| Do you have a child with autism or a learning disability | | | | your child needs, in order to meet their post school |
| that is 16 years or above, and still in high school? Do | | | | goals. This instruction could be vocational, could be |
| you worry about what will happen to your child when | | | | academic, could be functional; just depending on your |
| they graduate? The Individuals with Disabilities | | | | child's needs and post school goals. Make sure any |
| Education Act (IDEA), requires that each child with a | | | | instruction, is written in your child's IEP. |
| disability, 16 years or above must have a transition plan. | | | | 5. Related services needed: Any service that will help |
| This article will discuss the 9 items that need to be | | | | your child toward meeting their post school goals. For |
| included in a transition plan. | | | | Example: Occupational therapy could be given to |
| Transition Services means a coordinated set of | | | | increase your child's fine motor skills, to increase their |
| activities, designed in a result oriented process that is | | | | chance of being employed. |
| focused on improving the academic and functional | | | | 6. Community Experiences: This is especially important |
| achievement of children with disabilities. | | | | for students with moderate to severe disabilities. They |
| Below are the 9 important items that should be in a | | | | will learn how to grocery shop, department store shop, |
| transition plan: | | | | do banking, access recreation etc. |
| 1. Transition Assessments: To determine needs, | | | | 7. Development of Employment: Means working with |
| strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and interests for post | | | | the student, to help them learn skills so that they can |
| school outcomes. Also a functional vocational | | | | be employable, after high school. |
| evaluation, if your child needs it. | | | | 8. Daily Living Skills: Especially important for students |
| 2. Post Secondary Goals: These goals should be | | | | with moderate to severe disabilities. These include; |
| measurable and written in the areas of employment, | | | | grooming, shopping, budgets, cooking, cleaning, |
| post secondary education, post secondary training, and | | | | recreation, bus riding if appropriate. |
| independent living skills. | | | | 9. After graduation support services: List of agencies |
| 3. Course of study related to child's post school goals. | | | | that will be involved with your child after graduation. |
| This means that the classes a child takes need to be | | | | Make sure that the agency is invited to your child's last |
| related to their post school goals. If your child will be | | | | IEP meeting, to ensure a smooth transition. |
| going to college, they should be taking college | | | | By including all of these items in your child's transition |
| preparation courses etc. | | | | plan, the plan will be comprehensive, and will help your |
| 4. Instruction needed: Any particular instruction that | | | | child become closer to meeting their post school goals. |