Although disabled students need the same comprehensive assistance in making the transition from school to work as their nondisabled counterparts, most disabled youth, and particulary those with severe disabilities, do not receive adequate assistance in this area. This situation can be remedied by approaching the transition to employment as a process with a clear objective. The process should begin early, be individualized, involve all communication techniques to convince potential students that they could succeed employment goal. The school-to-work transition can be visualized in terms of three bridges, each of which serves a different population. Some disabled students will move into employment without special services, some will need time-limited services, and yet others will require ongoing services. Because the individuals belonging to the first group are not tied to specific programs, no evaluation statistics exist concerning their long-term adjustment to employment and adult life. The second bridge, temporary services that lead to employment, generally involves a program of coordinated interagency counseling services that include a work experience component. This work experience may be provided according to two models, the train/place and the place/train approaches. Despite research documenting the superiority of the first approach with severely disabled clients, the second model is still the most widely used. The key to the success of the third bridge (transition with ongoing services) is developing combinations of ongoing support linked with local services. (MN)