An exploratory study sought to examine the special educational needs of young people with disabilities preparing for the transition from school to adulthood. Major issues addressed were citizenship (social and life skills), the world of work, and recreation. Students aged 14 and above from several European countries who were perceived as having special educational needs stemming from a wide range of physical or mental disabilities and emotional or behavioral disorders were studied. Case studies of special needs programs for daily living skills in the United Kingdom, Italy, West Germany, and the Netherlands were reviewed, and legislation pertaining to employment and vocational rehabilitation for special needs persons was studied in Belgium, Denmark, West Germany, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Projects concerning work preparation for special education students and possible alternatives to employment for these students were investigated. Recreational programs which help special needs persons in terms of interpersonal competence, support, and social interaction were also examined, as were trends in the United Kingdom in the provision of further education for special needs students. Among the implications for teacher training that emerged from the study was the need to expand schemes to cater to a wider range of young people with special needs and the need for systematic collection and dissemination of information on existing practice. Seven pages of references are appended. (CB)