Resources for Transition to Adulthood

1. Resources for Transition to Adulthood Autism Society of Los Angeles September 2012 www.AutismLA.org

2. Workshop for Families Transition to Adult Living: An Information and Resource Guide 2007, California Department of Education Prepared by Diana Blackmon, Ed.D.

3. Workshop Outcomes • Become familiar with the transition guide • Learn why transition services are required • Learn about the new the IDEA ’04 transition requirements: • Measurable postsecondary goals • Age-appropriate transition assessments • Annual goals to support postsecondary goals • Transition services • Summary of Performance • Learn how to help your child transition from school to adult living • Learn about agencies that support transition

4. Transition to Adult Living • Take a few minutes to envision your child when they leave school. • What words describe the outcomes you envision? • Now, let’s look at actual outcomes.

5. Why are transition services required? Compared to their peers without disabilities, people with disabilities experience: • Half the graduation rate • Higher dropout rates (21% v. 10%) • Lower college entrance/completion • Lower employment (35% v. 78%) • Higher dependency on public assistance • Higher poverty rate (26% v. 9%) • Lower life satisfaction rate (34% v. 61%) (Pages iv–v, Transition to Adult Living)

6. Why are transition services required? Due to these outcome data collected by the: • National Longitudinal Transition Study I/II • National Council on Disability • National Organization on Disability • National Center for Education Statistics • and others Transition services language in Individualized Education Programs (IEP) have been required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) since 1990

7. Why are transition services required? Definition of transition services in the IDEA: …acoordinated set of activities… designed to be within a results-oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child’s movement from school to post-school activities… The data just presented indicates a need for improved “results.”

8. Transition to Adult Living: A Resource and Information Guide • Developed by California Services for Technical Assistance and Training (CalSTAT), through a contract with the • California Department of Education, Special Education Division to • Support schools, districts, and special education local plan areas in the implementation of the secondary transition requirements of the IDEA ’04 and to serve as a • Resource to improve post-school outcomes for students with disabilities.

9. National Standards and Quality Indicators for Secondary Education and Transition Throughout the guide, the standards are reflected and provide benchmarks to guide practice: • Schooling School- and work-based instruction • Career preparatory experiences Career awareness, assessment, and preparation • Youth development and leadership Self awareness and self advocacy • Family involvement Meaningful family participation • Connecting activities Connection to post-school options and resources

10. Transition to Adult Living: An Information and Resource Guide The guide contains the following: • Legal requirements and best practices • The IEP process • School- and work-based learning • Family involvement and collaboration • Preparing students for diplomas or certificates • A large appendix with resources such as agencies, Web sites, curricula, and sample assessments and goals

11. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has required transition language in the IEP since 1990 with the following: • An expectation of coordinated services • Transition planning based on the student's interest and preferences • Including instruction, related services, community experiences, development of employment, or other post-school adult living objectives, and when appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and a functional evaluation • Transition services • Transferring rights at the age of majority

12. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Actof 2004 requires: • Transition language in the IEP at age 16 • Measurable postsecondary goals • Based on age-appropriate assessments related to: training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills • Providing a Summary of Performance upon school exit Each new requirement will now be explained through a Question and Answer format

13. What are Postsecondary Goals? The IDEA ‘04 requires: appropriate, measurable postsecondary goals based on age-appropriate assessments related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills Postsecondary goals are what the student plans to do upon school exit

14. What are Postsecondary Goals? The IDEA indicates the need for: … measurable post-secondary goals … related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills What is the difference between training and education?

15. What are Postsecondary Goals? • Training = a program leading to high school completion or certificate like adult education or a short-term training program like a vocational program. • Education = community or technical colleges (generally two-year programs) or college or university (generally four-year programs)

16. What are Postsecondary Goals? • A student may have either a post-school training or a post-school education goal, both are not necessary. • All students should have post-school employment and educationor training goals, and some will have independent living goals, which encompass community participation.

17. What if the student does not know what they want to do when they leave school? • An initial post-school goal might indicate that the student does not know what they plan to when they leave school. So annual goals could be to participate in self-awareness and career-exploration assessments and activities to help the student develop a better understanding about what post-school options best fit their unique needs and interests.

18. What are Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments? The IDEA ’04 requires: appropriate, measurable postsecondary goals based on age-appropriate assessments related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills

19. What are Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments? • What is age-appropriate? Age-appropriate means chronological rather than development age • What is the purpose of transition assessments?

20. Assist the student in identifying interests and preferences Determine appropriate accommodations and supports Determine appropriate instruction and activities that will assist the student in achieving post-school goals Determine “next steps” Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments:Appendix E of the Transition Guide

21. Education/Training Determine academic and functional skills Match academic and functional skills to post-school goal Determine appropriate accommodations needed in school and work Match post-school goals to appropriate postsecondary setting (job training, higher education, etc.) Employment Determine career interests Match career goals to strengths, interests, and preferences Work skills (level of supervision needed, ability to ask for help, task completion) Interview skills Work experience Age-Appropriate Transition AssessmentsOutcomes to Consider

22. Independent living Selecting a lifestyle and living arrangement Money management Health care Mobility (travel training, driver’s license) Independent living Nutrition Cooking/cleaning Community participation Accessing resources Connections established with adult service providers Age-Appropriate Transition AssessmentsOutcomes to Consider, where needed

23. What are Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments? • In some areas, appropriate assessment data may be obtained from another section in the IEP, such as academic achievement necessary to attend college or a vocational program. • In other areas, additional assessments may be necessary, such as interest inventories to determine post-school interests to develop postsecondary goals. • Appendix E has a sample assessment process and lists formal and informal assessments.

24. What are Annual IEP Goals that Support Postsecondary Goals? The IDEA ’04 requires, a statement of measurable annual goals as part of the IEP. Q. Do we need transition-related annual goal(s) to support each postsecondary goal? A. Not necessarily, if there is an annual goal in another section of the IEP that logically supports the postsecondary goal.

25. What are Annual IEP Goals that Support Postsecondary Goals? • Does the student know what his/her post-school goals are for education or training? • Does the student know what his/her post-school goals are for employment? If not, annual goals to support self awareness and career exploration might be appropriate. Annual goals for work or work-like experience (service learning, WorkAbility program, Regional Occupational Program) may also help the student make informed decisions.

26. What are Annual IEP Goals that Support Postsecondary Goals? • Does the student know what their post-school options for independent living are? If not, annual goals to support daily living skills, exploration about housing options and community resources might be appropriate. • Does the student need connections to post-school adult service providers? If so, annual goals to establish those connections might be appropriate.

27. What are Annual IEP Goals that Support Postsecondary Goals? Appendix F has sample annual goals that support postsecondary goals for: Instruction/training Employment Independent living Most sample annual goals show alignment with selected English/language arts content standards or CAPA levels

28. What are Transition Services? IDEA ’04 requires transition services (including courses of study) needed to assist the child in reaching those (postsecondary) goals Q. What are courses of study? Q. What are transition services?

29. What are Transition Services? A. Courses of study are: • A multi-year description of coursework (necessary) to achieve the student’s desired post-school goals. • For students working toward a general diploma, a transcript that lists courses taken/courses required may be appropriate. • For students working toward a certificate of achievement/completion, a listing of the academic and functional courses may be appropriate.

30. What are Transition Services? A. Transition services may be: • Services the student needs to complete needed courses and succeed in the general curriculum • Services the student needs to accomplish the annual IEP goals that support the postsecondary goals, such as assistance gaining work experience or obtaining a social security number or driver’s license Section 2 of the guide provides examples of transition services

31. What is a Summary of Performance? When the student exits school, the IDEA ’04 requires schools to provide: A summary of the child’s academic and functional performance, which shall include recommendations on how to assist the child in the child’s postsecondary goals.

32. What is a Summary of Performance? The purpose of the summary is to provide the student with a document that will help establish eligibility for reasonable accommodations and supports in post-school settings. It is also useful for the Vocational Rehabilitation Comprehensive Assessment process.

33. What is a Summary of Performance? Q. Is a new evaluation required for the summary? A. No, it is a summary of existing data. Q. Is an IEP meeting required to develop or provide the summary? A. No, the summary is not a part of the IEP.

34. What is a Summary of Performance? • There is no California state recommended Summary of Performance form, but several national organizations held the National Transition Document Summit to develop a model template, now used by several states. Available at: • www.calstat.org/transitionGuide.html • The template includes the following:

35. What is a Summary of Performance? Instructions for completion Part 1: Background information Part 2: Student’s postsecondary goals Part 3: Academic and functional performance Describes accommodations/modifications Part 4: Recommendations to assist goals Part 5: Student input (recommended)

36. Questions and Clarifications • Given the information presented: • What can you expect to talk about at the IEP meeting regarding the transition from school to adult living? • What can you expect to see in your child’s IEP related to the transition from school to adult living?

37. Transition to Adult Living, Section 2 The IEP: A Foundation for Secondary Transition Four-Step IEP Process (page 24) • Identify student’s post-school goals • Determine present levels of performance • Develop annual goals to support post-school goals • Identify needed transition services

38. Transition to Adult Living, Section 2 The IEP: A Foundation for Secondary Transition • Section 2 (page 24–44) provides a step by step example of an IEP process that supports transition. • Each step describes what • The family can do • The student can do • The teacher can do

39. Self Awareness Decision about high school Interest inventories Self esteem Interpersonal skills Career Awareness Connecting school to careers Online career exploration Job shadowing Guest speakers Career Preparation Applications/résumés Interview skills Punctuality and appearance Working in teams Work Experience ROP WorkAbility Work experience Internships Independent Living Community access Travel training Health, housing, recreation Scope and Sequence: Putting it All Together(page 56)

40. Families provide the most relevant information! Look at page 60. Answer the questions. The answer to these questions can help develop transition goals and services. Grade-level activities for parents to support transition Look at the grade-level activities on pages 61–62. How many of these activities do you do? If the activities are not applicable to your child, what would be? What Can Parents Do to Help?

41. What Can Parents Do to Help? Transition Checklist for Parents and Students • Look at the checklist on page 63 • What have you done? • What do you need help with? • Who can help? Examples of Home and School Working Together • Read the examples on pages 65–66 • Each child is unique; the samples are provided to give families ideas about what they can do to support transition.

42. Supporting Self Determination and Advocacy Read page 66–67. What can you do to encourage self determination and advocacy? Student Rights and Responsibilities Read page 68. What are your child’s rights? What are your child’s responsibilities? What Can Parents Do to Help?

43. What Can Parents Do to Help? • What happens when students reach the age of majority (18 years old)? • Read page 69–70 • Questions to consider: • Is your child able to make informed decisions? • Will your child live independently? • Who can help with conservatorship?

44. What Agencies Support Transition? • Appendix G: Agencies the Support Transition (page 146) • Lists major federal/state agencies that support transition • Describes eligibility and services • State-level contact information is listed to obtain regional agency More Resources in the Appendices

45. Transition to Adult Living: An Information and Resource Guide: Appendices • Transition-Related Legal References OSEP • Comparison of IDEA ’97 and ’04 • National Standards for Secondary Education and Transition • System Assessment and Action Plan Tool • Transition-Related Assessments F. Sample Transition Goals G. Agencies that Support Transition H. Students Not Passing the Exit Exam I. CDE Letter about Graduation Ceremony Participation for Certificate Students J. Transition-Related Web sites K. Transition-Related Curricula L. Guide to Acronyms Used

46. What Agencies Support Families?Parent Training and Information Centers • Parent Training and Information Centers are a parent-directed, nonprofit organizations funded by the U.S. Department of Education, authorized under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as private sources. The IDEA states that PTIs will assist parents to: • Understand special education laws, rights, and responsibilities • Understand their children’s disabilities • Provide follow-up support for the educational programs of their children with disabilities • Communicate more effectively with special and general educators, administrator, related services personnel, and other relevant professionals • Participate fully in education decision-making processes, including the development of the Individualized Education Program (IEP), for a child with disabilities • Obtain information about the range of options, programs, services, and resources available to children with disabilities and their families (California Department of Education, Special Education Division)

47. What Agencies Support Families?Family Empowerment Centers California Association of Family Empowerment Centers 1029 J Street, Suite 120 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone 916-325-1690, ext. 306 Fax 916-325-1699

48. Transition to Adult Living: An Information and Resource Guide • Hard copies are available free of charge: Mail: NCOE-WEST/CalSTAT Attn: Transition Guide Request 5789 State Farm Drive Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Email: publications@calstat.org • The guide is also available in an interactive PDF at: www.calstat.org/transitionGuide.html