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Transition Services
Transition Services are a coordinated set of activities for students with a disability that is designed to promote movement from school to post-school activities. These activities are based on the individual student's needs, taking into account the student's preferences, interests and ability. The specific Transition Individual Education Plan (IEP) requirements differ based upon the age of the student. Beginning at the student's 14th birthday, the IEP team develops a statement of transition service needs that focuses on the student's course of study. On or before the student's 16th birthday the Transition IEP includes a statement of needed transition services and when appropriate a statement of agency responsibilities or any needed linkages. The student's needs, preferences, and interests must be considered in the areas of instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, and, if appropriate, the acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation. Instruction refers to formal techniques used to impart knowledge that may be provided in school, home, or community settings. Instruction may include but is not limited to community-based instruction, travel training, instruction in academic and vocational education courses and nonacademic extracurricular activities. Related services means transportation and developmental, corrective or other supportive services required to help the student benefit from special education. Related services may include but are not limited to transportation to a community based instruction site or to an employment training site, career counseling, assistive technology services, job coaching, job shadowing and visits to post secondary schools. Community experiences are those services and activities provided outside the school building, in the community settings, or by other agencies. Community services may include but are not limited to banking, shopping, using public transportation, social activities, and recreational and leisure services. Employment refers to those services and activities that prepare a student for and lead to employment. These may include but are not limited to career education-exploring careers and gaining knowledge about the skills and training required by various careers; exploratory vocational preparation-preparation for specific job training, mastering of safety procedures through hands-on tasks and development of good work habits; career preparation- identification of career options, locating community resources and developing positive work-related behaviors; career experience- guided practice and experiences in school and community work situations; career placement- placement in a job in the community (On-The-Job-Training); Career Experiences course and Career Placement course. Post-School adult living refers to those important adult activities that are done occasionally. Post-school adult living activities may include but are not limited to registering to vote, renting a home, accessing medical services, filing for insurance, completing Social Security and Supplemental Security Income work incentive forms, and preparing taxes. Experiences and activities to prepare the student for future living arrangements after exiting high school also fall in this category. In addition to the required transition service activity areas above, the student's needs, preferences and interests must also be considered in the following transition services activity areas, if determined appropriate by the Transition IEP Team: Acquisition of daily living skills refers to those activities adults do every day to care for and manage personal needs. Functional vocation evaluation refers to an assessment process that provides information about job or career interests, aptitudes, and skills (situational assessments, observations, curriculum based vocational assessments, and formal evaluation measures are examples that may be considered). Agency collaboration is essential in developing effective Transition IEPs for students. Community transition teams and interagency agreements are maintained to develop ongoing collaboration with agencies in the community. Effective transition planning requires a coordinated effort on the part of families, students, school and agency personnel. Each member of the Transition IEP team is needed to assist the student in making a successful transition form school to adult living. Training opportunities include but are not limited to providing teachers an understanding of agencies and their services in order to invite appropriate agencies to transition IEP meetings, self-determination and self-advocacy curriculums available to use in the classroom coursework, disability awareness training for vocational and mainstream teachers. Below is a link for some great information on transitions and transition planning for youth with special health care needs and much of it could work with or be adapted for those with mental health issues. Also included is the name and contact for Susan Redmon at CMS who developed the site and much of the material. http://www.cms-kids.com/CMSNTransition.htm Susan J. Redmon, R.N., C.C.M., C.R.R.N.
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