Transition: Join the Conversation for Change

From Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)

Help shape federal agency strategies for helping youth and young adults with disabilities successfully transition from school to work

Overview

To examine the impact of existing federal regulations and legislation on the successful transition from school to work of youth with disabilities, a free, public online dialogue will be held May 13-27, 2013. The U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration will host the event and invite policymakers, service providers, advocates, youth with disabilities and others to join this online dialogue to improve transition outcomes for youth with disabilities.

Why is this happening?

The four host agencies want to ensure that all youth benefit from collective federal resources to achieve economic empowerment and maximize independence. Your input in this conversation is extremely important because studies and reports have shown that, compared to their peers without disabilities, students with disabilities are less likely to receive a regular high school diploma; twice as likely to drop out of school; and half as likely to enroll in and complete postsecondary education programs. Up to two years after leaving high school, about 4 in 10 youth with disabilities are employed, compared to 6 in 10 same-age, out-of-school youth in the general population (National Center for Education Statistics, 2000; National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 [NLTS-2], 2005).

Why participate?

Your input can help these agencies identify federal legislative and regulatory barriers and opportunities to improve transition outcomes for youth with disabilities. It will also facilitate their working together strategically on an interagency basis to foster the alignment of policies, programs and practices that support the successful transition from school to work of youth with disabilities. Once the dialogue has closed, a summary report will be made public.

Who Should Participate?

Anyone with a personal or professional stake in supporting the aspirations of youth and young adults with disabilities to live, work and thrive in their communities is invited to register and participate.

How to Participate

Online registration will begin May 7, 2013. You will be able to provide input from May 13 until May 27, 2013. (Instructions for registering are available at http://fptepolicyworks.ideascale.com/. Once registered, participants may submit ideas, submit comments about ideas, and rate those ideas they think are the most important. The dialogue will be facilitated to ensure participants experience a robust and productive exchange.

Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor
1-866-ODEP-DOL (633-7365) TTY: 1-877-889-5627 www.dol.gov/odep/

After Jail, Youth With Disabilities Need Special Support to Stay Out

When young people with disabilities end up in the juvenile justice system, they're less likely to return to youth prisons after their sentence is up if they have jobs or go to school quickly after being released, a new paper says.

However, comprehensive programs that help these youth go from prison to the outside world are scarce, says this piece from Project Forum at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. And juveniles with disabilities have a high recidivism rate—more than the 55 percent rate for youth without disabilities.

The report looks closely at the practices in four states—Arizona, Georgia, Hawaii, and Oregon—when it comes to supporting all juveniles, including those with disabilities, who are leaving the justice system.

Some common practices the report found in states with programs intended to reduce recidivism for these young people include: a continuum of supports for youth that begins in prison and keeps going once they leave; transition facilitators or coordinators who are dedicated to working with these youth; and programs for reentering society that are comprehensive, addressing education, employment, social and behavioral skills, mental health, substance-abuse issues, housing, and transportation. Another common theme in the report? Budget problems often keep these programs from going long-term.

Read more of Nirvi Shah's, On Special Education, article HERE.

Transition Planning for Youth with Disabilities

From DREDF Special EDition - Sept 2011

The transition to adulthood is an exciting and challenging time for young people.When a student has a disability, it's especially helpful to plan ahead for that transition, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires it. In this issue, we want to help you understand what is required, so that you can participate effectively as part of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team in creating an Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) for your student.

A Quick Summary of Transition

Transition services are intended to prepare students to move from the world of school to the world of adulthood. For some students, the goal is full independence, while for others, the goal may be maximum participation in everyday life. Either way, students need help to get ready for life outside of school based services.

IDEA requires that transition planning start NO LATER THAN age 16, but may be started earlier as appropriate for that student.

The IEP team develops the transition plan and considers areas such as college or job training,

Employment, independent living, and community participation.

Transition services must be a coordinated set of activities that work with each other to produce real results.

Transition services are based on the student's needs and must take into account his or her preferences and interests. Students do not get fit into an existing program automatically, the program is developed based on the strengths and goals of the student.

How does the team KNOW what appropriate transition and goals are?

Just like any other part of an IEP process, everything starts with appropriate assessment. This can include informal or formal interviews with the student, reviews of current academic and IEP goal progress, talking with parents and others who know the student well, and vocational assessment done by the school district, a specialized provider or by the Department of Rehabilitation.

The student needs to participate as much as possible. If the student does not want to attend meetings, use other ways of helping the team know what the student's hopes, dreams and passions are. Some families use recordings, dictated narrations, photos or video tapes to play at the meeting. Your job is to help the team understand your student and family well enough to create an appropriate plan.

When is the School District no longer responsible for transition planning?

Transition planning is a required part of the IEP, starting by age 16 until age 22, OR termination of the IEP (such as when student receives a high school diploma) whichever occurs first. If NOT on a diploma track, and even if receiving a Certificate of Completion or other document, the District must continue to assist the student in preparing for adulthood and support the student until 22nd birthday.

When does the student "take over" their rights and how do we get them prepared?

One year before the student is a legal adult (18 in California), the District must send parent and student an AGE OF MAJORITY notice so that you can help prepare student to take on all decision making, including education planning. If this is not possible, Consider whether the student will need someone else to act for them and begin that process before age 18 so that you can continue to make important decisions without any interruption.

How do we know what adult services our student might need and how do we bring them into transition planning?

Many adult service agencies such as Regional Centers, Dept. of Rehabilitation, County Mental Health, and Adult Medical Providers can be invited into the process. Some students need to submit an adult application for SSI. The California Transition to Adult Living Guide has a comprehensive list, and contact information.If a student will need a service in order to meet their transition goals, the IEP team needs to consider how to provide it and make sure it gets done.

What documents must the District provide when my student exits the School District?

When a student graduates from high school with a regular education diploma or turns 22, the school district must provide a special Summary of Performance (SOP) form summarizing the student's academicachievement and functional performance. The SOP must also include recommendations on how to assist the student in meeting their post-secondary goals. The SOP is a useful tool for the student in documenting the disability and providing information about accommodations the student may need to be successful after high school.

Conclusion

Congress laid out as its first goal in writing IDEA "our national policy of ensuring equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities" [20 U.S.C. 1400(c)(1)]. Preparing children with disabilities to "lead productive and independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible," is one of IDEA's stated objectives. [20 U.S.C. 1400(c)(5)(A)(ii)]. Transition planning is the final step in achieving these goals. Your participation is important and makes a real difference!

Article HERE.

Career Development for Youth With Disabilities

See Christina Samuels’ article in On Special Education HERE.