All parents go through a rite of passage when their children turn 18, a time when, in most states, children are recognized as adults. These 18-year-old adults can now enter into contracts, live where they want, and make their own medical and educational decisions, including quitting school, if they so choose. For parents of children with special needs, this transition can be particularly daunting because of the complex financial, medical, educational, vocational, residential, and social issues their children face, plus the need to take affirmative action to deal with them. All special needs families are different, but most must answer two critical questions when their special child is turning 18: Does this child have the capacity to make his or her own choices about his person and property? Will this child be self-supporting, or will he or she need government assistance to live independently? This article discusses the various issues that should be considered as a child with special needs transitions to adulthood.