Transition Planning - Start Early

While in school, special education and related services are considered an "entitlement" - that is, if a child qualifies for early intervention, special education and related services, the region (in the case of early intervention services for children age 0 to 3) or the school district (children age 3 to 21) MUST provide those services by law.  When a young adult with disabilities leaves the school system in the state of Washington, the concept of "entitlement" no longer applies to many services and supports.  While a person with a disability may be eligible based on their disability to receive services and supports, they are not currently entitled to receive them.  This means that even though a person with a disability may qualify for residential programs, employment support, or other services designed to help people with disabilities lead independent lives in their communities, those services may be available only after spending time on a waiting list (up to several years), or not available at all, even though the person is eligible. 

With this reality in mind, it is important to recognize that effective transition planning by the IEP team plays a vital role in helping students achieve their desired goals for after they leave school.  Critical characteristics of effective transition planning include:

• Thinking long-term:  Transition planning can begin as soon as the student and their family feel "ready", but must by law begin no later than age 14.
  

• Being process-oriented:  Transition is  a process.  Transition planning needs to be flexible and responsive to the changing needs of an individual student and their family.  A transition plan needs to be re-examined on a regular basis, at a minimum of once per year (usually at the student's IEP meeting).
  

• Working as a team:  Transition planning is a collaborative process.  To be effective, it needs to include people who represent each end of the transition 'bridge' from school to community; from child to adult.  The student and their family and other supports, teachers and education personnel, friends, advocates, Division of Developmental Disabilities and Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Case Managers, adult service providers, friends, advocates and others can and should be a part of the transition planning process.
  

• Focusing on outcomes:  Effective transition planning has genuine goals for what the student will be doing, after they leave school.  Where will the student be living, working and playing once she leaves school?  What types of support will they need?  Who will provide those supports?  Who will pay for the services and supports they need?  Are there plans for when parents or other family are no longer an active part of their support team?

Transition services are designed to prepared students with disabilities for:

• Employment
• Housing
• Further education, such as college or job training
• Leisure, Recreation, and Social Activities
• Income and Money Management
• Maintaining Health Care
• Transportation
• Self-Advocacy, Decision-Making and Problem Solving