1. 1
Making a Successful
Transition from
High School into the
Adult world
Joshua & Brandi
• She graduated from high school with a regular
diploma (passed AHGE)
• She is a Freshmen at Auburn University at
Montgomery
• She was the first student from Lee County to
graduate from Bridge Builders of Alabama, which is 2
year leadership organization based in Montgomery,
AL
• She is a member of Blackout organization at AUM
which is a community service program
• She is diagnosed with Asthma, Arthritis,
Fibromyalgia, and Dyslexia
• They were both members of the YAiT group
• The Ware-Heard family was featured in the 2013 Auburn
University Transition Institute Annual Report
• He graduated from high school with a regular diploma
(wavier) with 3.48 G.P.A.
• He is a Sophomore at Auburn University at Montgomery
• He is the scoreboard keeper for AUM basketball team
• In 2013 he was featured in Auburn University Transition
Institute Newsletter
• In 2013 he was appointed by Governor Bentley to the
Alabama Interagency Autism Coordinating Council
• He was diagnosed with Selective Mutism at 3 years old
• He received the diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome in
2006
2. 2
What is Transition
• Life is full of transitions, and one of
the more remarkable ones occurs
when we get ready to leave high
school and go out in the world as
young adults. When the student has a
disability, it’s especially helpful to plan
ahead for that transition. In fact, IDEA
requires it.
Transition Service
Language
Q. When must transition service language be included in
the IEP?
A. Not later than the student's sixteenth birthday. The
point in time when transition language must be added
to the IEP for students with disabilities was raised
from the age of 14 in the IDEA of '97 to the age of 16
in the IDEA '04. However, for many students,
beginning transition services earlier than 16 may be
appropriate. And the IDEA '04 allows for it:
(VIII) beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child is 16, and updated
annually thereafter. [Section 614(d)(1)(A)(i)]
3. 3
What It Means
The IEP that is developed on or before the student’s
sixteenth birthday must contain transition service language.
If the student turns 16 before the next scheduled IEP
meeting, the IEP team is required to develop transition
services language and identify needed services during the
IEP when the student is 15 years old, so that the plan is in
effect when the student turns 16. However, it may be
appropriate for many students to begin discussing the
connection between school and careers as early as
elementary school. For other students it may be
appropriate to include transition services language in the
IEP during middle school or when the student moves from
middle to high school in order to identify appropriate
courses of study that support the student’s post-school
goals.
Questions to Start With
• Who am I?
• What are my future goals?
• What are my strengths?
• What are my limitations?
• Who will help me in school?
• Who will assist me after school in achieving my
goals?
• List preferences, interests, needs, strengths,
capabilities and aptitudes?
Sample Vision Statement
“ I would like to graduate from high school, go to the
local community college, get a job I like and live on
my own”.
4. 4
What is Transition Planning
Planning that will allow him/her to think past
high school
• Choose a living arrangement
• Obtain a career
• Develop independent and community living skills
• Access postsecondary education ultimately moving
from school to the working world.
Understand that:
• It is about individual dreams
• It is based on individual abilities and deficiencies
• It is more than just paperwork
Transition Planning Team
• Family + Friends & Neighbors
• Employers
• General and Special Education
Personnel
• Agency Representative
• Local Community Representatives
5. 5
Individuals Involved in the
Transition Planning Process
• Teachers
• School Counselors
• VR Evaluators/Counselors
• CTE Educators
• Community Rehabilitation
Professionals
• Students
• Postsecondary Education
• Disability Specialists
• Clinical Therapists
• School Psychologists
• Social Workers
• Employers
• Job Coaches
• Transition Coordinators
• Case Managers
• Related Services Staff
• Assistive Technology
• Specialists
• Parents
Sample IEP Form
6. 6
Sample IEP Form
Four Basic Transition Skills
Relevant To Students with
Disabilities:
• Ability to assess their own skills and abilities;
• Awareness of the accommodations they need
because of their disability
• Knowledge of their civil rights through legislation
such as IDEA, the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act;
• Self-advocacy skills are necessary when expressing
their needs in the workplace, in educational
institutions, and in community settings (Wandry&
Repetto, 1993)
7. 7
Daily living skills
• The student may require practice in
performing activities that adults do
every day, such as preparing meals,
shopping, budgeting, banking,
maintaining a home, paying bills, and
grooming.
Budgeting/Check writing Examples
• http://financeintheclassroom.org/downloads/CheckingU
nitLessonPlans.pdf
Electronic Banking
• https://www.wellsfargo.com/wfonline/tour/olb/high_flash
Where Can Transition
Assessment(s) be Conducted?
• Educational Settings
• Job Link Centers (One-Stop Workforce Centers)
• Mental Health Agencies and Clinics
• Vocational Rehabilitation Offices
• Community Rehabilitation Programs
• Medical and Therapeutic Testing/Screening Clinics
• Private Industries and Businesses
• Community Settings and Home
Vocational Evaluations
• Career Tests, Personality Tests and
Aptitude Tests, I.Q. Tests
8. 8
Choosing a Post-Secondary
Program
• A technical institute
• An apprenticeship or industry training program
• Job shadowing experiences in postsecondary areas
• Community College (2-year program)
ACT/SAT scores not required but they require a placement test
• College/University (4-year program) ACT/SAT scores required
Ask for accommodations during testing ahead of time for all testing
Work in competitive labor market
• Create a Resume
• List of references
• Full- or part-time basis in integrated setting
• Compensation at or above minimum wage
Develop and Implement
Plan
• Visit the institution and visit the Disability Service Office
at the institution before making a decision
• Complete the entrance application, Submit required
assessments and all other required documents
• Research funding for tuition and accommodations
o Scholarships
o Grants
o Loans
o Work Study
• Support network on and off campus
o Counseling
o Tutoring
• Living arrangements
9. 9
The Disability Service Office
Examples of Accommodations:
• Note Takers
• Software voice programs to assist students with
reading or writing
• Extended time for exams, oral exams or special
locations for exams
Assistive Technology
LiveScribe - Smartpen
Nuance Dragon - Speech recognition software
Helpful Websites
Hippocampus.org
Khan Academy
Resources
• http://www.alawin.org/
• http://www.autismspeaks.org/docs/family
_services_docs/transition/Alabama.pdf
• http://www.alsde.edu/home/Default.aspx
• http://www.ncld.org/
• http://idea.ed.gov/explore/home
• http://www.good.alabama.gov/resource-
links
![2
What is Transition
• Life is full of transitions, and one of
the more remarkable ones occurs
when we get ready to leave high
school and go out in the world as
young adults. When the student has a
disability, it’s especially helpful to plan
ahead for that transition. In fact, IDEA
requires it.
Transition Service
Language
Q. When must transition service language be included in
the IEP?
A. Not later than the student's sixteenth birthday. The
point in time when transition language must be added
to the IEP for students with disabilities was raised
from the age of 14 in the IDEA of '97 to the age of 16
in the IDEA '04. However, for many students,
beginning transition services earlier than 16 may be
appropriate. And the IDEA '04 allows for it:
(VIII) beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child is 16, and updated
annually thereafter. [Section 614(d)(1)(A)(i)]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)