High School Transition Services
Finding a stable, satisfying job and learning to live independently is challenging for all young people making the transition to adulthood.
It can be especially daunting for those with special needs --and for their parents.
Transition is about helping the student with a disability and his/her family think about their life after high school, identifying long-range goals and designing the high school experience to ensure students gain the skills and connections they need to achieve their goals.
Transition services refer to a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that:
- improves the academic and functional skills of the student in order to facilitate the student's movement from school to post-school activities such as post-secondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living or community participation
- is based on the individual student's needs, taking into account his or her strengths, preferences and interests
- includes instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives and, when appropriate, the acquisition of daily living skills. Transition services often include a functional vocational evaluation.
No matter what path your child plans to pursue after high school, you can help set the foundation for a
successful transition by:
- Starting the transition process early
- Encouraging your child to participate as much as possible.
- Adopting an attitude of high expectations, balanced with openness and flexibility about your child's transition goals and strategies
- Helping your child learn his or her rights under federal law and how to advocate for himself or herself in higher education and employment settings
- Helping your child to become increasingly independent in transition tasks