The authors support role changes for educational practitioners who work with children and youth with disabilities as they make important transitions. Principles from critical pedagogy and disability studies are summarized to provide a new theoretical framework to support role changes. Rather than needs-based services that focus on helping those with disabilities cope with deficits, the authors support an empowering person-centered, strengths-based orientation that allows educational practitioners to perceive their clients as competent and complex. Recommendations for transition consultants, school psychologists, and researchers are outlined to encourage more widespread implementation of the principles of critical pedagogy and disability studies. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)