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The Transition Years

Being a parent can be very fulfilling for many people. It can give you a feeling of self-worth and pride, and it can allow you to experience true unconditional love. Many parents will go through the typical phases of raising a child: they'll enjoy the infant and toddler years where their children are learning to walk and talk, shed a tear or two the first day of kindergarten, gleam with pride when their child graduates from high school, and feel sadness, yet a sense of accomplishment, when their child leaves the "nest."

When you have a child with special needs, however, the phases and emotions of development and maturity are somewhat different. The infant and toddler years are saturated with therapies and doctor's appointments. By age three, when your child begins school, you have invested so much time and energy into caring for your child, that you may be somewhat over-protective or even obsessive with your child's care. You may feel uncomfortable that someone else is giving your child his medications or that someone else is tube feeding your child. Though you will adjust to the idea of "letting go" (to some extent), you continue to face years of IEP meetings - elated with the progress, disappointed with the stagnation. Then, after 15 years of taking your child to school, you are faced with yet another emotional phase: the transition from childhood to adulthood.

Transition planning for the child with special needs is very important and must include the parents. When conceptualizing the idea that your child will be leaving a safe school environment and entering the "real world" (which, at times, can be seen as unkind and even discriminatory), you may feel scared, overwhelmed, worried, and much more. In addition, you may be frustrated when deciding what is best for your child if he or she has difficulty communicating with you. Luckily, the transition process has changed for the better over the last 10 years and there are resources available to assist you through this difficult time.

To best prepare your child for the transition, services must be identified in the child's IEP. These transition services include a set of activities that are designed to promote movement from school to post-school activities such as postsecondary education, vocational training, employment (including supported), adult services, independent living, and community participation.

Employment can give an individual a great sense of pride and self-esteem. Therefore, it is imperative that the IEP team seriously consider planning and preparing the student for employment. The team should consider what type of work the student would be interested in, the nature and severity of the student's disability, the skills the student may be lacking, the type of social and/or academic program needed to help the student acquire the skills, and the type of accommodations the student may need on the job. Once this is complete, employment goals and objectives can be set.

Postsecondary education is for those who are not entering the work force after high school, but would like to further their education. This would include not only enrolling in a university or college, but also a trade school or vocational center. This, too, will require consideration of the nature and severity of the student's disability, however, there are some specific areas that can be focused upon. For example, learning effective study habits, identifying institutions that offer the sort of education desired, and identifying and advocating for services and accommodations that the student may need.

Independent living is an issue that should be explored as well. Some will want to live independently while others wish to remain at home. There are several different options in regards to living situations: 1) Independent living options do not provide any support to the individual with a disability. The person is responsible for all aspects of self-care and maintenance; 2) Foster homes are owned and rented by families that provide some care and support to individuals with disabilities; 3) Group homes have staff who provide care, supervision, and training; 4) Semi- independent living generally consists of units or apartments with staff living in separate units, but within the same building; 5) Board and supervision facilities have staff who provide more extensive care and support than what would be received in a semi-independent living situation; 6) Personal care facilities have staff who provide residents with help in dressing, bathing, and other personal care; 7) Nursing homes provide comprehensive care to individuals, including daily nursing care.

Each student, or his family members, will need to decide which option best suits the student's needs. Then, the school can provide instruction in areas that will help the student gain independence.

Daily living skills are those that involve taking care of oneself on a daily basis, such as dressing, grooming, household chores, shopping, and managing finances. An assessment is done to determine the extent of training the student needs, and then goals and objectives are developed. For example, goals may include caring for personal hygiene, managing finances, and purchasing and preparing food. Then, in order to attain these goals, specific objectives are identified for each goal.

Eligibility for adult services is of particular interest because once a student leaves the school system, he is no longer formally entitled to receive services. Then, it is up to the individual to demonstrate eligibility for each type of service. The two most important service providers are the Social Security Administration, which provides individuals with cash benefits and health benefits, and the Vocational Rehabilitation System which can provide job training and placement. There are many other services in addition to these two, so investigating each type of service and identifying eligibility requirements are critical in planning for the future.

Community participation addresses not just where the individual will live in the community, but also how the individual will live. Through planning and preparation, individuals with disabilities can learn to participate and contribute to the life of their community. This will most likely include recreation and leisure skills, and personal and social skills.

Transition services should begin no later than when the child becomes age 16. However, for those who are severely disabled, the services should be provided earlier. In fact, Congress has stated that before these children "age out" of the public school system, "they must have time to develop the essential skills which will be critical for them throughout their lives. Transition services for this population must be considered, planned, and provided over a multi-year time period."

Therefore, in preparation for the transition process, consider the following helpful hints:

The most important thing to remember in transition planning is that your child should be involved in the process as much as possible. IDEA states that the child must be invited to the IEP meeting and that activities developed for the child must be based on the child's needs, preferences and interests. The inclusion of the child encourages creativity, pride, assertiveness, and self-advocacy, which are all skills that are a necessity in assisting the child to manage his own life. Consider the IEP meeting an ideal forum for the child to develop and use these skills. The ultimate goal should be for the child to assume as much control as possible (with appropriate support) over their own transition program.

Planning for your child's future is not easy; it requires tremendous effort and commitment. But the best thing you can do for your child is start preparing, now. If your child is too young to have transition services in his IEP, provide them yourself. Teach your child self-help skills and show him appropriate social skills. It's never too early to start. If your child is ready to receive transition services, stay on top of the process. Make sure your child is being heard, ensure his needs are being addressed, and always stay involved.

For more information on transitioning, visit the following web sites:

 

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