What is Transition Services?
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What is Transition Services? Questions to Consider as Your Child Approaches Adulthood |
Transition Services are defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 300.18, as a coordinated set of activities for a student, designed within an outcome-oriented process, that promotes movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation.
The coordinated set of activities must:
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be based upon the individual student's needs taking into account the student's preferences and interests; and
- include instruction, community experiences,
the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives,
and if appropriate, the acquisition of daily living skills and functional
evaluation.
Put another way, the concept of transition is simple: First, to help students and families think about their lives after high school and identify long-range goals; second, to design the high school experience to ensure that students gain the skills and connections they need to achieve those goals.
The IEP provides the process to identify the student's desired goals and outline the high school experience. Everything that students do in high school should help them prepare for their own post-school goals. In essence, the IEP becomes a blueprint for the student's future. That, in simple terms, is what transition is all about.
Services would be beneficial to any student with a disability and have a positive effect on employment and independent living outcomes.