Delaware School For The Deaf

Transition is the process all students go through as they move from a high school setting to what lies beyond. Transition programs assist students and their parents plan for life after high school in a proactive and coordinated way. An effective transition program provides students with the tools and the confidence to assume responsibility for their educational and employment decisions as they move into adulthood.

http://pepnet.org/resources/education-and-training/transitions

What is transitioning planning?

Transition planning is a team process that engages the student, their teachers, parents or guardians, and other service providers. It is complex and will look different for each student.
A strong transition plan is one that starts as early as middle school and is articulated in an Individual Transition Plan (ITP) that that works in tandem with the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). As part of the process, the team engages in dialogue and discovery to map out a transition course of action. Among others, they:

• Conduct assessments that identify the student’s strengths, needs, likes, and dislikes in such areas as academics, careers, employment and extracurricular/social.
• Identify postsecondary goals, whether they be employment, education or training, or independent living.
• Create a course plan for the classes that the student will need to complete in order to meet postsecondary and annual goals.
• Agree on annual high school goals that support the postsecondary goals, including opportunities to strengthen self-determination and self-advocacy skills.

Why is the student’s involvement so important?

It is widely believed that when a person is involved in the identification and decision making of an activity, goal, or plan, the person has a greater stake in the outcome. This belief is no different for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. However, for this population, where ready access to incidental learning is limited, student involvement in transition planning is critical. Students need to learn what their strengths and needs are, understand their hearing loss and/or other disabilities and how it affects them in different settings, and explore what they want to do after they complete their high school education. Their opinions, wants, and desires need to be taken into consideration if transition goals are to be on target.

While it is important that the student contribute, participate, and practice important transition skills, the role of the family in transition planning cannot be underestimated. They are able to contribute information that the school does not have about the student’s life and support systems outside of school. And, with their understanding of the transition plan and its importance to their child’s success comes a greater prospect for their commitment and contribution to the plan.

RESOURCES

National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center -
www.nsttac.org

MapIt! -
http://www.pepnet.org/e-learning/mapit

Deaf Self-Advocacy Training
www.deafselfadvocacy.org

Parent Hub -
www.parentcenterhub.org/resources/

Great Schools -
www.greatschools.org/special-education/ health/873-transition-planning-for-students-with-ieps.gs