s path, from 18-to-21 programs to college options and government benefits, book a free 30-minute intake call with me.
And join us for the next webinar in the series:
Special Needs Trusts & ABLE Accounts: What Everyone Needs to Know with Michael Ringel, CPA, Chartered Special Needs Consultant, Special Needs Wealth Planning Wednesday, November 18, 2026 · 7:00 PM ET · Zoom Register here
Laura McKenna, PhD, is the founder of McKenna Autism Consulting.