Give me a Transition Plan

In the summer after his junior year in high school, Jimmy’s parents begin to get notices in the mail urging them to make an appointment for Senior Portraits… a rite of passage for Jimmy, and for his parents. Jimmy is excited. His parents are frightened. What lies ahead? Is there life after high school for a young man like Jimmy? He has so many special needs. Ever since the second grade, when he was diagnosed with a learning disability, he has gotten special attention. Sometimes he was in a small-group class. Sometimes he was in a general education class with a specially trained teacher. The extra time on tests and assignments helped some, but still, Jimmy has struggled. He has passed some of the graduation tests, but even after retaking the Science and Social Studies tests several times, he just can’t seem to get a passing score on either. Likely, he won’t be getting a diploma.
Jimmy is a handsome young man, and his Senior Portraits will look great. How will his future look?
Jimmy needs a Transition Plan. A Transition Plan will help Jimmy and his family get on the same page about what the future holds for him. A Transition Plan will also help Jimmy’s school know how to get him ready to live his dream. A good Transition Plan will make sure that the dream is Jimmy’s dream, not his teacher’s dream or his counselor’s dream or his coach’s dream. A good Transition Plan will also make sure that Jimmy’s dream is one his family can support, or at least one that his family knows about!
The first step, and a very important one, required by law, in formulating a Transition Plan, is to find out what Jimmy wants his future to look like. Student input is vital, but often overlooked.

And here’s an important point: The Transition Plan will only be as good as the information that goes into it. That’s why students in the eighth grade are given vocational evaluations: to look at aptitude, that is, what kinds of jobs the student may like or not like.

But, of course, that’s not the whole story. Transition Plans have to cover the other dimensions of life, too. Living arrangements, education, transportation, health care, money management, and needed accommodations are so important that the students and families MUST start thinking about these needs early. Here are some important questions that need deep thought:

1) What will my life be like after high school? What will I do with my day?
2) What is my second choice?
3) How will I get around?
4) How will I manage my money?
5) Where will you live?
6) What will you do for fun?
7) How will you manage your health?
8) What kinds of accommodations will you need?

The 2004 Reauthorization of the IDEA requires that these areas be addressed. In Cobb County, we have made these questions a part of the Transition Plan. Each student gets an opportunity to answer these questions, starting with the IEP that goes into effect as the student is turning 14.

Back to Jimmy. Because the IEP committee, including Jimmy and his folks, considered his Transition Plan in the annual IEP meeting each year, everyone has a good idea of what the future holds for Jimmy. Eventually he wants to live on his own and have his own car, but for now, he will stay with his folks and take the bus to the grocery store. He has a job coach, paid for by Voc Rehab funds, who helped him get the job at the grocery store, bagging groceries. After he gets some work experience, he wants to get a job at a hospital or a nursing home. He likes to help take care of people. His Voc Rehab counselor came to some of his IEP meetings, and got to know Jimmy. At school, he took courses in consumer math and social skills to help him strengthen the skills he would need to become more independent.

Jimmy will keep strengthening his independence skills when he gets out in the “real world.” His Transition Plan gave him a good start. His mom will hang his Senior Portrait on the wall, and Jimmy will hang his hopes on the future he has dreamed for himself.