Research has shown that all students and especially those receiving special education who follow a carefully crafted transition plan are more likely to achieve post-secondary success. Helping professionals can craft these plans, but many may not be aware of the various resources available to ensure students’ successful transition. Additionally, educators are required by law to create a transition plan for students receiving special education by the age of 16; but, it is best practice to begin as early as middle school. So what are the available resources? How can helping professionals ensure that all students succeed in reaching their transition goals?

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https://learn.extension.org/events/2922
Successful Transition for Students with Special
Needs: What Resources are Available to You?

2. Connecting military family service providers
and Cooperative Extension professionals to research
and to each other through engaging online learning opportunities
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MFLN Intro
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3. Successful Transition for Students with
Special Needs: What Resources are
Available for You?
Presenter: Lakshmi Mahadevan, Ph.D.

4. Today’s Presenter
Lakshmi (Hema) Mahadevan, Ph.D.
•Education:
• Ph.D. in Educational Psychology
•Areas of Expertise:
• Career Assessment
• Post-Secondary Options for
individuals with special needs
• Special Education
• Multicultural career counseling

5. • What is transition?
• Best practices for working with
Individualized Education
Program (IEP) Committees on
transition plans.
• State agencies that provide
support for students in
transition.
• Avenues for success
• Career and technical education
programs of study
In this Session

6. Scenario
TJ is a 15 year old female with Down’s Syndrome.
Her parents have transferred her from the Military
base school to a public school near by. She was
admitted to the 7th
grade. It is summer and the
parents have been invited to an IEP meeting.

7. • One of the most important goals of
special education is the successful
transition of students to post-secondary
education.
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) requires that transition planning
begin at the earliest age appropriate.
• Transition planning means evaluating
needs, strengths, and skills required for a
student to move from high school to
postsecondary life.
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/trans.index.htm
What is Transition?

8. • The IEP must include a statement of the student's transition service
needs that focuses on the student's course of study (such as advanced
academic courses, technical training, or intensive employment
preparation) including, if appropriate, a statement of interagency
responsibilities.
• Beginning at age 16 (or age 14, if determined appropriate by the IEP
team), the IEP must contain a statement of needed transition services
for the student, This includes a coordinated set of activities with
measurable outcomes that will move the student from school to
post-school activities.
• http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/transition-goals/
Required by Law

9. • TJ is 15 – it is appropriate and necessary for us to
consider transition and post-secondary goals.
• This is also a good time for her parents to ask that she
be invited to her IEP meeting.
Scenario

10. Best Practices for Working with
IEP Committees on
Transition Plans

11. • Procedural safeguards
• Rights and responsibilities
• Resources:
• http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/steps/
• http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/process.pdf
• http://www.inclusivechildcare.org/inclusion_glossary.cfm
Know the Special Education Process

12. 
Mandated by IDEA.

Plan developed by a multi-disciplinary team (IEP
Committee) including the parents/guardians and
preferably the student.

Includes students' diagnoses-related information, long-
term educational and transition goals, short-term
objectives, related services, behavior plan, current
levels of academic achievement and functional
performance.

Details classes, accommodations and modifications and
methods by which student will be taught.
Individualized Education Program (IEP)

13. • Keep tabs on child’s progress
reports.
• Ask child what classes are
interesting and link it to their
career-related preferences.
• Ask child questions about what’s
working and not working.
• Ask child about accommodations
and modifications.
Parent/Guardian’s IEP Transition Role

14.  Remind child what the IEP meeting is about, who is going to be
there and what decisions are likely to be made.
 Ask for help with or provide tips on how to manage child’s
behavior.
 Provide information on transition-related activities that child has
had outside of school to help IEP Committee learn about their
interests.
 Provide information to the IEP committee, be active and advocate
for child such that their transition goals are met.
 Consider inviting state agencies that may be helpful.
Roles Continued…

15. • Since TJ hasn’t yet started school, her parents must find
out about their special education-related rights and
responsibilities.
• They need to understand what the various Special
Education terminology mean and make TJ familiar with
the most pertinent ones as well.
• They can visit with a parent advocate and/or a state
agency to understand what outside resources are
available and plan early.
Scenario

16. State Agencies that Provide
Support for Transition

17. • Independent living centers (ILCs): Help people with
disabilities achieve and maintain self-sufficient lives within
the community: http://www.ilru.org/; http://www.ncil.org/
• Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (VR): Helps persons with
disabilities to find employment and achieve increased
independence:
https://askjan.org/cgi-win/TypeQuery.exe?902
• Service agencies: Operate programs and services for
individuals with intellectual disabilities or mental health
concerns: http://www.acl.gov/Programs/AIDD/Index.aspx
Your State Agencies

18. • Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc.
(COPAA) protects the legal and civil rights of students
with disabilities and their families:
http://www.copaa.org/search/custom.asp?id=1489
• Social Security Administration (SSA): Provide benefits
for people of any age who are unable to do substantial
work and have a severe mental or physical disability:
https://www.ssa.gov/
State Agencies Cont.

19. • Know your child
• Understand the special education
process
• Work with IEP committees and state
agencies
• Tap into resources available at school
• Courses of study (academic and CTE)
• Paths to college/technical college
(applications, financial information)
Avenues for
Transition Success

20. Career & Technical Education
(Technical Training)

21. • The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006
provides federal support for CTE programs in all states and
the territories. The law focuses on the academic and
technical achievement of CTE students, strengthening the
connections between secondary and postsecondary
education, and improving accountability.
• Perkins includes a requirement for CTE courses (programs of
study) that seamlessly link academic and technical content
across secondary and postsecondary education.
• All public school receiving Perkins funds must provide at least
one POS.
Overview of CTE - Law

22. • CTE is no longer the “old vocational education” -
https://blog.ed.gov/2016/03/lets-commit-to-giving-cte-students-the-op
• Incorporate and align secondary and postsecondary education
• Include academic & CTE content in a coordinated, non-
duplicated progression of courses
• May include the opportunity for secondary students to
acquire postsecondary credits
• Lead to an industry-recognized credential or certificate at the
postsecondary level, or an associate or baccalaureate degree
CTE Programs of Study

23. Programs of Study Cont.
• Identify and address
current or emerging
occupational
opportunities
• Build on career clusters,
career pathways, career
academies

24. • Robotics
• Sports Medicine
• Stagehand Tech
• TV, Film & Digital Media
• Video Broadcasting
• Web Publishing
• Veterinary Science
CTE Program of Study:
Examples
• Architectural Design
• Computer Aided Design
• Digital Arts
• Graphic Design
• Photo Imaging
• Pre-Engineering

25. CTE & Special Populations
• Institutions that receive Perkins
funds must ensure access for
special populations who face
difficulty in attaining education
and employment.
• Reauthorization Coming:
• http://edworkforce.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?Docume

26. CTE & Special Populations
The definition of special populations in the Perkins Act,
includes:
• individuals with disabilities;
• individuals from economically disadvantaged
families, including foster children;
• individuals preparing for nontraditional fields;
• single parents, including single pregnant women;
• displaced homemakers
• individuals with limited English proficiency.

27. CTE & Special Populations
Cont.
Proposed:
•English learners (formerly LEP)
•Homeless
•Youth whose parents serve in the
military
At both the secondary and postsecondary
levels, applicants for Perkins funding
must indicate the steps taken to ensure
that all individuals from special
populations are provided equal access to
CTE programs and activities.

28. • Provide labor market information
• Implement coordinated set of activities that help
students move toward their post-secondary plans (e.g.
job shadowing, mock interviews, co-op experiences,
college visits etc.).
• Inform IEP Committees and Special Education on
realistic exit points.
• Instruct in the classes that serve as “Least Restrictive
Environment” for students with disabilities.
CTE Teacher’s Contribution
Towards Transition

29. • CTE Teachers can help formulate
transition objectives based on what
program of study they teach.
• Mark will be able to complete and
execute a five-ingredient recipe, using
a cooking app., in one hour with 75%
accuracy in 36 instructional weeks.
• Michelle will be able to change the
fluids and liquids in a car, using a
directions chart, can spout, and
funnel, with 100% accuracy, within 12
instructional weeks.
CTE Teacher’s Role –
Writing Goals

30. Tips for Parent/Guardians
• Contact the school when children are ready to enroll in
7th
grade.
• Look up school’s website and search for “Career and
Technical Education”, “Career and Technology
Education”, “CTE” or “CATE”.
• Meet with the CTE instructors/CTE director or
Coordinator.
• Ask questions – dispel doubts (is it like the old vocational
education? Do students have to be non-college-bound?
etc.)

31. Tips Cont.
• Ask, what career paths do these course lead to? Will the
child receive a license or a credential?
• Collaborate with CTE teachers on transition objectives.
• Ask these questions during child’s IEP meeting as well.
• Encourage child to go on field trips, participate in CTE
Student organizations and develop self-advocacy relate
to employability.
• Talk to the counselors. Do they provide financial aid or
college prep seminars?

32. Tips Cont.
• Is there a CTE advisory committee?
• The role of this committee (comprised of community members,
business and industry representatives etc.) is to evaluate and
help CTE programs do better. They also provide practicum
opportunities, guest speakers, equipment, field-based
experiences and jobs.
• Ask to participate in the advisory committee or attend a meeting.
• CTE State Profiles: https://www.acteonline.org/stateprofiles/
• For local occupational opportunities:
https://www.careeronestop.org/GetMyFuture/Toolkit/Occupation-
Profile.aspx

33. • TJ’s parents should ask her what her career-related
goals are.
• She likes animals and nature.
• After exploring the CTE offerings in their school they can
meet CTE instructor and/or ask (strongly advocate) that
a CTE representative be invited so that they can discuss
enrollment possibilities (Intro to Veterinary Science?)
Scenario

34. Conclusion
Planning for child to transition
out of school and into
independent living can be
stressful. Encouraging child’s and
parents’ self-advocacy, knowing
rights, having awareness of
avenues that are available and
being proactive can help. I hope
this presentation has given you
some insight into how you can
help your clients.

35. One Survey, two different ways to receive a
certificate.
1. MFLN Military Caregiving concentration area is offering
1.0 CEU credit from the UT School of Social Work to
credentialed participants.
2. MFLN Certificate of Completion for providers
interested in receiving general training.
»To receive a CEU credit OR certificate of completion,
please complete the evaluation survey found at:
https://vte.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3wveOhsUph3lq1T
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CEU Credit & Certificate
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36. » Title: The Caregiver in the Room: Considerations
for Providers Working with Families
» Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
» Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2017
» Location: https://learn.extension.org/events/2923
For more information on MFLNMC go to:
https://militaryfamilies.extension.org/military-caregiving/
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40. » Slide 4, Image: Lakshmi Mahadevan. Photo Credit: Lakshmi Mahadevan
» Images from slides (5, 7, 10, 11, 13, 16, 19, 20, 23, 25, 27, 29, and 34) are
purchased from iStockphoto by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the
Military Families Learning Network (MFLN), under Member ID: 8085767.
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