There can be little doubt that successful and meaningful transition services are the result of careful planning. This planning should be driven by a young person’s dreams, desires, and abilities. It builds a youth’s participation in school, home and community living. Transition planning helps to prepare young
people for their futures. It helps them to develop skills they need to go on to other education
programs after high school or going to work in the community.
The planning for transition to leave school and move into the adult world is a fundamental and important part of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
It is essential for the student and the parents to be a part of this process to assure an effective transition, and transition planning is required in the IEP for students by age 16, although truthfully, this process whould begin earlier informally, and as early as possible formally to allow the students to build the skills they will need to function effectively in the community.
Transition services include instruction, community experiences and building employment skills. They include post-school adult living objectives and, if needed, daily living skills training and functional vocational evaluations. All of these services must be provided in a manner that is sensitive to a student’s cultural background and native language.
Transition services are based on a student’s strengths as well as needs. The most effective transition programs are those that focus more on the student's abilities than on their deficits, and also those that take into account, preferences and interests. Activities that are part of transition services must
be results-oriented. This means that they are focused on building specific skills and must take into account the real job market. It does little good to prepare a student for jobs that do not exist in the communtiy. Some school sponsored workshops use "busy work" in training that do not readily translate into community employment.
Students must be involved in transition planning. In fact, schools are required to invite students to participate in their IEP meetings whenever transition goals or services are considered.
There is an unfortunate paternalism that often accompanies career planning where school officials decide what is "best" instead of taking into account the wants and needs of the individual student, often focusing more on deficits than on abilities and residual assets.
For more information, check out the Pacer.org information sheet.
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