Developing The Transition Plan

Now let’s look at developing the transition plan as part of a student’s IEP.  We’ll look at when a transition timeline should be developed, who is to be involved in planning, what the purposes of the meeting are, seven “steps” to help us through the transition process, and the key requirements for the transition IEP.

The purposes of the meeting should be to:

•     determine the needs of the student,

•     target the services available to meet identified needs,

•     develop a formal transition plan,

•     monitor the progress of the student, and

•     provide information and training for parents about the transition process.

It is unlikely that anyone is more concerned about your daughter’s future than you are.  As you learn about her disability and become better aware of the impact it would have on her life and yours, you may have avoided thinking about her adult years.  Transition planning will help you, may even force you, to think about the future and the inevitable changes that lay ahead.

The law defines several of the key phrases found in transition planning.  “Transition services” is defined as a coordinated set of activities for a student that is designed within an outcome-oriented process, which promotes movement from school to post school activities.”  It also says that “the coordinated set of activities shall be based upon the individual student’s needs, taking into account the student’s preferences and interests and shall include instruction, community experiences, employment development, related services, and other post-school adult living objectives, and when appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation.  Post-school activities include: post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing adult education, adult services, and independent living.

The better prepared you and your son or daughter are before the IEP meeting, the more efficient and effective the process will be.  Steps 1-7 below will prepare you for a successful IEP meeting and for successful transition outcomes.  Have in mind a long range vision for the student.

“The IEP team needs to take a longitudinal view of where the student would like to end up, and then build an IEP that will help them get there.  This process, perspective, and futures planning will make the IEP a more useful, meaningful, and dynamic tool to help insure the student’s post-school success and transition into the adult world.” – Ed O’Leary

 

 

1. Identify the environments and planning areas important to the young adult from this list: education/training, community involvement, health, life skills, social: relationships/friends, living arrangements, self-determination, recreation/leisure, employment – including “soft skills”, communication, and other.
2. Identify the skills needed for your son or daughter to succeed in each targeted planning area.  Identify the student’s current skills for each area.  Compare the current skills with the skill demands of each area.
3. Prioritize needs, interests, and preferences to be considered in the IEP.  Have the student list his or her preferences, interests, and needs.  Have the parent/family list priorities based on family values, plans, concerns, and student needs.  Teachers and other professionals should also list priorities based on school requirements, assessments, observations, and experiences with the student.  Identify potential resources, programs, services, and support options.  Consider sharing the lists with other team members prior to the meeting.
4. Prepare for the IEP meeting.  You will need to identify any team meeting participants you would like to invite.  They should then be invited.  Parents must be invited to the IEP transition meeting at a mutually agreeable time and place.  Parents and students must be informed of the purpose, time, and location of the meeting and be told who will attend.  If the student does not attend the meeting, steps must be taken to consider the student’s preferences and interests.  If the student is going to conduct the IEP meeting, the student should prepare the agenda and practice.  If parents do not attend the meeting, steps must be taken to ensure participation.  Parents can help their students prepare to actively participate in meetings.
5. Develop the transition plan during the IEP meeting.  You will need to: keep the long-range vision of the student’s life clearly in front; select priority outcomes; write a list of needed transition services; write a statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals; write short-term objectives to measure progress toward the goals for students who take alternate assessments, identify supports (who will help with what); identify linkages (how different agencies need to work together to provide “seamless service”); write down the date by which each objective needs to be completed (timeline)and by whom (responsibilities); and confirm with team members that they understand their responsibilities.
6. Implement (start working on) and monitor the IEP.  You will need to: provide the services and implement the program; collect information on the student’s progress toward measurable annual goals and short-term objectives; communicate with all IEP team members; identify other strategies for meeting annual goals (and short-term objectives) or modify them if they are not being met; and meet again as an IEP team if services are not being provided.
7. Watch and record outcomes.  You and the transition team should continually watch and record outcomes.  Did the student make progress?  Reach his goal?  The team should: review the IEP at least once per year and revise the plan if necessary.  Remember to celebrate successes!

• the student,
• parents – and if desired, the family,
• special education teacher (at least one),
• regular education teacher (at least one) who has knowledge of the student,
• related service providers (if appropriate, speech or occupational therapists, etc.),
• Local Education Agency (LEA) representative, and
• other adult service providers, such as:
• Vocational Rehabilitation counselor, and
• Support Coordinator (case managers for the Division of Services for People with Disabilities – DSPD

• The LEA must invite the student with a disability to attend the student’s IEP meeting if a purpose of the meeting will be the consideration of the post-secondary goals for the student and the transition services needed to assist the student in reaching those goals.
• If the student does not attend the IEP meeting, the LEA must take other steps to ensure that the student’s preferences and interests are considered.
• To the extent appropriate, with the consent of the parents or a student who is age 18 or older, the LEA must invite a representative of any participating agency that is likely to be responsible for providing or paying for transition services.”

• An adult student has the right to approve his or her own educational placement and Individualized Education Program (IEP) without help from parents, family, or special advocates.
• An adult student has the right to allow parents, family, or special advocates to help if he/she desires.

1. Explain what the process is and obtain a commitment from the student to participate.
2. Describe an IEP meeting and demonstrate how to participate by role playing with the student.
3. Help the student to do a self inventory. Teach the student to plan for the conference just like you do.  The student could fill out a simple form that includes important information.

• Learning strengths – list as many as possible.
• Learning weaknesses, if there are a lot, help him prioritize and list the most important ones.
• Goals and interests

These techniques can be used either in a classroom situation or with an individual student.  Research shows that when a student participates in her IEP, she likes it and feels important.  The student will bring up most of the real concerns and you can add the rest.  The student is usually quite accurate.  In addition, the teacher obtains insight into what the student thinks about their studies.

An added benefit of a student participating in the IEP is the building of self-esteem and commitment because the student feels like a partner in the process.

 

The “Helping Students Participate in the IEP Process” portion is based on notes from a lecture by Candace S. Bos and is used with her permission.  For more complete information on this topic, refer to “The Education Planning Strategy” by Anthony K. Van Reusen, Candace S. Bos, Jean B. Schumaker, and Donald D. Deshler.

In addition to the contents that are required for all IEPs, IDEA requires additional content for a transition IEP, including:

Transition services and planning began as one of many ideas for increasing the quality of life for young adults with disabilities.  Today, transition from school to adult life is more than a nice idea; it is a requirement of the law.  The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that transition services be included in every student’s transition-age IEP Transition, as outlined in the IDEA, requires a shift in thinking an planning from and ‘expert-based’ model to a model with the individual with a disability at its center.  The foundation of the plan needs to be a coordinated effort among the student, parents, schools, and adult service providers to achieve a desirable future for the individual.  The focus should always be the young adult’s vision of the future.

The law defines several of the key phrases:  “Transition services” means a coordinated set of activities for a student with a disability that is designed to be within an outcome oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the student with a disability to facilitate the student’s movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation.

The coordinated set of activities shall be based on the individual student’s needs, taking into account the student’s strengths, preferences, and interests; and shall include:

Transition services are designed to be a results-oriented process that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the student with a disability to facilitate the student’s movement from school to post-school activities, including:

For all students, when writing the IEP before the student turns 16 (or younger, when appropriate), the IEP team must:

To facilitate the development of the statement of the interagency responsibilities, “the public agency shall also invite a representative of any other agency that is likely to be responsible for providing or paying for transition services. If an agency invited to send a representative to a meeting does not do so, the public agency shall take other steps to obtain participation of the other agency in the planning of any transition services”.

Measurable postsecondary goals are outcomes that occur after the person has left high school. They tell what a student WILL do (be enrolled in, attending, working at, etc.).

The best way to start the meeting is with introductions.  It would be fitting for your son to make the introductions or ask the individuals to introduce themselves.  When it is your turn, it would be helpful to remind everyone how important it is to succeed in developing a long-range plan so your son will have a meaningful life after leaving school.

The first step in developing a plan is to select and agree on priority outcomes. This will lead to a statement of long-range goals for at least the next three to five years.  In the case of students at risk of dropping out of school, it may be beneficial to develop a transition plan before age 14, when warranted. Realistic goals will be selected after reviewing the present level of educational performance along with your son’s strengths and interests.

Based on the desired outcomes, the team can identify any barriers that exist and select strategies to overcome them.  This is also the time to identify opportunities available for him.  Written annual goals will specify ways to overcome the barriers and maximize his use of existing opportunities.  Needed services and available resources, along with specific activities and experiences to help him reach the goals will be noted.

In addition to long-range goals and annual goals, the written transition IEP will include short-term objectives for those students who will be participating in alternate assessments.

While preparing to leave the meeting, express anticipation of successful outcomes and appreciation to all the participants.  They will be valuable allies in the weeks, months, and years ahead.
By developing good working relationships with team members, your student’s plan has a higher likelihood of succeeding.  His written plan must also specify how different agencies will work together to provide needed services.
The final step is confirming with team members to assure that they understand their responsibilities and agree to them.  The “Transition Timeline” can help you keep track of what is needed to smooth the transition process.

A transition timeline for your student should be set up beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the student is 16 (such as a meeting conducted when the student is 15 years old), or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP team, and should be updated annually.  Notice of the transition IEP meeting must:

As soon as a plan has been prepared, it is time to implement it.  Part of working th plan is collecting information on the progress being made.  It is important to communicate with all IEP team members as you monitor your daughter’s progress.  Keep a written log of telephone calls and face-to-face conversations which include the date, the name of the program, and the person contacted as well as a summary of the discussion.  Also keep copies of letters, notes, progress reports, homework assignments, IEPs, work performance reviews, and any other relevant records (e.g. testing results, medical reports, etc.).

It is very important to keep good records because it is impossible for you or any of the professionals working with your child to remember everything. There are so many details involved with planning your child’s future that it is important to keep the information that you are collecting organized and easily accessible.  There are many reasons you as a parent should keep track of important information about your child.  Some professionals may know part of what is going on with your child, but you are the only one that knows everything!  When you have a good record keeping system, all of the information is easily accessible and together.  It is very helpful to have a system in place that includes information pertaining to your child’s school services up to the current date.

 

To help you remember the numerous details important for your student, refer to the timelines.  It identifies things which need to be done and when to do them.  It is meant to supplement the IEP and assure that progress is being made. Keep in mind the IEP must be reviewed at least annually.  If no review meeting is held, do not hesitate to contact the school.  Cooperate with them in scheduling a meeting of the team as soon as possible to review your daughter’s transition plan and IEP.  You may always request to reconvene as needed.

If goals or objectives are not being met, determine whether or not modifications are needed.  Request another meeting of the team if agreed upon services are not being provided or if strategies are not working.  Any concerns about services or placements must be expressed in terms of your daughter’s needs.  In the case of disagreement, it is best to negotiate with the team.  If negotiations break down, you have a right to mediation and a due process hearing.

If a participating agency, other than the LEA, fails to provide the transition services described in the IEP, the LEA must reconvene the IEP team to identify alternative strategies to meet the transition goals for the student set out in the IEP.

Nothing relieves any participating agency, including a State vocational rehabilitation agency, of the responsibility to provide or pay for any transition service that the agency would otherwise provide to students with disabilities who meet the eligibility criteria of that LEA.

If any public agency other than an educational agency is otherwise obligated or assigned responsibility to provide or pay for any services that are also considered special education or related services, the public agency must fulfill that obligation or responsibility, either directly or through contract or other arrangement or as provided in an interagency agreement.  Such services could include but are not limited to:

If a public agency other than an educational agency fails to provide or pay for the special education and related services, the LEA must provide or pay for these services to the student in a timely manner.  The LEA is authorized to claim reimbursement for the services from the non-educational public agency that failed to provide or pay for these services and that agency must reimburse the LEA in accordance with the terms of the interagency agreement.