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Transition to Adulthood

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Planning for the future and finances for your child is hard enough but add the complexity of making decisions about the future care of children with special needs, it becomes even more challenging. Taking an intentional approach to guide young people with disabilities by creating goals and experiences through education (school district), supports, therapies and services can help them prepare for a meaningful life.

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What should I expect?

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As your teen reaches 14 years old or 8th Grade, your home school district should be discussing options for your child's vocation, whether that means going to college or being trained for a specific vocation.

 

The IEP changes to a Transitional IEP which means that the IEP will expand from only focusing on academics to looking at the bigger picture of what the individual will be doing after graduation. This includes an assessment on their strengths, interests and performance to determine what direction they want to take for a career.

 

Not all transition goals will be annual goals and not all goals are required to be measurable. For example, "visiting colleges" could be a goal but it's for a specific period of time and probably won't be supported by school staff. They may do a search and create a list.

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What are the main building blocks of a Transitional IEP?

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1. Define a job or profession that seems to stand out the most your teen. If there isn't one, then the goal should be to explore different types of jobs and create a focal point.

2. Present levels of academic achievement, functional performance. This includes baselines.

3. What are the student's needs to be ready for the job and living skills?

4. Services or activities to help the student reach their post secondary education or job.

5. Measurable annual goals of the individual's needs.

6. How and the number of times the goals will be monitored?

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What if we have no idea what my teen wants to do?

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A great place to start is every week introduce a few short 2-10 min YouTube video clips of different jobs being performed. Search jobs that include their strengths, current skills and involve their interests.  Then download this simple checklist. After a year, evaluate the findings and share with IEP team and your supports coordinator.

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What other assessments are used?


Your teen can also be evaluated for their functional independent living skills with the FISH Handbook.  Click for a downloadable checklist that begins in middle school and goes to high school. This is also a time to introduce more life skills at home for independent living like chores and when they are ready, introduce your teen to volunteering opportunities.

Your teen must be invited to future IEP meetings and if cannot attend, the school district must make other arrangements to ensure that their preferences are considered.

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What else do I need to know?

 

When they turn 18, the school must invite a representative of any participating agency that is likely to be responsible for providing or paying for transition services. Parents should seek some type of Guardianship or they won't be invited to IEP meetings when your kid turns 18.

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What is transfer of rights at age of majority?

  • In PA, age 21 for special education, unless determined by a court of law to be incompetent.

  • The public agency must provide any notice required by this part to both the child and the parents.

  • All rights transfer to the child, including students who are incarcerated.

  • Exception: a child who has reached age 21, but can't be determined not to have the ability to provide informed consent with respect to their educational program, parents can seek guardianship, power of attorney or other means provided by state law to continue making decisions for their child.

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How are the goals different in a Transitional IEP?

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In Transition Planning, the purpose of IDEA is to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education (FAPE) that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, training, employment and independent living. In the last year, the school isn't required to do a re-evaluation before they leave unless the child falls within the 2-3 year time frame.

 

Public agencies must provide the child with a summary of the child's academic achievement and functional performance, which shall include recommendations on how to assist the child in meeting the child's post secondary goals. School district receives federal funds for special education services which includes paras and job coaches. This can be included in the IEP. Also transportation should be provided to the job.

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Based on the child's needs, strengths, preferences and interests, the following can be included in their goals:

  • Instruction

  • Related services

  • Community experiences

  • The development of employment and other post school adult living objectives and

  • if appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation.

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How can I learn more about transition programs?

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If you're a parent or professional in the Lehigh County area, get involved in the quarterly Carbon Lehigh Transition Coordinating Council Meetings at the IU Administration Building in Schnecksville, PA. For more information, click here.

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