Comprehensive Transition and Self-Determination Guide for Students with Disabilities

1. Transition Planning and Self-Determination for Students with Disabilities Sped 461

2. What is transition? • Transition is concerned with a student moving from high school to adult life • Transition has been included in IDEA since the 1990 because the first students graduating from special education were experiencing inadequate post-school results. • Current IDEA requires that transition planning be a part of a student’s IEP beginning at age 16. However, in Illinois, the requirement is 14 ½.

3. Transition is….. • Results-oriented • focus on measurable postsecondary goals that include postsecondary education, integrated employment, and full participation in the community • Student-centered • transition services must be based upon "student needs, taking into account student strengths, preferences, and interests.“ (IDEA 2004) • Transition planning should actively involve a student an his/her family • A coordinated effort • Linking schools and community agencies/support services

4. Transition Services The transition services listed in IDEA include: • 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 assessment.

5. Transition Services • Transition services are highly individualized and what might work for one student may not be appropriate for another. • Transition services can be considered to be services and supports needed by a student with disabilities in order to make a successful transition from school to adult life. • Successful transition planning is a lifelong process in which the student, family members, friends, and professionals come together to develop and act upon a plan of action that will lead to a successful adult life. Taken from: Transition Coalition training module, http://transitioncoalition.org/transition/module.php?moduleId=1&pageId=234

6. What is self-determination? • The attitudes, abilities, and skills that lead people to define goals for themselves and to take the initiative to reach these goals. • - Ward, 1988 • Acting as the primary casual agent in one’s life and making choices and decisions regarding one’s quality of life free from undue external influence or interference. • Wehmeyer, 1996

7. What are self-determination skills that I can teach my students? • Choice-making • Decision-making • Problem-solving • Goal-setting & attainment • Self-management • Independence, risk-taking, safety • Self-advocacy • Leadership • Internal locus of control • Self-awareness • Self-knowledge • Self-efficacy

8. Take a minute… • Quickwrite: • Think about a time in your life when you used self-determination skills. Take a couple minutes to write about that experience. • What self-determination skill(s) did you use? • How did your use of these skills help you navigate the experience, situation, issue, goal?

9. How do I do it? • Infuse self-determination skills into academic content • Use a person-centered planning approach • Support students in actively participating in IEP development and meetings • Integrate self-determination skills into IEP goals that support postsecondary goals • Increase disability and ABILITY awareness in students, parents, teachers, and the community Awareness is not the same as emphasis - Virginia Department of Education

10. Resources • The Transition Coalition—great resource for all things related to transition. Has training modules, examples of assessments, and publications for educators and families. http://transitioncoalition.org/ • UIC offers a LBS2 certification program with an emphasis on transition. See concentration 2: http://education.uic.edu/sped-med/degreerequirements.cfm