School Transition Under the Individuals wth Disabilities Education Act
One of the first and most important resources for families and individuals with developmental disabilities and their families in regard to school transition is the New York State Education Department.
School Transition Plan: All students need to plan for life after high school. Only youth classified by the Committee on Special Education (CSE) require a formal written transition plan under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This brief review introduces this legally required transition planning process.
NY State: Coordination of Transition Activities and Services (School to Post School): Transition services means a coordinated set of activities for a student with a disability, designed within a results-oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the student with a disability to facilitate the student’s movement from school to post-school activities, including, but not limited to:
- Post-secondary education
- Vocational training
- Integrated employment (including supported employment)
- Continuing and adult education
- Adult services
- Independent living or community participation
The coordinated set of activities must be based on the individual student’s needs, taking into account the student’s strengths, preferences and interests, and includes:
- Instruction
- Related services
- Community experiences
- The development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives
- Acquisition of daily living skills and provision of a functional vocational evaluation, when appropriate
Transition planning focuses attention on how the student’s educational program can be planned to help the student make a successful transition to his or her goals for life after high school.
You can view the full range of activities and quality indicators of the New York State Education Department (source: NYS Education Department–Coordination of Transition Activities and Services).