Ellen Will

Dr. Macfarland
Serp 564
November 28, 2016
Unit 14 Assignment
Scenario update: Jim is 14 years old and will be finishing middle school in June at your
large, urban school and transferring to his neighborhood high school. You are the special
education teacher and have taught Jim since the fall. You have had a successful year working
with Jim, his regular education teacher, his related service providers, and Jims peers and the
family. Jim now has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders. He has received speech-language
therapy and occupational therapy services. A psycho-educational assessment has been completed.
The Individual Education Plan (IEP) is in place and youre pleased that the educational team is
working as an effective, cohesive group. Unfortunately, Jim has made minimal progress with the
social/behavioral goals youve established but has made satisfactory academic progress.
(1) Who should be included in the transition process?
The people that should be included in Jim's transitional plan meeting are:
The special education/general education teacher at his current school
The special education/general education teacher at his new school
Any therapist that Jim has been using so far, (OT, PT, etc.)
Jim's parents
Jim himself
Peers that are going with him to the new school

(2) What should be in the transition plan?

According to the Autism Transition Handbook, these are the points that need to be included
in Jim's transition plan for his age:
Continue employment exploration of interests, aptitudes, and abilities
School conducts first IEP/Transition Meeting
Reach out to your school district's Transition coordinator.
Begin community based employment training;
Begin to apply for appropriate waiver funding if needed
Apply for Supplemental Security Income Benefits(SSI)
Acquire state identification (photo ID) card

Also, I would include a plan to work on Jim's Social and Behavior portion of the Transition
plan. I would see what I can get him involved in to help him become more social with peers
who share interests with him. An idea could be to have a peer at his new high school show
him around his new school and mentor him on life in high school.
(3) Where should the meeting(s) take place?
This meeting should take place either at his current Middle School or at the High School
itself. If it is at the high school he can get a feel for the school before he actually starts going
there. Maybe they could walk him in a couple classrooms that are in sessions so he knows
what to expect. Introducing Jim to his teacher that he will have his freshman year will also
be a good idea. That way the teacher can talk about her expectations and Jim can have the
chance to express his strengths, weakness, likes, and dislikes.
(4) When should the meetings take place (think of a timeline)?
According to Transitioning Across Grade Levels:
This meeting should be held in the early Spring of the semester before he graduates
from 8th grade.
(5) Why will a transition plan and a transition meeting be helpful for Jim, his family, and the
middle school and high school teachers/related service providers?
This transition plan and meeting will be beneficial for Jim because when he leaves his
Middle School and goes to High School he will be fully prepared and know what to expect.
Including him in the transition plan will ensure him that he is making decisions about his
own life based on his preferences, interests, goals, and dreams. This will increase his
excitement about his future in high school and he will look forward about the transition
knowing what is going to happen.
For Jim family, it will give them a peace of mind knowing that all of Jim's transitional
needs are being met. Also, it allows his parents to set their expectations for Jim and help
them be involved in the transition process. Being a constant support system in Jim's life,
they play an important role between home and school life.
Finally, for the teachers involved in the transition process. It is beneficial for the current
and future schools to collaborate because they know what Jim has been working on and
can continue with that progress. That way when Jim gets to his new school they are not
starting over with learning who he is and what he needs as a student to be successful.

Resources:
Autism Transition Handbook. (2015, November 3). Retrieved November 29,
2016, from http://www.autismhandbook.org/index.php?title=Main_Page
Autism Transition Handbook. (2015, November 3). Retrieved November 29,
2016, from http://www.autismhandbook.org/index.php?title=Main_Page