| Is your child with autism in high school and facing | | | | Part time employment before leaving school. 4. Some |
| transition, within the next few years? Are you | | | | volunteer experiences. |
| concerned that your child, has not received functional | | | | Moderate Disability: Child needs more substantial help in |
| skills to help them with the rest of their life? This article | | | | one or more academic area. May need help with |
| will be discussing transition from high school to adult | | | | behavioral issues also. 1. Focused efforts on career |
| hood, and what you need to know about functional | | | | trade/skill training. 2. Work experience at different work |
| skills for your child. | | | | sites. 3. Part time employment in place before leaving |
| Many children with disabilities do not receive an | | | | school. 4. Any supports for employment should be in |
| appropriate amount of functional skills training | | | | place also, to prevent the child from losing their job. |
| throughout their school years. The Individuals with | | | | Severe Disability: Child needs support most of time to |
| Disabilities Education Act of 2004, requires school | | | | complete any area of life skills. 1. Much time should be |
| districts to give present levels of functional | | | | spent receiving training in community sites, 2. Functional |
| performance, on your child's IEP. If your child tests | | | | skill training should also be given. 3. Work experience in |
| below age level in functional skills, ask for functional skill | | | | community. 4. Job in community before graduation. 5. |
| training. | | | | Supports for the job in the community before |
| IDEA 2004 also states that the purpose of the act is | | | | graduation. 6. Links to adult services in the community |
| to prepare children with disabilities for independent living. | | | | should be in place before graduation. |
| A wonderful book entitled: Functional Curriculum for | | | | An important thing to keep in mind about functional |
| Elementary, Middle and Secondary Age Students With | | | | skills, is how important it is that the skills are trained on |
| Special Needs, has a lot of information about functional | | | | a daily basis in the places, where they occur. This is |
| skills. This book is edited by Paul Wehman and John | | | | why it is important to include community training in any |
| Kregal. This book states that critical areas of | | | | functional skill curriculum. |
| independent living are: Career Education and Work, | | | | For Example: Tooth brushing could be taught after |
| community living, safety, transportation, home living skills, | | | | lunch, in school or in the community. Money skills could |
| activities of daily living, financial planning and | | | | be taught at a grocery store or department store. |
| management, and recreation. | | | | Learning how to use the bus would be taught on your |
| In planning for your child's transition these are the things | | | | community bus system. |
| to keep in mind: | | | | Children with moderate to severe disabilities should |
| Mild Disability: Child needs some extra help to get to | | | | also be given recreation options in the community. |
| the same level with others in most academic areas. 1. | | | | By learning what you need to know about transition |
| The child may need significant planning time with school | | | | and functional skills training, you will be able to help your |
| counselor, on options for schooling beyond high school. | | | | child. |
| 2. Planned extended community college experience. 3. | | | | |