{"id":17480,"date":"2020-02-18T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-18T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/?p=17480"},"modified":"2020-02-19T16:42:15","modified_gmt":"2020-02-19T20:42:15","slug":"why-how-to-begin-transition-planning-early","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/why-how-to-begin-transition-planning-early\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Need to Begin Transition Planning Early"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_pop\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/gallery\/share-button-gray.png\" style=\"border:0px\" alt=\"Share\" \/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Bebo\",\"Delicious\");var hupso_icon_type = \"labels\";var hupso_background=\"#FFFFFF\";var hupso_border=\"#FFFFFF\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_twitter_via=\"wrightslaw\";var hupso_url=\"\";var hupso_title=\"Why%20You%20Need%20to%20Begin%20Transition%20Planning%20Early\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/boy.teen_.smile_.ds_.small_.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-17485\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/boy.teen_.smile_.ds_.small_.jpg\" alt=\"Portrait of handsome boy in blue shirt outdoors.\" width=\"442\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/boy.teen_.smile_.ds_.small_.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/boy.teen_.smile_.ds_.small_-300x245.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;<em>My child is 14. When I requested a transition plan and transition services, the IEP team said they don&#8217;t have to provide transition services until he is 16. Is this correct?<\/em>&#8220;<\/p>\n<p>No! Transition services <strong>must be included<\/strong> in the IEP that is in effect when your child turns 16. In general, that IEP will be developed when he is 15.[1] Some states adopted a lower age for transition so you need to check your state&#8217;s special ed regulations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 109\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<p>The first IEP in effect when your child turns 16 (or younger if the team decides this is appropriate) must include measurable transition goals based on transition assessments. This applies to <strong>all<\/strong> <strong>IEPs<\/strong> for <strong>all<\/strong> children with disabilities who will be 16 years old.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Transition plans can include academic and non-academic courses, employment, training, and other services to prepare your child for life after school. Transition services:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Improve your child\u2019s academic and functional achievement<\/li>\n<li>Are individualized, based on your child\u2019s needs, and take into account his strengths, preferences, and interests<\/li>\n<li>Include instruction, related services, community experiences, employment, adult living skills, daily living skills, evaluations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The goal of transition is to help the child make a smooth transition from school to employment and further education. Transition services must be based on \u201cthe individual child\u2019s needs, taking into account the child\u2019s strengths, preferences, and interests.\u201d [2]<\/p>\n<p>Another goal of transition is to reduce the number of children with disabilities who drop out of school.\u00a0If the IEP team selects courses of study that are meaningful to your child, he is more likely to stay in school.<\/p>\n<p>Transition planning should help your child understand his disability and what he needs to be successful.\u00a0To be effective, a transition plan must be individualized to his needs and implemented properly. The IEP team should work closely with you and your child to implement the plan.<\/p>\n<p>To get the transition ball rolling, write a letter requesting an IEP meeting to discuss your child\u2019s needs related to his disability and his transition needs. Do research on transition for children with your child&#8217;s disability. Use this information to make your case about why the team should begin transition planning early. Bring extra copies of documents for the team members so they understand your position.<\/p>\n<p>Chapter 9 in\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0066cc;\"><em><a style=\"color: #0066cc;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/store\/aaieps.html\">Wrightslaw: All About IEPs<\/a><\/em><\/span>\u00a0is about &#8220;Transition to Life After School.&#8221; This chapter includes information about transition assessments, transition plans and services, and how to negotiate for services. You&#8217;ll find a Transition Checklist on\u00a0page 89.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Additional Resources<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/info\/trans.index.htm\">Transition Plans, Assessments, Goals and Services from Wrightslaw.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/category\/transition\/\">Transition: Qs &amp; As from the Wrightslaw Way Blog<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.parentcenterhub.org\/repository\/transitionadult\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Transition to Adulthood <\/a>\u00a0series.\u00a0 Available in Spanish &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.parentcenterhub.org\/repository\/transicion-adulta\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Transici\u00f3n a la Vida Adulta<\/a> from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.parentcenterhub.org\/\">Center for Parent Information &amp; Resources.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.parentcenterhub.org\/transition-goals\/\">Transition Goals in the IEP <\/a>&#8211; Includes a Checklist of Questions to Ask; good examples of real life measurable (and non-measurable) transition goals in three areas:\u00a0 education\/training, employment, and independent living. Excellent resource from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.parentcenterhub.org\/\">Center for Parent Information &amp; Resources.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/transitionta.org\/transitionplanning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Age Appropriate Transition Assessment<\/a> &#8211; Toolkit by National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT)<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/transitioncoalition.org\/tc-assessment-reviews\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Transition Assessment Reviews<\/a> from the Transition Coalition Univ. of Kansas)<\/p>\n<p>[1] 20 U.S.C. \u00a7 1414(d)(1)(A)(i)(VIII); 34\u00a0C.F.R. \u00a7 300.322(b)(2)<br \/>[2] 20 U.S.C. \u00a71401(34)<\/p>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;My child is 14. When I requested a transition plan and transition services, the IEP team said they don&#8217;t have to provide transition services until he is 16. Is this <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/why-how-to-begin-transition-planning-early\/\">Continue Reading \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[174,230,39,1228,57,5,18,11,1367,76],"tags":[523,112,1313],"class_list":["post-17480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-assessment","category-college-continuing-education","category-documentation","category-down-syndrome","category-fape","category-idea-2004","category-ieps","category-special-ed-law","category-assessments-tests","category-transition","tag-goals","tag-iep","tag-transition"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17480"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25640,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17480\/revisions\/25640"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}