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Developing the I.E.P. Choosing a Transition Planning Process Transition planning must address the unique planning capabilities and needs of students with disabilities and their families. To some degree, all transition plans should be: (a) person-centered, (b) self-determined, and (c) career-oriented. Planning approaches developed for use with students with disabilities may focus on one of these areas, but they should address all three. This may require more than one planning approach being used with a particular student (e.g., futures and career planning).
Person-centered planning approaches include:
Self-determination is an important focus of transition planning. Good person-centered and career-oriented planning processes address the need for students to make their own decisions, but self-determination models may enhance student participation by developing self-awareness and leadership skills. Self-determination approaches typically focus on improving the student’s ability to: (a) self-advocate, (b) make decisions, (c) develop goals, (d) demonstrate leadership, and (e) take an active role in IEP/transition meetings. Self-determination approaches include:
Forming the Transition Planning Team
Core transition team members are persons who should always be involved in the IEP/transition planning meeting. Core members should include:
In addition to these core members, individual students may have specific needs or preferences that require the involvement of other transition stakeholders. These include but are not limited to: (a) work study coordinators and transition specialists, (b) related service providers, (c) vocational rehabilitation counselors (d) adult service providers, (e) employers, (f) representatives of postsecondary education programs, and (g) community supporters and advocates. These, and other team members, should be identified in the process of assessing the student’s desired environments related to work, education, community participation, and residential living.
Transition Assessments
Transition Service Options
Completing the IEP/Transition Plan IEP/transition planning forms may vary according to the organization of the IEP. Typically a transition plan should address: the student’s course of study and related transition needs postsecondary goals in regard to work, postsecondary education, residential living, and community participation, needed transition services.
Timelines for Transition Planning
* Special Thanks to Dr. Robert Baer (Kent State University) for information reproduced from his Transition Planning: A Guide for Parents and Professionals (1999). |
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Planning approaches emphasizing person-centered planning have been used primarily for individuals who have difficulty developing career goals due to the extent of their disability or due to a difficulty in expressing preferences. While typically used with students with severe disabilities, they may also benefit students with milder disabilities who have no postsecondary goals or direction to their IEPs. Person-centered planning approaches typically involve a facilitator, a recorder, the student, and various family, friends, classmates, and co-workers who work together to answer questions regarding the student’s: (a) history, (b) dreams, (c) nightmares, (d) relationships, (e) abilities, and (f) plan of action.
The composition of the transition planning team is a primary consideration in the development of a transition plan. Selection of team members should be a collaborative effort with the student and the family integrally involved. This is important because research indicates that self-friend-family networks account for more than 80% of the jobs obtained by students after graduation. The selection of the transition team should also include representatives from high school and postsecondary environments desired by students, so that students can establish contacts and become familiar with the requirements of the programs they want to enter.
The IEP/transition coordinator should assure that students and their families have all the information they need to make informed choices regarding student postsecondary goals, course of study, and needed transition services. Prior to the meeting, the educator should collect and obtain the assessments needed for the IEP/transition meeting. These may include a range of vocational and life skills assessments that can help students identify their strengths, needs, interests, and preferences. It can also include student and family surveys that assess the student’s career maturity and family-student agreement on postsecondary goals. 
Transition services are a coordinated set of activities that generally must include: (a) instruction, (b) community experiences, (c) development of employment and other postschool adult living objectives, and (d) related services. If appropriate, the IEP/transition plan should also include transition services in the areas of: (a) daily living skills, (b) functional vocational evaluation, and (c) interagency linkages. The seven major categories of transition services outlined in the IDEA of 1997 can be described as follows: