The transition from high school to adulthood evokes a range of emotions, including excitement, anxiety, pride, and fear. It can be an overwhelming time for a student with disabilities and their family. Intentional planning decreases negative emotions and makes the transition go more smoothly. The day after graduation should look the same as graduation day, without a break in supports and services. This is seamless transition.
The main components of seamless transition are:
Engage Students and Families: The student and parent(s)/guardian(s) are the team’s core members. Most of the student’s information, such as strengths, personality, and interests, comes from either the student themselves or their parent(s)/guardian(s). The student leads their case conference, directing the focus on their choices. Parent/guardian input is valued and affirmed throughout the entire process.
Develop the Vision: The student shares their vision for their future. After high school, some students work, attend trade schools or colleges, or do both. For working students, the vision includes competitive integrated employment (earning at least minimum wage at a job in the community setting that employs people who have and do not have disabilities). The team creates smaller steps to reach the vision and supports the student in their pursuits. Make Special Education Work provides ideas for writing a vision statement.
Create a Positive Personal Profile (PPP): The Positive Personal Profile is a student assessment, created by TransCen, which includes dreams, learning styles, values, dislikes, and career ideas. Over time, the team adjusts the PPP as the student’s information changes. The PPP information drives goals and plans. Other assessments geared toward the student’s strengths, preferences, and interests should also be included.
Form an Interagency Team: The interagency team includes service providers outside of school staff, such as Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). These people have community connections, assist with employment, and provide supports. Pre-ETS services cover job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences, counseling on post-secondary opportunities, workplace readiness training, and instruction in self-advocacy. VR assists with obtaining and maintaining employment.
Students attending higher education should have their chosen school’s disability services or disability support coordinator as part of their interagency team. Higher education involvement may come later, such as the last 1-2 years of high school; it is important that there is a transfer of support, and that the higher education school receives accurate information. This established support allows for a seamless transition to the higher education world where accommodations can be in place from the start.
Explore Employment Options: Volunteering, job shadowing, and performing work trials assist a high school student in discovering what types of work and settings are successful for them. Any employment experience helps plan for future opportunities as successes, preferences, and challenges direct the next path taken. Employment experiences also build skills and look good on resumes.
Graduation is an exciting time. It is a time to celebrate accomplishments. While it can be a time of uneasiness about the future, students with disabilities can plan for that future with their family and their interagency team. Practical, meaningful activities set the student up for success in employment and/or post-secondary education. Seamless transition succeeds when the interagency team accomplishes purposeful work. This makes the transition smooth and lessens the anxiety for everyone involved.
If you want to learn more about employment in transition, check out the Transition Educators Facilitating Employment course. The Center on Community Living and Careers offers this 10-week, self-paced course for educators, transition coordinators, and Pre-ETS providers.