The document presents a person-centered approach to transition planning, emphasizing the importance of balancing what is important to and for individuals. It outlines methods for understanding personal preferences, managing health and safety, and fostering community connections for better life outcomes. Additionally, it highlights the need for essential lifestyle planning, team collaboration, and continuous evaluation of support strategies.

1. Person-Centered Transition Planning
Presented by:
Karen Umstead, M.Ed, B.C.B.A
Beautiful Minds of Princeton
“Teach, Reach, & Expand Potential”
www.beautifulmindsofprinceton.com
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2. Introductions
• Who am I
• Who are you
– Job position (Teacher, Related Service, Para, etc)
– Age range of students
– Functioning levels (where on the spectrum)
– Placement (Self-contained, Resource, In class)
• What do you know
• What do you want to know
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3. Levels of Importance
• Currently
– Heavy focus on what is important FOR a person
– Some focus on what is important TO a person
• Changing
– More weight needs to be given to what is
important TO a person
– More balanced

4. Important To/For
• What is important to a person includes only what
people are “saying”:
– with their words
– with their behavior
• When words and behavior are in conflict, listen to the
behavior.
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5. Important For
• What is important for people, includes only those
things that we need to keep in mind regarding
– Issues of health or safety
– What others see as important to help the person be a
valued member of their community
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6. Moving from Service Life to Community Life
Service A Good Community
Life Paid Life Life
“Important for “ recognized
Focus on connecting, building
relationships and natural supports
“Important to” present
Important “For addressed To and for present To and for present
No organized effort to Closest people are family or paid Active circle of support
address important “To” Few real connections Included in community life
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7. Moving from Service Life to Community Life
Service A Good Community
Life Paid Life Life
Important For addressed To and for present To and for present
No organized effort to Closest people are family or paid Active circle of support
address important to Few real connections Included in community 7 life

8. What works/makes sense What doesn’t work/make sense
• Shopping daily for favorite things
• Having lots of jewelry and no one •
Staff don’t let me drink what I want
getting into them without my ok • Teddy leaving me during mealtimes
• Having my sister Joanne in my life • Having no work to do at WAC, Inc.
perspective
• Lots of blue, red and black clothes • Staff not letting me buy things I
Julie’s
want
• Polished nails, many colors &
layers
• Living with Teddy, the Yorkshire
 Sleeping on my bed at night
 Snacks from my plate
 In my lap when I watch TV
• Favorite people doing activities
with her, especially John Dandy • Julie is less steady on her feet and
falling more than she used to
• Keeping Julie from falling –
perspective
reminders to use her walker • If you don’t make a plan with her
Staff’s
before shopping, she will want to buy
• Level blood sugar - staff knowing more than she has money for – Julie
signs of low and high blood sugar
may get very upset which can alter
• Joanne is active in Julie’s life her blood sugar
• Planning before she goes shopping • Julie gives Teddy food off her plate.

9. Julie
What is important to Julie? What is important for Julie?
What else do you need to learn/know?
© The Learning Community for Person Centered Practices, Inc. 2008

10. Julie – Answer Slide
What is important to Julie? What is important for Julie?
Relationship with Teddy Keeping diabetes under control
Having some control – • Monitoring blood sugar, giving insulin
• Over what happens with Teddy • Weighing her food
• What she buys/wears • Controlling amount she drinks
• Her things • Helping her stay calm
Shopping a lot Supporting her relationship with Teddy
Her sister &John Dandy in her life Keeping her from falling
Staying busy at the day service Planning in advance/
Drinking as much as she wants budgeting in advance for shopping
What else do you need to learn/know?
• How interested/involved is Julie in her diabetes management?
• What about “no work to do at WAC, Inc bothers her?
•Is John Dandy really important to her?
© The Learning Community for Person Centered Practices, Inc. 2008

11. Family
Grandma
Work/Day Home and
Services/ Other Paid
School Parents, Christina, Supports
Nikki, Dan, Alicia &
Caleb
Sue, Donna, Nicole
Nicole Karen
Diane, Aneta
Kate
Maryann, Heather,
Audrey, Sharyn,
Ashna, Joe
Matt, Tirzah,
Mike, Brian, Phil,
Beth
Friends and Non-paid
Relationships 11

12. Family
Work/Day Home and
Services/ Other Paid
School Supports
________
Friends and Non-paid
Relationships 12

13. Morning Routine
7:00 am alarm clock radio goes off, hit snooze
and go back to bed
7:03 alarm clock radio goes off, hit snooze and
go back to bed
7:05 Iphone alarm clock goes off, get out of bed
7:06 Go to bathroom and take medication
7:08 Let Romeo out, food and water in bowls,
pour cereal and milk
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14. Morning Routine
7:08 Get cereal, turn on ABC, watch TV
7:20 Go to bedroom, look for clothes to wear,
get dressed
7:23 Brush hair, teeth, wash face, do hair
7:28 Grab work gear (laptop, files, etc)
7:30 Check for phone, keys. Head out the door
8:00 Get to work
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15. Morning Ritual
Having a Conversation & Peeling the Onion
Read & Guess Have a Conversation; Ask &
Write… Important To
Put cereal with skim milk in little yellow • Health, Staying fit
bowl. Eat while watching the Today • jogging
Show (Philly NBC only) or Sports Center • eating lots of vegetables
(Fall – Winter). Make lunch (usually a • Drinking low/no calorie
salad with peas and chickpeas or a can beverages
of soup and a Diet Coke). • Keeping up on current
events, Politics
• Philly, PA News (not NY)
• A shared perspective
• Hollywood Gossip
• Knowing latest trends
•Competition
• Fantasy Football
• Sports (no baseball)

16. Getting to know your student
• Great things about him/her
• Things s/he likes/dislikes
• Her good/bad day
• Positive rituals
Consider Important to AND important for

17. Getting to know your student
• Hopes and dreams for the future
– Housing
– Employment
– Leisure/Community
• Two minute drill
• Great day/Bad day (or weekend)
• Communication
• Health & Safety
Consider Important to AND important for

18. Who is responsible
• Core Responsibilities
• Use Judgment & Creativity
• Not our Responsibility

19. Now What?
• Once the information is gathered, then an
essential lifestyle plan (ELP) will be created
• Team Meeting
• Characteristics of people who support one best
• Action Plan
– Desired Outcome
– Justification
– What needs to be done, by whom, by when
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20. Some Examples
• Jacks ELP Plan.pdf
• Belinda ELP Newsletter.pdf
• Kelly K ELP with MAPS.pdf
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21. Areas to consider
• Self-determination and advocacy
• Employment
• Residential
• Community
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22. Working/Not Working
What works/makes sense What doesn’t work/make sense
Perspective
Person’s
Perspective
Staff’s
© The Learning Community for Person Centered Practices, Inc. 2008

23. 4 + 1 Questions
(focus on learning and act on it)
What have we What have we What are we What are we
tried? learned? pleased about? concerned
about?
And then, what should we try/do based on what we have learned?
© The Learning Community for Person Centered Practices, Inc. 2008

24. Learning Log
Using the learning log to replace progress typical notes
What did the
Who was there?
person do? What did you learn about what worked What did you learn about what didn’t work
(Names of
Date (What, where, well? What did the person like about the well? What did the person not like about the
staff, friends,
when, how activity? What needs to stay the same? activity? What needs to be different?
others, etc.)
long, etc.)
11/1 Watch kids Dan, Chandra, He liked watching from the back of the He was not comfortable with kids close
practice for a kids in the room, but make sure that he can see behind him. He didn’t seem to like it when
concert at the program everything that’s going on. He LOVED it the kids were moving around in the room
Kennedy School when the kids were actually singing! (the (maybe because they were really noisy then).
concert will be on 11/14 at 7:00pm)
© The Learning Community for Person Centered Practices, Inc. 2008

25. You can put information in this booklet in
whatever way you want, you can write, draw,
use photos or pictures - its up to you ! You
My review can tell everyone about ……
the things you like
and things you don’t things that are
like…. important to
you, things you
want to stay the
same and those
you want to
change.
your hopes and
dreams for the
(Your picture here) future
Name …………………………………
……………………………………………… Use the blank pages
and add extra pages
if you need to.
This is a booklet to help you think about
your life and plan your review. You may want to take copies of the pages to 2
stick on the charts at the meeting

26. Important people in my
life
Put names in the
spaces…….
family
What I like best
about myself - put your
own words in the stars other school staff
important and paid
people supporters
me
friends
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27. What is important to me now What is important to me now
What I like to do…
Music Hobbies
At school…
Drink
Food
At home…
Just for fun..
Tv programmes
At any other important places I go…
What I really don’t like at school,
What I like to do with my friends home or for activities
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28. What is important to me now What is important to me
now
About school How I get to and from
Other things I like to do
school
at school
The best part of the
day is
I like to spend
My favourite lessons time with
are
At breaktime I like to
At lunchtime I like to
7 What makes me 8
unhappy at school

29. What is important to me now What is important
to me now
My school week
In each space draw the
Since my last review I
face that matches best have got better at
For example: happy sad ok
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Morning What I would like to
get better at and the help I
need to do this
Lunch
After-
non
You may also want to say why
you have chosen the face..
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30. Important to me for the Important to me for the future
future
These pages are for your
hopes and dreams
I would be happy if…
3 wishes I’d like to come true..
I would not be happy if..
In the future,I’ll be spending my time…
Other things I would really
love to do or have..
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31. Staying healthy and safe Communication
What I do when I
am feeling Happy..
What I can do
by myself…. What I would
like to be able
to do for myself
Happy
Sad… Frustrated..
What help I need to Angry… Unwell or in pain…
do these things
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32. Communication What is working in
What people should do if I am…..
my life now
Unwell or in pain Sad or upset
………………………… ……..…………………
………………………… …………..……………
………………………… ………..………………
………………………… ………..………………
…………..……………. ……..…………………
……………………….. ………..………………
………………………… ……..………………..
What I want to stay the same in my life
Things you should never do
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33. What is not Questions to ask
working in my life Issues to resolve
now Make a list of anything you want to find out
about.
What I want to change in my life
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34. Planning my review Planning my review
1. Names of people I want to invite to my 2. How to make sure I am comfortable and at the
.
meeting. centre of my meeting.
Snacks
This may include family, friends , school teachers
Where I would like it
and other important people.
to be held
Drinks
Music
Other things I would like to have or do at
the meeting
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35. Workbook developed by: Niki Marshall, Diane Staniforth
and Ruth Mathiesen based on the year 9 Person Centred
Review process by Helen Sanderson.
Sheffield Care Trust
Joint Learning Disabilities Service
We are happy for you to copy and adapt this book as
long as the authors and organisations are acknowledged.

36. Beautiful Minds of Princeton
“Teach, Reach, & Expand Potential”
For more information:
Call: 1-800-675-2709
Email: beautifulminds@comcast.net
or Visit us:
www.beautifulmindsofprinceton.com
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