This digest summarizes information on the roles of the Federal Government, the family, and teachers in preparing young children with disabilities for school. Noted are relevant provisions of Public Law 99-457, the 1986 Amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act (Part B), including development of Individualized Family Service Plans to aid…

This newsletter issue describes the importance of vocational assessment in the educational process of students with disabilities. Vocational assessment is defined, its purposes are explained, and the ways in which vocational assessment can benefit teenagers with special needs are discussed. Types of informal and formal assessments are explored, as…

A three-stage model transition program is proposed for the successful transition to higher education for learning disabled (LD) secondary students. Transition planning is defined as a process initiated by high school personnel to establish and implement a plan upon high school entry for LD students with college potential. Such planning should…

The document presents a position statement of the Division on Career Development of the Council for Exceptional Children concerning the transition of youth with disabilities to adult life. Stages of career development from awareness through exploration, preparation, assimilation, and continuing education are explained. The crucial element in…

Five strategies to support young adults with disabilities who are making the transition into adulthood include (1) encouraging parents to have early expectations for community life; (2) helping parents realize the importance of their role; (3) helping parents honor their children's choices; (4) involving social support networks; and (5) addressing…

This implementation guide, based on the MESH model (Montana Model for Education of the Severely Handicapped), is intended to assist administrators and teachers in planning for the transition of special education students from one placement to another, with emphasis on preparation for community living and independent functioning. The 11 modules…

The final report of the 3-year Valley Transitional School Project, serving Augusta, Staunton, and Waynesboro schools, all located in Augusta County, Virginia, contains information on the project accomplishments, population characteristics, evaluation activities, dissemination activities, replication, products developed, and conclusions and…

This book provides practitioners working with young adults with disabilities practical strategies for building expanded partnerships with parents during the transition years. It relies on three beliefs: parents need to be fully informed partners; practitioners need to empower parents to become partners; and parents can become accountable for…

This handbook for parents is part of a packet intended to aid educators, families, and adult service providers to facilitate the transition from school to adult life in the community for students with both cognitive disabilities and visual or dual sensory impairments. Emphasis is on preparation of students for adult lifestyles through transition…

Intended to enable parents to support and advocate for their children during transitions, this guide contains training activities and hands-on action tools to help parents and staff work in partnership as children transition into and out of Early Head Start, Head Start, child care settings, and elementary schools. The guide is divided into three…

The report documents the follow-up of mentally retarded school completers in the Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) area, begun with parents/guardians of students who completed their special education programs in 1985-86 (N=73) and also in 1986-87 (N=60) and preliminary follow-up of a 1990 cohort (N=102). Findings for the first two groups are reported in…

This report describes and analyzes the transition process used at Savanna High School, Anaheim, California, and documents the unique contribution of the school's Independent Living Skills Transition Center. The report's seven sections focus on: (1) transition definitions and the need for a shared definition among agency personnel; (2) team…

Many teens experience a time when keeping up with school work is difficult. Some adolescents are able to get through this time with minimal assistance from their parents or teachers. However, when the difficulties last longer than a single grading period or are linked to a long-term pattern of poor school performance, parents and teachers may need…