5 Essential Steps in Creating a Transition Plan in Special Education
Thinking about a transition plan for students in special education can sometimes be overwhelming. It requires that the special education team think about a student’s future outside of school. Then include them in that process. In Pennsylvania, all students must have a transition plan. It starts in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) during the year they turn 14. However, I have seen many schools across the state start taking more initiative to include transition plans even earlier. And if you have followed education there are state standards for career readiness that start as early as kindergarten.
Transition plans are a section of an Individualized Education Plan. It incorporates many things about the student to determine goals that will support them later in life and after they graduate. For all transition plans, a student needs to have an education or training goal (and they can have both), an employment goal, and an independent living goal. Also, we need to be thinking and writing about what this student will be doing AFTER high school (even if that’s still 8 years away). Moreover, the school can do activities and services that align with those goals, and the plan outlines who is responsible for working with the student on them. Here are a few tips to make sure your transition plan is compliant.
Include Student, Parent, and IEP Team Input in the Transition Plan
The first thing to do when developing a transition plan is collect data and information. We do this for all other sections of an IEP so the transition plan is no different. You will want to collect this data from at least three different sources. The first is the student, the second is the parents and family, and lastly the student’s teachers. The easiest way I have found to collect this information is through an input form.
Another example of an education and training goal might be that the student will complete a task within a certain number of verbal prompts to increase that student’s independence. And often the hope is that we can decrease the number of prompts the students need and will just do the task or skill on their own. This is a great goal for many different related service providers (speech and language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc.) who are also members of the IEP team in their respective fields and can provide supports that students may use in their transition plan.
There are many types of assessments on websites, paper, and pencil, and just informal inventories or interviews can work too. As a teacher, I have found it’s best to use an assessment for the student that asks questions about their likes and dislikes in different fields of employment. It also helps to get their thoughts on types of daily living skills and how much they like doing them. And determining if they feel they need support in completing them.
For the parents, it’s best to interview and ask questions like where they see their child in 5, 10, or 20 years. Where do they see the child living? What kind of job do they see them having? And what skills or daily living tasks do they hope they can do independently? These are just a few questions I often ask families.
And teachers that the student has can provide great insight on work ethic, responsibility, risk-taking, and more. They can share the habits and behaviors they see in the classroom. These might transfer over into a work environment or in their daily lives. I like to have input from a special education teacher and a regular education teacher. These two teachers can offer different perspectives on students in different environments.
Once you have collected this information it should be documented in the IEP. Then every year new data should be collected to be used to compare year to year until the student graduates.
Looking for support with IEPs and understanding all the acronyms that are involved? Grab this free Special Education acronym cheat sheet!
Use Statements and Goals that are specific to the Student
Just like with academics and functional skills there are transition goals in the IEP. These goals are based on the three areas I mentioned earlier. These are education/training, employment, and independent living. Students need to have a goal in each area. The data comes from the interviews, assessments, and inventories you already have done!
An example of a transition goal may look like this:
“After completing high school, Xavier will work in the community with support in the field of technology.”
First, when will this happen? Well, that would be after high school, so every transition outcome should start with that phrase. You want to make sure you are using will statements. It gives a clear picture of what we expect to happen and we can easily measure it. And use the knowledge you got from your assessments. Xavier likes computers and has some skills in typing. He also likes using technology in his daily activities. It shows that technology is a field he could enjoy.
You should not say something like, “Xavier would like to work in the community with support.” This is not a goal but rather a nice thought and an opinion. It has no way of being measured with accuracy or consistency. Additionally, it does not give a clear picture of where we expect Xavier to be after high school.
Finally, be specific just like any other IEP goal – what kind of job will it be? What kinds of support will be needed? Let whoever is reading your transition plan get an idea of the needs and supports this student will need.
Indicate Student’s Strengths and Needs
Along with the goals, it’s necessary to have other elements in the transition plan. This is the services and activities that will support in the student achieving those goals. This is looked at as objectives that will support the student in the areas they need to be successful in that goal.
For example, within a daily living goal for a student, you might also want to list that the student will need to communicate their wants and needs. This might require some collaboration with the speech and language therapist to work on communication skills. Another idea is that students might need to improve their academic skills in order to work in a specific field. This is when you can tie in the academic IEP goals that the student has and include the teachers that are involved in supporting that student in working on those goals.
Another example for an education and training goal might be that the student will complete a task within a certain number of verbal prompts to increase that student’s independence. And often the hope is that we can decrease the number of prompts the students needs and will just do the task or skill on their own. This is a great goal for many different related service providers (speech and language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc.) who are also members of the IEP team in their respective fields and can provide supports that students may use in their transition plan.
Don’t forget, your goals need to link to these areas so that you can prove that you are working on these things that your student needs to improve. And it’s a great way to work as a team to support the student, which is what the IEP team needs to be doing anyways!
Preparing the Student for the Transition Plan Process
Students should be included in the planning process as much as they are able to be. This is in fact their future and it should align with that student’s wants, needs, and abilities. Sometimes a student’s idea of their future is a bit different than where the team might see the student.
If your student tells you they want to be a basketball star, you better show in the IEP that you are giving them opportunities to prepare them for that goal (the courses of study and the services in the transition plan is a great place for this). For example, to prepare them to be the next LeBron James, make sure they are in physical education classes. Additionally, have opportunities to participate in school sports, such as Special Olympics.
We don’t have to guarantee that their goals will happen. We do have to show that we are helping them get there. It can also be beneficial to work as a team to figure out other roles that align with things the student likes. If the student likes basketball maybe having a job at a stadium would be a realistic option.
Make a Transition Plan that is Realistic for the Future
Many times I’ve had conversations with parents who think that the best case is having their child live with them forever. And for many students, this is the best option. Unfortunately many times children will outlive their parents and some students want to live on their own. Be sure to create goals and transition plans that are realistic for the student’s future.
For example, have an independent living goal that says something like, “After high school, Jeremy will live with his parents and eventually move into a supported living environment.” This ensures that you have acknowledged that the parents want the student to live at home with them. We also recognize the need to prepare them to live successfully with other individuals as well.
It’s not easy to plan for something that you can’t completely predict. But, with the right team of people working together and the right intentions, a transition plan can be created for any student. Taking the time to build relationships with the students, their families, and other team members can result in a well-planned future for students.
If you are looking for more materials to use with students to help them become ready for the future you can check out this blog.
And you can find materials I like to use with my students to work on different skills related to transition.
