School

Transition Planning While Still in School

Planning the transition from school to work and adult living is much like scheduling any trip -- you gather a bunch of travel brochures, pick a destination, decide how you'll get there, what stops you'll may make along the way, and prepare for any unexpected detour or roadblock.

The key to a successful trip lies in the planning. It should start early, be detailed, and build in some flexibility for the unforeseen bends in the road. The same is true for transition planning when your son or daughter is still in school.

IDEA 2004 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act) mandates that transition services must be "results-oriented" to "facilitate the child's movement from school to post -school activities . . ." The law requires IEP transition services to be place by the student's 16th birthday.

Work closely with your entire IEP team throughout high school to be sure that appropriate transition goals are set and progress is documented. Pay attention to details: paperwork needs to be filed with federal and state offices, and agencies in the adult system will need to be contacted.

During the high school years, the IEP team should follow these IDEA guidelines:

  • Students must be invited to participate in IEP meetings and discuss their goals for life after high school.

  • You may request several IEP/Transition Planning meetings during the school year, and you may invite representatives of local agencies to the IEP meeting to discuss transition goals and services to support those goals.

  • The IEP, including the Transition Plan, should be based on person-centered planning, focusing on the interests and skills of the student.

  • Work experiences or "community based work assessments" (CBWA's) should be chosen based on the student's interests and abilities. Students should NOT be placed in a CBWA simply because it is available. The placement should help the student develop employability skills in a setting that is of personal interest to him or her and where his/her unique abilities can be successfully utilized and improved with job coaching.

  • Annual transition goals stated in the IEP should lead to successful post-high school outcomes with measurable and documented progress.

  • Ask for progress reports regarding your child's CBWA experience and continue to discuss with the team how your child will meet the goal of being employed after graduation, without a lapse in supports and services.

  • Maintain a resume and portfolio of your child's experiences, progress reports, and favorable reviews from your child's supervisors at CBWA's.

  • If your IEP Team determines that a student's needs can best be met through participation in transitional programs on college campuses or in community based settings, and includes such services on the student's IEP, funds provided under Part B of the IDEA may be used for this purpose.

The Family's Role

IDEA 2004 provides the legal framework to support students' goals of working and living in the community, and the IEP team plays a key role in planning a sound transition to reach those goals. But families themselves must also prepare for life after high school.

Here's a checklist to help families:

  • In Pennsylvania, the PUNS (Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services) form must be filled out five years before graduation to assure that your child is included in the Office of Mental Retardation census of graduates. The form must be updated annually. The PUNS determines eligibility for many adult services and funding for those services. That form can be accessed here.

  • Review and confirm the date of your child's graduation. Students with IEP's may remain in public school in PA through the school year in which they turn 21.

  • Ask whether your child will receive a high school diploma or a certificate of attendance and whether he or she will participate fully in the graduation ceremony.

  • Ask which local agencies serving adults also provide job coaching for transitioning youth. Contacting adult provider agencies well before graduation can provide a continuum of services that carry over after graduation and may prevent your child from being placed on a long waiting list for adult services.

  • Invite your child's supports coordinator from your local Office of Mental Retardation to IEP meetings during the last year of high school to help coordinate post-high school support services.

  • Be sure that OVR (Office of Vocational Rehabilitation) has been contacted and that a counselor from the local office will attend an IEP meeting no later than early spring of the last year of high school. Schedule an intake meeting and file paperwork on time.

  • Discuss how your child will get to and from work. Request and fill out applications for public transportation paratransit services.

  • Ask about social & recreational opportunities for young adults with developmental challenges in your community and ask that contact information be included on the IEP "linkages" page.

  • Inquire about post-high school training programs at area vocational schools, community colleges, business schools or state-affiliated training schools.

The information above was adapted from an article by Peter Wright and Jennifer Graham.

Wright is an attorney who represents children with special educational needs and co-author of Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition (2007). For more information, click here. For information on Smart IEP's view this PDF.

Graham is a transition consultant and president of onTrack: Transition Resources & Advisors for Challenged Kids. Contact: jennifermgraham@comcast.net or 215-641-1200.