Is adulthood around the corner for your child with autism?
Are you concerned about the transition process?
If so, there’s much work to be done to prepare your child’s IEP for transition to adulthood.
I’m here to help and can work with you and your school team virtually. Contact me to discuss a Transition Tune-Up for your child’s IEP.
I also do tune-ups for students who do not have autism.
Adulthood is Coming
The statistics are clear:
- More than half of young adults with autism remain unemployed.
- More than half remain unenrolled in higher education in the two years after high school.
Here’s what else:
Intelligence and academic abilities do not predict how well we do in life, including students with autism. Adaptive and life skills do!
Transition to adulthood is so important,
it’s the first stated purpose of IDEA:
“to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living“
What is Transition?
The IDEA states:
Beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child turns 16, or younger if determined appropriately by the IEP team, and updated annually thereafter, the IEP must include:
Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based upon age appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and where appropriate, independent living skills.
The transition services (including courses of study) needed to assist the child in reaching those goals.
TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD VIDEO SERIES
To learn more about Transition, you can watch this video series from yourspecialeducationrights.com
Transition Planning Can Be Overwhelming
Understanding the transition planning requirements in IDEA can help you work with your child’s IEP team to plan appropriate transition goals and services. Your child, if appropriate, is encouraged to be an integral part of the planning.
Federally, the Transition planning process must be in place by the age of 16. Many states start the process earlier. Find out when the process begins in your state. You can do this by reaching out to your state’s Parent Training Information Center. You can also reach out to your state’s Department of Special Education, your district’s director of special education or your school team.
Your school district might have a transition coordinator or someone devoted to assisting IEP teams with the transition process. Other districts may not. Either way, you should reach out to your school team and get that transition team or person involved in your child’s Transition planning process.
Person-Centered Planning
YOU CAN’T KNOW HOW TO GET SOMEWHERE IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING…
Person-centered planning affords you, your child, the school team and people you and your child choose to be involved (family, friends, etc. ) the opportunity to come together to discuss the vision of your child’s optimistic future. The process delves into your child’s strengths, dreams, weaknesses and concerns, to name a few areas.
From the information, the team develops a plan of action to realize that vision. The plan is a map to keep the team on the right path as you move through the transition process. The most important person in the process is your child and what he, with you and your family, envisions for him.
Person-centered planning is not a required component of transition planning, but it sure is a nice way to get the process started.
Person-centered planning is the umbrella term for a variety of models. Here are some popular Person-centered planning options. If you’re interested in having your school district conduct one, ask your team which one your district school uses and who facilitates them. They may also contract with an outside agency to facilitate the process.
PATH (Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope)
MAPs (Making Action Plans)
PFP (Personal Futures Planning).
Transition Specific Assessments
Transition assessments are age-appropriate and identify your child’s strengths, preferences, interests, and needs. Information is gathered in a variety of ways, including formal assessments, student self-assessment, community based, observations, interviews and a variety of other tools. The assessments are used to develop transition IEP goals.
Transition assessments can include the ones identified on the Assessments page. Transition-specific assessments are distinguished by being designed for transition to adulthood for employment, post-high school education or training, and independent living.
What and how many different transition assessments to use will be different for each student. Areas to assess include, but are not limited to:
- Employment
- Post-Secondary Education / Training
- Independent Living Skills / Activities of Daily Living
- Community Participation
- Health, Safety & Sexuality
- Self-Determination / Self Advocacy
- Communication
- Social Skills / Interpersonal
There are a mind-boggling number of transition assessments to consider conducting for students with autism. Check with your school district and State Department of Special Education for a transition assessment guide. Additionally, work with your child’s IEP team in deciding which assessments to conduct.
Work with your IEP team to determine which assessments are best suited for your child.
COPS System Career Measurement Package: EdITS
COPS Interest Inventory (grades 7 – 12): EdITS
COPS II Interest Inventory (grades 4 – 12): EdITS
COPS – PIC Interest Inventory (pictures): EdITS
COPS – P Interest Inventory (for college-bound students): EdITS
CAPS: Career Ability Placement Survey: EdITS
COPES: Career Orientation Placement and Evaluation: EdITS
Occupational Aptitude Survey & Interest Schedule (OASIS-3): PRO-ED
Assessment of Functional Living Skills
Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills https://partingtonbehavioranalysts.com/products/ablls-r-the-assessment-of-basic-language-and-learning-skills-revised
Independent Living and Community Participation: PRO-ED
Informal Assessments for Transition: Independent Living and Community Participation: PRO-ED