Tribulations of transition care for the developmentally disabled.

adult society. The National Longitudinal Transition Study of Special Education Students in the US reveals that students with disabilities who enrolled in vocational technical education remained in school longer, had better attendance, attended post secondary vocational education, and were more likely to have a job two years later than those who had not enrolled.3 The consensus statement on health care transition which was published in ‘Pediatrics’5 includes four additional articles which review in detail the various obstacles we face as clinicians in establishing comprehensive care for the aging population of patients with disabilities. The financial implications of this health issue are enormous. The US Congress has just made a major revision in the adult Medicare program which has gained wide press coverage. White noted that currently in the US the special health care needs of persons with disabilities are covered by Medicaid which reimburses between 58.3% and 72% of the Medicare reimbursement for the elderly which is considered by many to be insufficient.6 It is clear that the medical community as well as the government agencies must address this dilemma which has emerged in the last thirty years as the result of advances in medical care for the population of those with disabilities. All of us should become advocates for the proper transition of medical care for our patients with disabilities. In the words of Samuel Johnson ‘A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization’.7