Transition, Transition Services, Transition Planning
Defined, Overview, and Regulations
The purpose of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is "to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment and independent living." Section 1400(d) The phrase "further education" and the emphasis on effective transition services is new in IDEA 2004. Section 1400(c)(14) describes the need to provide "effective transition services to promote successful post-school employment and/or education. (See "Findings and Purposes" in Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition, pages 45-48)
Congress also made significant changes in the legal definition of "transition services" in IDEA 2004.
Transition Services - The term `transition services' means a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that-
(A) is designed to be a results-oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child's movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation;
(B) is based on the individual child’s needs, taking into account the child's strengths, preferences, and interests;
(C) includes instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, and, when appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation. - See more at: http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/trans.index.htm#sthash.c6rPdGOs.dpuf
Purpose of Individual Transition Plan
A transition plan is the section of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) that outlines transition goals and services for the student. The Individual Transition Plan (ITP) is the template for mapping out long-term adult outcomes from which annual goals and objectives are defined.
Designed to:
-
Address the student’s preferences, interests and needs
-
Involve parent/guardian participation
-
Specify a list of participants that identifies who is responsible for different aspects of the process
-
Include a coordinated set of activities demonstrating use of various strategies, community and adult living experiences
-
Include annual goals outlining steps and skills - Example of goals in an ITP
-
Develop a plan 5 to 7 years before graduation
-
Encourage coordinated efforts between agencies, service providers and vocational education and rehabilitation programs
-
Delineate responsibilities of parents and students
Types of Transition Programs
Families Role in Transition Planning
1. Be a partner on the IEP team- It is important for families to be a contributing partner on the IEP team and not just an observer. Make sure that your family’s voice is valued and that you take responsibility for participating in the planning of the IEP. This is something that I think is very important for the success of the student.
2. Understand your youth’s disability- It is important for the family to try and understand their child’s disability in terms of transition planning. This means the impact of your child’s disability on attending postsecondary schools, living independently, and future employment. The family also knows the best means of communication for their child and mobility.
3. Encourage your youth to create a vision of his or her own future- The easiest way to do this is by researching ways to help the child reach their goals and gain experience that will help them in the future.
4. Communicate confidence to your youth- It is important to believe in the goals and visions that your child has. The children feed off of their parent’s and family’s expectations and attitudes towards things so, if the family feels confident about their goals and if they have high expectations, so will the child.
5. Advocate for an IEP and transition plan that has high expectations- This will open up more doors for the child to achieve their goals to their maximum abilities. No one in the world expects more from children than their families in general.
6. Share your child’s strengths, interests, and needs during the IEP meetings- Teachers like to hear from the families on their views of the IEP, the child, goals, etc. It is important to teachers to get this information because the family provides a different point of view than the teachers see. School and home life is very different and we need to get the entire picture of the child to be successful.
7. Independent living- Parents and families are key in helping their children obtain the necessary life skills to be independent in their lives.
8. Soft Skills- Soft skills are the interpersonal communication and personal responsibility skills people need to be successful. Examples would include: communication, personal hygiene, taking directions, resolving conflicts, etc. The parents and families need to be proactive in helping the child develop and maintain these soft skills.
9. Help identify potential community supports and work opportunities- Parents and families can be proactive in helping find supports and work places. The family knows the person’s abilities the best and this means they can help find a successful match for the child.
Concept of “Self-Determinism”
I think that it is so important to instill self-derterminism in every child! I have always believed that if a child believes in himself/herself then they can do many things. As soon as they lose determinism then they are going to give up and no one wants that. I think that a child who is constantly down on himself/herself just need a little self-determinism and they will get there and achieve!
Age of Majority
Age of majority is the legal age that the state recognizes a person as being an adult and no longer a minor. The child’s educational rights transfer to the child after they hit the age of majority. The school no longer contacts the parents and this can make the parents feel isolated and upset. If I teach upper grades, I will be sure to explain the age of majority to the parents in full so that they can discuss it with their child and get a plan together as to how the child wants to proceed with his or her IEP meetings and information after that.
Why is transition planning important?
Transition into the adult world can present challenges for all young people. The process of transition may be more difficult for some youth with disabilities and will require unique strategies to enable each student to achieve the maximum possible independence in working, living and participating in the community as adults.
Transition planning is a process that brings together a student and those individuals directly involved in helping the student prepare to enter a post-school environment. It is designed to ensure that the student will be provided the necessary skills and services to make a smooth transition from school to adult life with as little interruption as possible. Unless the transition process is formalized, little thought or planning is given to the student’s future service or program needs.
Quality transition planning is achieved when the process is initiated at an early age (age 16 or younger by law). A team comprised of the student, family member(s), school personnel, agency representatives and significant others, meet to assist the young student in defining a vision for the future. The overall value of the meeting is the sharing of knowledge about the student’s strengths, interests, and preferences in order to create a map of where help is needed, and what experiences are going to be valuable over the high school years.
Post-Secondary Transition Planning
-
Beginning no later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child turns 16, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP team, the IEP must include the following. Appropriate postsecondary goals based on the individual’s assessments related to education, training, employment, independent living. The transition services need to be assisting the child in reaching the above goals and one year before the child reaches age of majority, the child must receive a statement that informs them of their rights under Part B.
-
The child is invited to any meeting where they discuss post-secondary goals and transition services needed.
Transition Planning Stages
-
Step 1: Create a Vision and Build the Profile
-
Building the profile is about gathering information on your child, your family and your family situation. You will need to share this information with the transition planning team since not everyone will be as familiar with your circumstances as you are. This will help the team in making the right decisions throughout the transition planning process.
-
-
Step 2: Build the Team
-
While you will be expected to be very involved in the development of your child’s transition plan, you do not need to do it alone. Build a team for your transition plan by seeking the support of people who can help you to set your child’s goals for the future and then help in making those goals a reality. Choose from people who are part of your network of supports or circle of friends – people you are comfortable with. It is suggested that your team have at least two members and no more than eight – any more may be overwhelming.
Some individuals you may want to consider in addition to yourself and your child can include the following:-
Other family members;
-
Parents who have recently gone through a transition plan
-
Themselves;
-
Teachers;
-
Community workers;
-
Friends;
-
Peers;
-
Employers; or
-
Other members from the community.
-
-
-
Step 3: Set Goals
-
Once the profiles are completed for your child and your family, you will need to consider developing goals. Goals are an important step in the process since they will help identify the kinds of experiences your child should pursue through their high school years and the skills they will develop as a result.
There are a few things to consider in developing goals with your child. Write them down so you can tell if your child has achieved the goal(s). Goals should also be positive and possible. It may also be helpful to separate them into short-term and longer-term timeframes. Examples for each are identified below:Short-term goal: Mary will find a volunteer position in the community by the end of April.
Long-term goal: Mary will have a part-time paying job by the end of next year.
-
-
Step 4: Action Plan
-
Now that you have identified the pieces of the plan in the previous three steps, the action plan will help you pull it all together.
-
-
Step 5: Updating the Plan
-
One of the most important steps is reviewing and updating your plan on a regular basis. One of the tasks of the transition coordinator is to schedule meetings to keep track of tasks that have been assigned and progress towards their completion. These meetings become an important opportunity to review the goals and ensure that they continue to be consistent with your child’s interests and preferences.
In reviewing the goals and the tasks assigned to each, it may be important to revise the goals and make them more specific as needed. As your child moves through their adolescence, their interests may become more defined and so too should their goals. An opportunity provided through a work experience program at school or a volunteer position in the community may help them to more clearly set the directions they want to take as an adult. Use these times of review to ensure the direction in the original transition plan is still consistent with your child’s current interests and preferences.
-
Example of Transition Plan:
Organizations to Assist with Transition
-
The Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) was organized in 1976 as the twelfth division of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). DCDT focuses on the career development of children, youth and adults of all ages and exceptionalities. DCDT also focuses on transition from school to adult life as a major component of the career development process.
-
National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities
The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) was established in 2004 by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) as part of OSEP's Technical Assistance and Dissemination (TA&D) Network, which supports the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). NDPC-SD was specifically established to assist in building states' capacity to increase school completion rates for students with disabilities through knowledge synthesis, technical assistance, and dissemination of interventions and practices that work. NDPC-SD is located at the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N) at Clemson University. -
Transition Coalition
Resources for providing transition services to young adults with disabilities in secondary special education. Features include free publications, training, and contacts for parents, service providers, and teachers. A valuable training site is the Best Practices in Planning for Transtion from School to Adult Life for Students with Disabilities -
National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET) - NCSET coordinates national resources, offers technical assistance, and disseminates information related to secondary education and transition for youth with disabilities in order to create opportunities for youth to achieve successful futures.
-
Transition Research Institute at Illinois (TRI) - TRI, established in 1985, identifies effective practices, conducts intervention and evaluation research, and provides technical assistance activities that promote the successful transition of youth with disabilities from school to adult life. TRI also serves as an information resource for teachers, service providers and researchers statewide, nationally and internationally. The Transition Research Institute is the lead institution for the consortium, the National Transition Alliance for Youth with Disabilities (NTA).
-
National Transition Network (NTN) - NTN was funded by the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs until September 30, 2001. NTN provided technical assistance and evaluation services to states with grants for Transition Systems Change and School-to-Work.
Legal Ramifications
Transition services must be included in all IEPs when the student reaches age 16 and may be included for younger students if deemed appropriate by the IEP team (OSEP Letter to Anonymous, 17 EFLR 842). Preventing school drop-out is to be a major factor in determining when transition services are needed (OSEP Letter to Bereuter 20 IDELR 536). See also Appendix A to IDEA 97
Transition services are a coordinated set of activities that promote movement from school to such post-school activities as post-secondary education, vocational training, employment, adult services, independent living and community participation. They must be based on the individual student's needs, taking into account his or her preferences and interests. Transition services must include instruction, community experiences, and development of employment and other post school adult living objectives. If appropriate, daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation may also be included.
If the IEP team determines an individual student does not need services in one or more of these areas the IEP must contain a statement to that effect and the basis upon which the determination is made (OSEP Letter to Cernosia 19 IDELR 933).
See Joe's Non-Form IEP transition component for an example of such a statement regarding employment. Before the student leaves school the IEP must also contain, if appropriate, a statement of each public agency's and each participating agency's responsibilities or linkages (including financial) for the transition activities (34 CFR 300.346(d) and comment).
The IEP meeting must include a representative of the public agency providing and supervising the transition activities and, if appropriate, representatives of other participating agencies. In almost all situations the familiar district representative required for all IEP meetings would qualify as this representative. If appropriate, the student should also be there to ensure her or his needs, preferences, and interests are addressed. It is difficult to imagine circumstances where it would not be appropriate for a student who has a learning disability to be at the meeting. If the student cannot attend, other methods of participating must be used (34 CFR 300.344(c)(3)).
The ultimate responsibility for providing transition services rests with the school district (or state education agency if district fails) and there is no provision for a waiver of this requirement.
Thus it applies to all public agencies to whom IDEA applies and, if a participating agency defaults on service provision, it is the school that must find an alternative way to provide the service. However, nothing in IDEA relieves a participating agency of any of its responsibility for serving or paying for services for that student.
Two 1994 due process hearings against an Iowa district resulted in rulings that the district's failure to provide appropriate transition planning and services precluded the district from graduating the student and obligated it to provide further vocational programs (Mason City Comm. Sch. Dist. 21 IDELR 241 and 21 IDELR 248).
Transitioning in My Classroom
I am starting to get my students in 6th grade geared up to go into middle school or Junior High. I have one SPED student who I have been working with strongly on how to hand in her papers when she is done with them. She wants to hang on to them in her desk instead of handing them into the basket. I have also been working with them on getting into class on time and also have all of the materials ready for our next subject. They have four minutes to get from class to class starting in junior high or they are tardy so I am really forcing that!
Transition can be scary for some students. I can see the fear when the guidance councelor comes in and she starts talking about next year to the students. I think that some of they really fear getting to class on time and some of them really fear having so many different teachers.
