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EDUC 619 SCHOOL & COMMUNITY

JULIE A QUACKENBUSH

VITERBO UNIVERSITY | La Crosse, WI


eparing For Life: A Transition Guid
Personal Resource Guide for Transition Planning

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

What is Transition?
Transition is helping students with disabilities and their families think about their life after high school
and identify long-range goals designing the high school experience to ensure that students gain the skills
and connections they need to achieve these goals the provision of funds and services to local school
districts to assist in the transition process.
Beginning not later than age 16 or earlier if appropriate, the IEP Team must address transition
services in the IEP.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines Transition Services as: a coordinated set
of activities for a child with a disability that
- Is designed to be within a results-oriented process that is focused on improving the academic and
functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the childs movement from
school to post-school activities, including postsecondary education, vocational education,
integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult
services, independent living, or community participation.
- Is based on the individual childs needs, taking into account the childs strengths, preferences, and
interests.
- Includes instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment
and other post-school adult living objectives, and, when appropriate, acquisition of daily living
skills and functional vocational evaluation.
- Includes appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based upon age-appropriate transition
assessments related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent
living skills.
- Includes transition services (including courses of study) needed to assist the child in reaching
those goals.
- Begins no later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child is 16 and updated annually

Transition planning may begin as early as elementary school. School personnel should begin the process
of discussing with students and parents the educational progress and needs of the student. The discussion
should consider the expectations and aspirations of the student. The process should also include
discussions concerning future goals and the skills needed to support reaching transition goals. When the
student is in middle school, school personnel should begin using career assessments to identify the
career interests, abilities, and needs of the student. The assessment data should be utilized to develop
appropriate programming including the courses of study. Beginning not later than age 16, or earlier if
appropriate, the IEP Team must address transition services in the IEP.
Who should be involved in the transition planning process?
Student
Parents/Guardians
Special Education Teachers
General Education Teachers
School Administrators
Guidance Counselor
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Other Agency Representatives

What is the students role?


Students Role

To learn about the transition process what is involved, what happens when, what I need to know?
Take an active role in the transition process talk about your interests, preferences, and goals.
Ask questions.
Identify your strengths and weaknesses. likes, dislikes, etc
Identify the appropriate path to follow what exit option you should take based on your strengths
and interests.
Speak with the schools career leader or guidance counselors to identify appropriate courses to help
reach your goal, apply for scholarships, learn about options college, vocational trade school,
apprenticeships, .
Explore career interests and what options might be available based on the options.
Complete age-appropriate transition assessments (Interviews, observations, career day).
Attend your classes and complete all assignments.
Find reliable people, resources, and agencies that will assist you in reaching your goals.
Learn more about your disability and how to get the supports you need to reach your goals.

Parents/Guardians Role

Be an active participant in the IEP Team transition planning process.


Share your thoughts and concerns about your childs transition plan.
Share information with the IEP Team about your childs strengths, needs, and preferences.
Ask questions.
Discuss with your child his/her future goals.
Help your child explore and develop realistic goals for adult life and to become an active
participant in planning their future.
Keep records for your child
Determine how much assistance your child will need to acquire independence.

Teachers/Case Managers Role

Help the student explore his/her goals for adult life.


As an IEP Team member develop measurable postsecondary goals for the student.
Help the student complete activities that will help him/her achieve their goals.
Coordinate IEP meeting times with all transition team members.
Provide instruction in the classroom setting on self-determination/self-advocacy skills and skills
related to understanding the purpose of the IEP process.
Role-play IEP meetings to help the student understand the IEP process and requirements.
Encourage the student to communicate with school personnel to monitor progress toward the IEP
goals.
Encourage the student to advocate and conduct his/her IEP Team meeting.

School Guidance Counselors Role

Assess students for career interests and aptitude leading to the students career path.
Develop four-year educational/career plans for students.
Beginning in the eighth grade, and annually thereafter, guide students in the development and
annual revision of the four-year educational/career plan.
Facilitate the delivery of appropriate curriculum in the classroom.

Other Agency Representatives Role

Attend IEP Team meetings when invited.


Actively participate with other IEP Team members to align plans and services.
Provide information on resources and supports available to help the student reach his/her goals to
the best of your knowledge.
Provide necessary services and supports to help the student achieve his/her goals.
Transition Timeline/Process

Students Age What IEP Team Should Consider


No later than age 1213, or earlier if appropriate Develop communication and social skills.
Develop skills in self-determination and self-
advocacy.
Begin person-centered future planning process.
No later than age 14, or earlier if appropriate Have students attempt transition assessments
(Student Interview, Interest Inventory, Student
Survey, Parent Interview, Work Samples,
Vocational Assessment, Career Interest Inventory,
Career Aptitude Assessment)
Select the highest, most appropriate diploma
pathway for completion of eighth grade.
No later than age 15, or earlier if appropriate Review diploma/exit options or pathways
Identify students strengths, weaknesses, abilities,
values, and interests by participating in elective
classes or extracurricular activities.
Explore careers that may be of interest.
Select course of study needed to meet students
transition goals.
No later than age 16, or earlier if appropriate Create a transition plan with the IEP Team.
Assess student interests, strengths, and needs as
appropriate.
Review diploma pathways.
Review course of study.
Review documentation of transition services.
Discuss and explore career interests with the IEP
Team.
Discuss and review postsecondary education,
employment/training, community, and
independent living, if appropriate.
Discuss and review community independent
living goals.
Develop agency linkages if appropriate.
Begin application to adult service agencies.
No later than age 18, or earlier if appropriate Discuss guardianship or age of majority.
No later than age 21, or earlier if appropriate Complete the Summary of Academic
Achievement and Functional Performance
(SOP).
Complete the SOP for every student who exits
with a high school diploma or who will be
exceeding the age of eligibility for free
appropriate public education (FAPE). The
ALSDE, Special Education Services (SES)
Section, strongly encourages public agencies to
complete the SOP for all students exiting high
school.
Document academic achievement and functional
performance progress.
Document recommendations for meeting the
goal(s) for postsecondary education/
employment or community/ independent living
goal(s) not met.
Document successful accommodations during
high school.
Complete at the end of the students exiting year.
Discuss next steps as related to selected
diploma/exit option or pathway.
Discuss the Post-School Outcome survey (PSO
survey).

STUDENT OUTCOMES PLANNING


Transition planning involves more than creating a paper document. Transition planning involves
ensuring all students with disabilities are prepared to achieve their desired post-school goal. Beginning at
age 16, or earlier if appropriate, the IEP Team must determine the students post-school transition goals
based on needs, preferences, interests, and appropriate transition and career planning assessments.
Transition services must begin when the student turns 16 during the first IEP session after reaching
16. Services may begin earlier if appropriate, and then should be updated annually after that. The IEP
Team must address the students course of study; assessments; goals, employment/occupation/career and
community/independent living. It should consider transition services; and annual goal(s) to address the
transition service needs indicated on the transition page.
During the eighth-grade IEP meetings, students should take an active role in selecting their graduation
option and determining the needed courses of study based on their post-school outcomes.
Assessments for Transition Planning
The first step in planning for transition is assessment. Types of Transition Assessments: Assessments
come in two general formats formal and informal.

Formal assessments:

aptitude tests
interest assessments
intelligence tests
achievement tests
personality or preference tests
career development measures
training evaluations, and measures of self-determination.
Examples include: -Meyers Briggs
Self-Directed Search (Forms E, R, and Explorer)
Wonderlic Basic Skills Test
Occupational Aptitude Survey and Interest Schedule
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery

Informal:

interviews or questionnaires
direct observations
anecdotal records
environmental or situational analysis
curriculum-based assessments
interest inventories
preference assessments
transition planning inventories. ( The Transition Planning Inventory, Interest Inventory, or Life
Centered Career Education Plan )

Transition Assessments:
Educational Individual classroom-based assessments; grade or school-wide assessments;
academic assessments and observational reports
Employment Ratings of employability, vocational interest inventories, functional skills
assessments, structured assessments in the work setting, evaluations of interview experience, work skills
Training Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, computerized skills assessments,
self-determination scales, and vocational readiness ratings.
Independent Living Skills Daily living skills assessments and assistive technology evaluations.
Beginning at age 16, or younger, the IEP Team must determine the students appropriate
measurable postsecondary goals based upon age-appropriate transition assessments related to:
Training Education Employment Independent Living Skills, where applicable

List of Helpful Websites:

http://dpi.wi.gov/sped/topics/transition

http://mywtcs.wtcsystem.edu/wtcsinternal/cmspages/getdocumentfile.aspx?
nodeguid=56c2604f-0768-47e9-8ed8-27ece93861a1

https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/sped/pdf/tranopndrs.pdf

Disability.gov

https://www.cesa7.org/sped/autism/index2.htm Susan Stokes Autism


Guide

http://www.pacer.org/parent/php/PHP-c115.pdf The PACER Centers


College or Training Programs: How to Decide informational sheet offers
ideas to consider before graduation to help students with disabilities decide
what the appropriate path for them is.
http://www.pacer.org/transition/resource-library/publications/MYD-
Employment.pdf The Centers Employment handout entitled Mapping Your
Dreams: Making the Transition Team Work provides additional information to
help transition-age students figure out what they want to do after high
school. There is even a video series on how to fill out college forms, including
the FAFSA for financial aid.

The HEATH Resource Centers Awareness of Post-secondary Options


provides an overview of the different choices available after high school so
young people with disabilities can make an informed decision about their
future. What Do I Want To Be When I Grow up? helps young people identify
their interests, values, and preferences related to work and use that
information to consider possible careers. The Centers Opportunities in
Career and Technical Education at the Post-Secondary Level helps explain
the career training options that are available for students, including high
school and post-secondary certificates, two and four-year college degrees and
technical and trade schools. The Center also offers a fact sheet on Non-
Degree Post-Secondary Options for Individuals with Disabilities (there is also
a follow up to the fact sheet).

My Future My Plan is a transition planning website that encourages students


to take a lead role in planning the life they want after high school. It includes
tools, resources and information for students with disabilities, their families,
teachers and school counselors.

The National Youth Transitions Center offers information, programs and


events to help young people with disabilities, including Veterans, make the
transition from high school to higher education or the workforce. Programs
include career counseling, school-to-work readiness training, work-based
learning experiences, leadership training and family education and support.
The Center also houses the Youth Transitions Collaborative and the
National Veterans Center.

Youth Transition Toolkit: A Guide for Young People with Disabilities


Transitioning to Adulthood is a PowerPoint presentation that addresses
topics like education, employment, health care and personal assistance
services.

TransCen Online Learning Tools are free online training courses students and
parents can do at their own pace to learn more about options after high
school.

NCSETs Person-Centered Planning: A Tool for Transition has information


about creating a transition planning process that focuses on the needs and
interests of students with disabilities. It includes information on transition
planning as part of IEPs and how young people can play a leading role in
making decisions about their future.

The Youthhood website helps young people plan for the future, figure out
what they want to do after high school, and think about issues such as
employment, housing and health care.

Youth.gov has information for transition-age youth, including students with


disabilities. Learn about youth employment, mental health and
substance abuse issues and mentoring.

The Im Determined! website offers information and resources for students,


parents and teachers about the transition process and post-
secondary options. It includes information about educational rights,
employment, living independently and self-determination. It also has fact
sheets, videos and a transition planning guide.

The Learn How to Become website has information and resources on careers
and education and training options so young adults can find the right career
and determine a plan for success.

The Autism Societys Transition Planning for Students with Autism guide has
information to help students prepare for life after high school, including to
great information on how to search for a job and a how to find a place to live.
http://www.thinkcollege.net/images/stories/site_docs/family_checklist.pdf
The Think Colleges Transition Checklist provides a list of topics that
should be taken into consideration when discussing transition from high
school to college for students with intellectual disabilities.

https://www.careeronestop.org/getmyfuture/index.aspx
The GetMyFuture website has information to help young people move
from school to work and find careers that fit their interests and skills. Learn
about finishing high school, writing a resume, training for a job and starting
your own business. You can also use the website to find scholarship
opportunities, look for a job in your area and get contact information for state
job programs and agencies.

http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/naturalsupports/ Natural Supports Site


What key discussions from the forums should be copied to here?
Transition Action Guide is a very practical and useful resource; with color coded
format in the beginning of the guide that is very useful, especially for parents.
Neurotypical my key take away is that to always remember that people are all
human. We are all the same. Although our actions may not appear as such we
are all experiencing life together. We each have our own interpretations and
backgrounds that bring about our opinions. Dont disregard anothers opinion.
Dont ever count someone out. We all experience life in our own way. We need
to help each other figure out how to make our way through.
What personal reflections have you made that should be noted here for future reference?
We have covered a lot of very useful and informational material throughout this course. We have looked at
what is transition, what is a plan, who develops it, how and why. We have gained a lot of knowledge. I have
tried to put some important parts in this guide as a reminder of where to go for what, who does what and when
it should happen.
EDUC 619 Collaboration and Transition: The School and the Community

INSTRUCTOR: Patrick Godar

CREDITS: 3

DATE: Fall 2016

Course Description:
This course explores the activities inside and outside of school which develop collaborative
problem solving in special education. It provides an overview of IDEA requirements for
students on the Autism Spectrum, and roles and responsibilities of families in the educational
process. Transition is the process to identify desired outcomes after high school and to plan for
transition and achievement of those goals. If the end we have in mind is educated
employees then the transition planning is the beginning. It establishes the education course
for middle and secondary students with disabilities that leads to access to adult services,
postsecondary education, and the world of work.

Artifact Description:
The artifact that I chose to showcase from my time in EDUC 619 Collaboration and Transition in
the post baccalaureate special education certification process is my knowledge gained through
creating the Personal Resource Guide for Transitional Planning. I believe that this work
showcases a compilation of all that we covered within the course. It is a go to guide about all of
the areas that we have discussed over the past several weeks. I have put a lot of the useful
resources and websites discussed throughout the course into this guide. Not only is it a good
representation of what I have learned but it is also a good tool to use should I need to go back
and find helpful information in the future. This artifact is a helpful list of all of the resources I
found throughout this course. The Neurotypical video, although not listed, made a big impact on
me. It is a necessary introduction for anyone whom may be working with students (or adults)
within the Autism spectrum. It is helpful to understand what a person is thinking and feeling and
why they can or cannot tell you about it. I found it was very eye opening. Through this course I
have learned that the DPI website is an invaluable resource. I wish I could include all that it has
to offer as far as advice and forms, etc into my resource guide. However a simple link should
get me to where I need to go.

Professional Growth and Development:


Before participating in this class, I had no experience or exposure to what Transition Planning
was. I had no idea of what happens once a student leaves high school. Where do they go from
here? How they received help they needed. This course has been very informational. I feel that
I have gained a wealth of knowledge!

Throughout my time in Collaboration and Transition, I have learned that there is a lot to think
about and to prepare for. There are many moving parts. I have also learned that there may be a
better path for some to take, for example college isnt the right path for some. But that does not
mean that we should not continue to encourage and support students to fulfil their dreams.
Understanding and Application of Standards:

#11 Viterbo Standard

Engagement, Success, Integrity, these are some of the strengths of distinction that Viterbo
University strives to instill in its students. I would like to instill these values in my students as
well. Contemplation, is something that an educator is constantly doing. In relation to this
course, contemplation plays a big role. There is much to think about for students regarding life
outside the walls of school. What works best for them? What are their strengths? Where can
they turn for help? How can I support them to achieve to the best of their abilities? I believe this
course has helped me to think about the lives of others. I like about the students in special
education and I have empathy for them and their families. There are a great many decisions a
person makes throughout their life. This is just the beginning step, but it a step that leads you
onto a good path to follow. We have looked very closely at the spectrum of Autism. I feel I
have a deeper understanding of the challenges these students face, particularly once they leave
high school.

Present a Professional appearance and demeanor. By appearance and demeanor, I have come to
understand that this is not just your manner of dress, but includes the actions you take. Your
demeanor is ever present on your face when dealing with students, families and staff. This class
professional appearance and demeanor play an integral part, I have learned in dealing with
community members. We must be respectable and presentable when dealing with any person at
the school, in the community or whom we are meeting with to plan transition services
(transportation, living, self help agencies, etc). All of these individuals have an important
role to play and a service to provide. They must all be treated with respect.

Hospitality I feel goes hand and hand with being an active community member. We are
preparing students to transition to become integral parts of a community. We need to show them
that there is a place for them and what that entails. We work with students and their families,
helping to connect them with services. These are all functions of the community. A community
is a group of people supporting each other.

Integrity is also a big part of what I have learned throughout me time in this class. When it
comes to the lives of students, parents and students alike need to know that I have the best of
intentions in mind when it comes to helping prepare students for their lives once they leave the
school. Although parents and students and I may not always arrive at the same desired outcome,
it is important that we maintain proper communication and remember to keep the best interest of
the students in mind.

Stewardship involves responsible planning and management for others. That is what this course
is all about. We are learning to put the needs of others first. We have to help students make the
best decisions for themselves, and their futures.

Service is in relation to provide support to others, offering our expertise. I feel that this course
presented us with a wealth of knowledge. This knowledge helps us to know where to send
students and families to get the information that they need to meet their needs. Collaborating
with outside services about work, transportation, schooling, employment, military involvement
etc, whatever the specific case may be, this class was all about service.

Instructional Practice: Standard 6: Assessment: The teacher understands and uses multiple
methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and
to guide the teachers and learners decision making.

There were a variety of assessments and websites that we have covered during our time in
Collaboration and Transition. My artifact touches on some of them. The website provided by
CESA 7 from Susan Stokes has proved to be a great resource for information regarding Autism.
The Structured Teaching: Strategies for Supporting Students with Autism is a great reference. I
feel that I have learned a lot by reading her site. The more I read, however, the less I realize that
I know! This source is extremely informative and helpful.

CEC Standard 6: Beginning special education professionals use foundational knowledge of the
field and of their professional Ethical Principles and Practice Standards to inform special
education practice, to engage in lifelong learning, and to advance the profession.

Throughout this course we discussed a great many things: characteristics of assessments, how to
evaluate progress and performance of students. Often we discuss what best practices are when
it comes to assessing students. What tests work best in what situation? Why? There were a lot
of discussions and resources throughout our course and they always reflect back on how to do so
professionally. Starting out with communication and documentations, always, always, in a
professional manner. The textbook Writing Measurable Functional and Transition IEP Goals
by Bateman and Herr was a great resource that exemplified how to professionally and
purposefully write goals to aid in both development and advancement. I have very brief
experience with goal writing but I feel a bit more confident writing them thanks to these book
and course.

Impact on Student Learning:


This course has given me the tools to be able to support students within the Autism spectrum. I
have a better understanding and I have a large collection of resources to reference, thanks to this
course. I work on a daily basis with elementary students within the Autism Spectrum and as we
have learned in this class, when you have met a person diagnosed with Autism you have met a
person diagnosed with Autism. What this means to me is that there is no, big guide book that
tells me this is what Autism is, what it looks like, how it is. Just like no two people are alike, so
too are no two people with Autism alike. I feel that I now have a better understanding of people
with Autism. I believe that I have learned much and gain a few new resources that would both
help me develop a good instructional strategies designed specifically for working with students
with Autism. Besides the knowledge gained on Autism I feel that I have learned a lot about
Transition. This was very new to me. Transition Planning is a big deal! It is so important, to
help set students up for success as they prepare to leave high school and set foot into the real
world. Although I feel that I have been exposed to a lot of information in relation to Transition
Planning, it was all new to me. There is so much more for me to learn in this area. I feel that I
have gained a lot of great references and places to turn should I need help. This class discussed
ideas of conversing with individuals with special needs. We talked about how to assess them in
order to make the best decisions about what types of services they need us to provide them.
What talked about specific traits, such as what is Autism, what does it look like and what is it
exactly. We talked about checklists of what students should be doing when to prepare for their
futures starting even in middle school.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Please see my site at : http://julieannequackenbush.weebly.com

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