Frequently Asked Questions About Transition
Does everyone need a transition plan?
What should be on a student's IEP regarding transition?
When should transition begin and who should participate?
Who is responsible for transition?
How long is the district responsible for the IEP transition goals past the age of 21?
What is the role of adult service agencies (VESID, CBVH, OMH, OMRDD) in transition planning?
What is the role of the VESID Counselor?
Who is financially responsible?
What are some strategies to get parents involved?
Can school districts plan transition services without the input of the student and parents?
If a student has a community based work experience before s/he is 18 will this interfere with SSI?
How do you assist students whose goals seem too global or unrealistic?
How do you get information about possible agency roles and services?
How do schools get adult service agencies involved when the agencies seem reluctant to participate?
How do community agencies or postsecondary programs know what the transition plan is?
Can students who receive an IEP diploma attend postsecondary education?
What is the responsibility of the district for transition when a student drops out or gets a GED?
In private, residential, out-of-s
tate or other school programs, who is responsible for transition?
Do schools still need to complete Aging-Out Legislation referral packages?
In the context of this web site, "transition" refers to planning and services that are needed to prepare youth with disabilities for moving smoothly from school to adult living, learning, or earning roles in the community after leaving secondary education. This process includes instruction, community learning experiences, or support services to develop skills, knowledge and abilities and other strategies to address post-school living, learning or working needs. It may also include assistance in making applications prior to leaving school for services from community agencies, colleges, or employment. Link to the fact sheet for families
Overview of Transition Planning and Services on the Student and Family Resource page.Does everyone need a transition plan?
In New York State, there is not a separate document called a "transition plan." In New York State, transition components are built into the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) for special education, annual guidance plan for general education and/or Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) for vocational rehabilitation. All youth with disabilities, aged 14-21, must have transition components in their IEPs. There are no exceptions because of specific disability or special education placement. The IEPs of classified special education students must contain transition components whatever their placement, e.g., attending classes in home districts or Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), integrated or separate programs, residential settings in or out of state, in correctional programs, in State-Supported or Operated schools, in private schools, in Office of Mental Health (OMH) or Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) facilities, or in other placements. For more detailed information link to the
Transition Services: a Planning and Implementation Guide and the Requirements and Guidelines page. Recommendations for how to incorporate required transition content into the IEP are described in the field memorandum regarding the Sample Individualized Education Program and Guidance Document, issued in August 1998. Especially read the Overview and the Guidelines for Completing the Sample IEP sections of this important field memorandum.What should be on a student's IEP regarding transition?
For students ages 14 to 21, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) transition content will include the following.
In the Present Levels of Educational Performance section, there should be assessment information regarding the student's skills, knowledge and abilities as these relate to readiness to transition successfully to postsecondary education, community living and employment. Needs for development of skills, knowledge and abilities should be identified as transition service needs. Reference the
Transition Planning Self-Assessment Inventory for a tool to begin identifying transition need areas.Beginning at age 14 and updated annually, the IEP must include Long-Term Adult Outcome Statements expressed as the student's preferences and interests for post school participation in postsecondary education, community living and employment. Transition services to address the student's needs for development and future interests will be included in the IEP sections that describe Annual Goals/Objectives/Benchmarks, Related Services, transition services provided by Participating Agencies, and the Coordinated Set of Activities. The Coordinated Set of Activities statements at the end of the IEP summarize what is planned to be accomplished through the strategies of instruction, related services, community experiences, development of employment or other postsecondary outcomes, and if appropriate to the student, development of Activities of Daily Living Skills and/or Functional Vocational Evaluation. Link to the
Implementation Tools guide Expressing Transition Concepts in the IEP for examples of Long-Term Adult Outcome Statements, Participating Agencies Responsibilities and Coordinated Set of Activities content.Federal regulations indicate that instruction will be the emphasis of transition services beginning at age 14. At age 15, New York State regulations require that all strategies be used, including instruction, related services, community experiences, development of employment or other postsecondary outcomes, and if appropriate to the student, development of Activities of Daily Living Skills and/or functional vocational evaluation. Depending on the student's unique needs and abilities, transition-related purposes also may be addressed by occupational education course sequences or a specific course such as keyboarding, by testing modifications, assistive technology, communication services, and extracurricular participation, among other areas. Recommendations for how to incorporate required transition content into the IEP are described in the field memorandum regarding the
Sample Individualized Education Program and Guidance Document, issued in August 1998. Especially read the Overview and the Guidelines for Completing the Sample IEP sections of this important field memorandum.When should transition begin and who should participate?
Transition planning should begin early enough to allow transition services to begin when the student reaches age 14. It may be necessary to start earlier if student needs are complex and additional time will be needed to develop skills or strategies to achieve a successful transition. The provision of transition services must begin no later than age 14. Students, families and schools are key participants, as are community agencies or postsecondary education representatives whose specialized knowledge is needed to help with planning. Link to the
Transition Services: a Planning and Implementation Guide and the Requirements and Guidelines page for more information.Who is responsible for transition?
The school district Committee on Special Education (CSE) has the legal responsibility to coordinate transition planning and provide transition services through the Individualized Education Program (IEP). However, schools also must have the active participation of students, families and community agencies in order to make the transition process effective and meaningful for individual students.
When transition is the topic of discussion of the IEP meeting, the student and parents must be invited to participate. The CSE members at the meeting must include the parent, the child's special education teacher, at least one regular education teacher (if the student is or will be participating in regular education), a school district representative who is qualified to supervise the provision of special education services, an individual who can interpret instructional implications of evaluation results, and at the parent's or school's discretion, other individuals with special knowledge or expertise, including related services personnel if appropriate. Participating agencies who can contribute information about services or who will be asked to provide specific services should also participate.
To help manage the process, some school district Committees on Special Education may use subcommittees, such as in New York City, which has a School Based Support Team (SBST). Some districts have assigned specific staff to coordinate the services on a daily basis, such as the guidance counselor, transition teacher or transition linkage coordinator. Some schools use related services personnel such as social workers or rehabilitation counselors to work individually with students and families to coordinate their participation in the transition planning and service process.
In regard to who has the final decision about what is actually written about transition on the IEP, all members of the CSE make the decisions. The student, family, and school personnel are expected to decide together what the transition services content will be. The success of the IEP depends on all parties working cooperatively to develop and implement the programs, services, and activities in the IEP. Incorporating student preference and interest are critical for the student and family to "buy in" to the process.
Link to the
Transition Services: a Planning and Implementation Guide and the Requirements and Guidelines page for further information.How will SED monitor the IEP process and what will be done if districts are not in compliance with transition requirements?
As with all special education services, monitoring is done through the State Education Department (SED) Special Education Quality Assurance regional offices. Standardized protocols are used to review every district, based on accomplishment of key performance indicators established by the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) for special education servic
es. The review protocol addresses transition planning and services. Penalties for non-compliance are the same as for all requirements, including withdrawal of funding if services are not delivered as required. However, VESID will first assist school districts to improve services before taking more severe steps. Link to the
Who Can Help page for technical assistance information.Do the transition requirements extend to students protected under Section 504 who are not under IDEA?
Yes, by virtue of the 1990 Regents Policies on Linking Services and the
Joint Agreement between the Office of Elementary, Middle and Secondary Education (EMSC), the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH) and the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID). The transition planning for these students would be carried out by the school as an element of the student's annual guidance plan.
How long is the district responsible for the IEP transition goals past the age of 21?
The district is responsible up until the student obtains a Regents or local high school diploma, or until the student ages out at 21, whichever comes first. Beyond the age of 21, the student and his/her guardian, as the consumers of adult services, are responsible themselves to coordinate post-school programs and agencies. After leaving school, there is no comparable mechanism, like the Committee on Special Education (CSE) for in-school students, which coordinates services as a whole. That is why the student needs in-school preparation of self-advocacy skills and preplanning assistance from the CSE so that transitions to the adult services will occur smoothly.
What is the role of adult service agencies (VESID, CBVH, OMH, OMRDD) in transition planning?
Adult service agencies are available for consulting with the Committee on Special Education (CSE) as appropriate and for helping districts design new services. Adult service agencies have extensive experience with adults who have made successful or unsuccessful transitions in the past. Adult agencies will provide individualized services directly to consumers who are found eligible for the specific service. For further information about agencies, link to the
Implementation Tools page for the article on Interagency Participation or, for information about how agencies have agreed to collaborate in the transition process, to the Requirements and Guidelines page.What is the role of the VESID Counselor?
The Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) vocational rehabilitation counselor's role is to provide information that will assist the district, student and family to plan effectively for post school employment, independent living or postsecondary education. Within two years prior to school exit, in-school youth who are likely to be eligible candidates for vocational rehabilitation should be referred to the VESID vocational rehabilitation counselors. The VESID counselor will then determine eligibility and coordinate vocational rehabilitation case planning (under the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) that will start services after school exit) with the Individualized Education Program (IEP) under which in-school transition services are provided. The purpose is to enable students eligible for vocational rehabilitation to transition smoothly to post school training and/or employment, building on the transition process initiated during the secondary education program. The employment goal and services indicated on VESID's IPE should be consistent with both the long-term adult outcome statements and the career development and postsecondary education preparation services indicated on the IEP. For further information about how VESID can provide services, contact the
VESID vocational rehabilitation District Office that serves your area. Regarding vocational rehabilitation services for youth in school, link with two questions and answers guides, that serves your area. Regarding vocational rehabilitation services for youth in school, link with two questions and answers guides, Access to VESID Services: A Question and Answer Guide for Students and Access to VESID Services: A Question and Answer Guide for Parents.Who is financially responsible?
As indicated in
the Joint Agreement on the Provision of Transition Services, the school district has primary programmatic and fiscal responsibility for transition planning and services for in-school youth.Transition services are fundable by schools under Excess Cost Aid. This is because conforming State legislation passed in 1993 included transition services in the definition of special education. This means that transition services are funded under the same criteria and claiming processes as used for the provision of special classes, resource room, consultant teacher and other special education services. School administrators should work with their School Business Officer to implement current procedural requirements. Link to the
12/93 Field Memorandum describing the State legal and regulatory requirements for transition services.Nothing in the transition requirements exempts other agencies from providing and funding services for eligible students under other agencies' programs. This means that if the student is eligible for summer youth employment services under the Workforce Investment Act, funding for the youth can be provided by those programs. If Medicaid-eligible, he or she can use this resource to obtain some services needed for transition, such as medical services or assistive technology. If a student is eligible for residential placement under the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) or the Office of Mental Health (OMH) and these services are needed in the transition process, they can be funded by those agencies. Interagency agreements with the vocational rehabilitation agencies, i.e., the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) and the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH), the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) and the Office of Mental Health (OMH) indicate conditions under which services can be provided by these agencies for eligible students.
Generally, vocational rehabilitation services for in-school youth are for planning for post-school sponsorship. However, the CBVH Children's Consultant services as well as limited vocational rehabilitation services can be sponsored for in-school youth by CBVH, as explained in the field memorandum on
Transition Services for Students who are Legally Blind. Similarly, VESID vocational rehabilitation services may be sponsored in the last semester of the student's in-school program if these are necessary to smoothly bridge an eligible student from a school-provided work experience program to an adult agency vocational program leading to permanent employment. Link to the Requirements and Guidelines page to see the full text of specific agreements among the education, vocational rehabilitation, developmental disabilities and mental health systems. Link to the Interagency Participation article to read a brief summary of each agency and to access their web sites. Speak with regional and district offices of these major agencies to clarify individual student needs.What are some strategies to get parents involved?
It is recommended that the school district send home a letter explaining the process before it begins. Personal contact at a time and place convenient to the parent provides the opportunity to explain the transition focus for planning and stress its importance. Another parent or a parent group can be requested to help make contact with families to discuss the transition process at the secondary level. Including parents along with school staff at in-service training and systems planning meetings is a way to foster greater participation. To keep families and students actively involved, professionals should use language the student and family can understand and functional and descriptive terms rather than jargon and acronyms. Comparisons and giving examples can clarify meaning both for families and participating agencies who may be unfamiliar with school terminology. Link to the
Transition Services: A Planning and Implementation Guide and see sections III. Student and Family Participation and IV Steps in the Transition Process when Transition is Considered for additional tips regarding family and student participation. Also, link to the Student and Family Resources page and Family Friendly Websites page for additional helpful resources.Can school districts plan transition services without the input of the student and parents?
No. Federal and State law regarding transition services require that students and families participate actively in planning. Legislative intent is that transition planning provides the opportunity for the student and parent to have ownership roles in setting the direction of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and providing a clear direction for the student's educational program. The
long-term adult outcome statements on the IEP are designed to be future oriented and to express the student's future aspirations. A strategy to help students express these is to have a discussion about transition before the Committee on Special Education (CSE) meeting. This allows all parties to come to annual review knowing what the long-term direction of the educational process is.The emphasis of the
sample Individualized Education Program ( IEP) is not simply on filling in the blanks, but on quality communication and process that produces measurable outcomes for students. VESID has developed Transition Quality Indicators, which measure the process used to develop the transition services content of the IEP. The emphasis in the indicators is on a student centered collaborative process. If the district does not offer families or students the chance to participate, contact the local Regional Associate for Special Education Quality Assurance. The Regional Associate can identify resources for the district to use to implement a quality transition services process.Decisions by the CSE are made by consensus, not by majority vote. This means that students and families have an equal voice, can present information and explain why their recommendations are important for successful transition. Some students and families find it helpful to discuss options with committee members, such as teachers or transition coordinators, prior to the meeting to seek their support in advance, or invite a representative to come with them to meetings. If families or students are dissatisfied or if they object to the options proposed in the IEP, they can seek resolution through mediation or due process.
Link to the
Requirements and Guidelines page for information about transition requirements, to the field memorandum to school districts about the Sample Individualized Education Program (IEP) and Guidance Document to and the Who Can Help page to obtain contact information.How do schools arrange for students to have community learning experiences, especially work study and job coach programs, in the years prior to vocational rehabilitation involvement?
Options available for all students have particular value for providing transition services for students with disabilities. Field trips, job shadowing, community volunteer experiences, and club participation are options being used. Curriculum may be modified to give credit for an English or Social Studies assignment for which students participate in a community experience and write an essay or make a presentation for a grade. Schools should look at resources that are used to fund work experience programs for youth without disabilities and take steps to include transition students. Link to
New York State Education Department Approved Work-Based Learning Programs for some examples. Implementation of the Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) learning standards in grades Kindergarten through 12 (K-12) will assist in creating career learning opportunities throughout the core curriculum for all students.Also, since the definition for special education programs and services includes services in settings other than classrooms, community learning can be funded as a special education service. (see
Chapter 699, 4401(2)(a)) This means that community learning experiences, including vocational experiences, can count as special education services and can be funded. When schools do not have community work experience programs, they may enter into formal agreements directly with approved rehabilitation providers to obtain transition services, which are fundable as special education services. (see Chapter 699, 4401(2)(n) If appropriate, such costs would be covered under excess cost aid. The School Business Officer should be actively consulted to discuss how the funding mechanisms work to meet student transition needs identified in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) annual review.Regarding liability for insurance coverage for students in job shadowing or other work experiences, the primary responsibility is associated with whether the student is receiving wages. If the student is not receiving a salary, it is the school district's insurance that covers the student, as would be true for any field trip.
Child Labor Laws limit where youth of certain ages can work to assure that they are not exposed to dangerous settings, tools or materials. If a student is injured in a volunteer work setting, however, then the employer shares in responsibility for any injury caused by a dangerous condition. If the student receives wages for work activities, the employer's insurance covers the student, because the student is an employee.Are there any circumstances in which VESID will sponsor vocational services while a student is still in school?
Yes, if the student is eligible for vocational rehabilitation services, the vocational rehabilitation counselor may sponsor vocational services during the last semester that the student is in school. Such sponsorship is permitted if the vocational services lead directly to the permanent employment the student will have upon completing school and if the services are coordinated with the student's educational program. There must be advanced planning for this to occur, including coordination between the student and family, the Committee on Special Education (CSE) and the vocational rehabilitation counselor. The planning would result from joint development of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) for special education services and the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) for vocational rehabilitation services. For further information, contact the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (
VESID) vocational rehabilitation District Office that serves your location.If a student has a community based work experience before s/he is 18 will this interfere with SSI?
Not if appropriate planning is done. The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program has developed procedures to encourage students to develop employment skills, including those obtained through paid work experiences. A work experience that is deemed an educational experience rather than a "real job" does not necessarily count as "work." In addition, a planning process called a Plan to Achieve Self-Support can be used to exclude earnings to save for something needed in the post school future, such as a motor vehicle, funds for college or vocational training. Link to the
SSI guide or Examples of Students with Disabilities Accessing SSI Work Incentives. There are trained personnel at many community agencies, including independent living centers and supported employment programs who can provide benefits information.How can you make transition the focus of the student's education program in light of the higher standards?
Both learning standards and transition requirements must be addressed in the student's educational program. The key is to design the curriculum so that lessons serve multiple purposes. The higher learning standards actually incorporate fundamental skills needed for effective transitions, such as reading, math, writing, problem solving, working as a team member, and so on. For example, handling money is an applied math skill.
The Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) standards provide examples of skills that are transition related that can be addressed in the core curricula. In addition to seat time and instruction, the educational program must be sure to include incorporate community based learning experiences.Within the curriculum, there are options to achieve instructional objectives, including existing courses, field trips and independent study or extra credit assignments. Use the total environment, including clubs and school activities to advantage. Encourage students to use free time to explore some experiences, just as juniors and seniors are given leave to visit colleges. There are many creative ways to meet graduation requirements.
How do you assist students whose goals seem too global or unrealistic?
The transition process extends throughout the age span of 14 to 21 in order to provide students with a broad time frame during which they have many opportunities to choose goals and learn about the results of their choices. Community experiences are a tool for the student to see how the selected goal and related alternatives may fit with their expectations. With the insight gathered over time, the student's goals will become more specific and achievable.
Person-centered planning and strength based assessment practices treat dreams, however unrealistic, as a starting point for further learning. Asking the student, "what are your hopes and dreams for the future?" gives the student permission to dream, to stretch his or her vision of self. Also, the dream may be very far in the future, beyond the vision of parents or professionals. A student may use a word or concept that they personally understand, but for which adults have a different meaning. For example, a student said he wanted to be a chef. When asked "why", it became clear that the term "chef" applied to all persons in the food service industry. The cook was a chef, the busboy was chef, the cashier was chef. His use of the word chef was general, not specific.
A basic strategy is the concept of multi-path planning; plan A and plan B. After the student tells what his/her hopes and dreams are, and is asked, "Why", the next question is, "Are there any other careers you would like to explore?" When this question is asked after the dream question, the student response is often very grounded and achievable. In fact, it is often below the student's abilities. So, by asking "why" and the follow up question "what other careers...," school personnel and families can leave the dream intact and work in the gap between the other career and the dream. In this way, the student is built up rather than torn down for being "unrealistic."
What extent are school districts required to meet a student's need for transition if a particular service is not available in the county?
The Committee on Special Education (CSE) is required during the annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) review to assess the student's needs for transition services. If the need is identified, transition services must be provided. Lack of availability is not a reason to deny services, since transition services are required to be individualized. If alternative or equivalent options are not appropriate to meet identified student needs, it may be necessary to create new service options in association with other public and/or private agencies in the geographic area. Schools should participate in regional interagency planning councils or form their own interagency teams to begin collaborative planning about anticipated issues, such as what are the trends in unmet needs of exiting students for services? Contact the regional VESID office or Transition Coordination Site for your region to find out about starting or joining an interagency council. Link to the
Who Can Help page for contact information.How do you get information about possible agency roles and services?
Contact key community organizations and invite them to do in-service presentations to school staff and families about services, eligibility and how to make and expedite referrals. Some communities host "agency service fairs" in the evenings at least annually. As families and school staff become familiar with service options, it will be more clear which agency to invite to student-specific meetings and when you can anticipate the need. There are community guidebooks to services. In-person advice is available from CBVH and VESID counselors in their consultation role, as well as from Independent Living Centers. Link to the
Who Can Help page for contact listings for these resources, the article on Interagency Participation summarizing major State agency resources and the guide to Building Your Future written from a consumer perspective and describing transition services without the jargon.How do schools get adult service agencies involved when the agencies seem reluctant to participate?
Examine the reason given for non-participation.
Ask for technical assistance from the regional Transition Coordination Site, the Independent Living Center or the Special Education Quality Assurance Regional Office. Link to the
Who Can Help page for the offices that serve your location.How do community agencies or postsecondary programs know what the transition plan is?
In New York State, there is not a document called the "transition plan." In New York State transition planning is addressed by components of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) for special education students and for other students, it is addressed by the annual guidance review.
Documents that may be informative for community agency personnel to review include the Level I assessment report, the career plan folder and the IEP. A confidentiality release signed by the parent or guardian is required for people other than school personnel to access personally identifiable information from the school. The confidentiality release process is discussed in
Chapter VII of the guide, Transition Services: A Planning and Implementation Guide. A sample form to get parent or guardian consent to release school information to participating agencies is included in the Appendix to the guide.The vocational rehabilitation agencies, the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (
CBVH) and the Office of Vocational and Educational Services to Individuals with Disabilities (VESID), work closely with schools, postsecondary education and community agencies to achieve the goals of the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE).Can students who receive an IEP diploma attend postsecondary education?
Yes, there are a wide variety of postsecondary education programs, including Adult and Continuing Education as well as two- and four-year degree granting colleges. Students will need to demonstrate that they meet the admission qualifications. Alternatives to a local or Regents diploma may include taking a standardized placement test at the postsecondary program and achieving a specified score. Students may also obtain a GED diploma, then apply for postsecondary study. With a local or Regents high school diploma, a GED diploma or a satisfactory score on an approved standardized test demonstrating the ability to benefit, postsecondary students also can become eligible for Federal financial aid such as a Pell grant or a student loan to fund the program. To determine how to proceed, contact the Admissions office of the postsecondary program or the
Office of Disabled Student Services at the college or university you are interested in attending.Who will provide the financial resources for the in-service training of students, families, parents, teachers, districts and agencies?
There are a variety of resources for in-service training of key staff and families, in-kind as well as financial, many within the school district itself. Transition Coordination Sites and Special Education Training and Resource Centers (SETRCs) can work cooperatively with districts to plan and provide training. As with all requirements, key staff should have knowledge of the requirements and how to work in a team with parents, students and other agencies. The amount of training and method used will depend on the level of staff knowledge and expertise. Needs for training can be addressed through the Comprehensive System for Personnel Development (CSPD) plan. Link to the
Who Can Help page for specific contact information.What level of transition planning is required for the initial CSE meeting when a student is newly entering the district?
The same as for any other newly arriving special education student. The new district may be guided by reviewing the most recent Individualized Education Program (IEP) from the previous district.
What is the responsibility of the district for transition when a student drops out or gets a GED?
Classified special education students continue to be eligible for special education services, which includes transition services, until the student reaches age 21 or achieves a regular high school diploma, whichever comes first.
What is a district's responsibility when a student leaves with an IEP diploma but still needs transition services?
If the student still needs transition services, then the Individualized Education Program (IEP) was incomplete and a diploma should not have been awarded. In any case, a student with an IEP diploma may return to school in pursuit of a regular high school diploma until he or she reaches age 21, whichever comes first.
In private, residential, out-of-state or other school programs, who is responsible for transition?
If the student is a classified special education student, the home district is ultimately responsible to assure that transition planning is conducted and transition service components are included in the Individualized Education Program (IEP), including services provided by appropriate participating agencies. The private, residential or out-of-state school has a role in carrying out the IEP with the individual student on a daily basis, and must coordinate actively with the home district Committee on Special Education (CSE). In some cases, the home district may delegate its IEP planning responsibilities to the CSE of the other school to facilitate a more effective IEP.
The underlying principle is that transition services must be provided where the student is attending school to prepare him or her to make the transition. The private, residential, out-of-state or other school program and the home school CSE have to communicate regularly, since the home CSE has lead responsibility for the IEP, while the school where the student is located will be carrying out daily educational services. A written agreement is recommended so both school programs know who to contact, when and why. Phone and video conferencing are options.
Even when students are temporarily placed for 18 months, the transition planning and service process, being student-based, should follow with the student. Current placement settings can be explored for the developmental opportunities that will help students grow in skills and self-awareness toward transition goals. Planning must be coordinated with the home school district to facilitate a smooth re-entry to the home district. Concentrate on training for skills that are neutral to location, such as budgeting money, activities of daily living, decision making skills, vocational skills and so on.
If a student was provided with uniquely designed assistive technology in school, can they take it with them after graduating?
Yes. Under certain circumstances a student can take the equipment with them. The school district needs to assess that the equipment is of no further use to the school, needs to assess a fair market value and then may sell or surplus the equipment, thus making it available for the students. Link to the field memoranda on providing
assistive technology and providing advice from the Comptroller on how to administer the transfer of technology.Can students be provided with a 12 month program to fit transition services with the extra work required to address learning standards?
For students with disabilities in the transition phase of their program, aged 14 through 21, summer transition services may be provided to prevent substantial regression. Transition activities may include instruction, community experiences, related services, preparation for employment or other post-school adult living objectives, and when appropriate, the preparation of adult daily living skills or a functional vocational evaluation. Transition activities can meet the dual purposes of maintaining mastery of developmental levels while also being experiential opportunities to learn skills needed for successful transition.
Students who do not require 12-month special education programs to prevent regression may be able to benefit from extra time/extra help programs services designed to help all students master the learning standards. Keep in mind that the Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) learning standard is also a means of acquiring career skills for all students. Link to the CDOS guide for information about the component skills for CDOS.
Do schools still need to complete Aging-Out Legislation referral packages?
Schools that have created an effective transition planning and service process may use that planning and referral process in place of additionally completing Aging Out packages. The reason is that effective transition planning results in identifying the individual student's future needs for services from the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD), the Office of Mental Health (OMH), the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) vocational rehabilitation program, the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH) and other agencies. Effective transition planning also results in completing individual referrals of relevant information and engaging participating agencies actively in preparing to move students smoothly to the services needed beyond the in-school program. In addition, lines of communication are opened between the school district and the key adult service agencies in the surrounding community so that systematic planning for future service needs can occur with active school input. Requirements for notifying families about timeframes for action remain in effect.
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