There is a process within the special education program that directly links a child's educational program with their plans for the future. It is called a Transition Plan and is part of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Transition services are a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability designed to be used within a…

An IEP is an Individualized Education Program. When a child is identified with a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) a child has a right to a Free, Appropriate, Public Education (FAPE). For a child to receive FAPE there has to be an IEP developed in order for the child to progress in the general education…

When a military family has a child with autism, they face all the emotions and challenges that accompany this diagnosis, compounded by the realities of military service: war, extended family separation, frequent moves, varying access to specialized healthcare, and other stressors that complicate and often work against effective treatment for…

The transition from school to adulthood is a pivotal time in the lives of all students. For a student with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), change of any kind can be challenging, and a transition as momentous as this can seem especially daunting. Thoughtful planning, sound information, and open communication will help parents support young adults…

This toolkit was created to make transition planning easier and offers easy-to-understand information about the purpose of transition planning, the goal and importance of age-appropriate assessments, and the required rules that are used by schools. It also includes information on the community partners that can provide youth with supports as…

This guide for parents of children with disabilities in Florida is intended to answer common questions about the exceptional student education program. The first chapter provides an overview of exceptional student education including laws about the education of children with disabilities, parents' records, planning a child's education, continuing…

This brief paper considers planning for the transition of students with disabilities from the school setting to adult life. First, "transition services" are defined according to requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The relationship of transition services to the student's Individualized Education Program is…

This project was designed to identify effective parent/professional collaborative training strategies related to transition. Following a review of the literature on collaborative efforts, methodology is presented for a survey of 36 programs. The survey addressed four key areas: elements related to the type and level of training, demographic…

The manual is designed to provide educators, parents, and severely handicapped students in Santa Clara County (California) with a guide to a 4-year transition process. The process has four components: transition foundation (basic skill development from birth to age 21), transition process (planning and implementation of training and other services…

This guide to family-directed transition planning is intended to help parents and students with disabilities take leading roles in the process of transition from school to post-school activities. First, a letter to families examines the challenge of change and the transition process. Section 2 examines regulations that affect transition planning,…

Some of the opportunities and challenges associated with postsecondary education for young adults who are deaf-blind are considered. Suggestions are offered for transition planning teams to consider, including analysis of students' most and least favorite classes, vocational goals, housing goals, and methods of paying for postsecondary education.…

This booklet is intended to facilitate the full participation of Minnesota parents of children with disabilities in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. The booklet begins with a brief discussion of what an IEP is and why it is needed. The guide then presents a copy of Minnesota's IEP form, with the form sections on the left hand…

This package was developed through the outreach activities of Project STEPS (Sequenced Transition to Education in the Public Schools), which developed an early childhood transition model to facilitate the development of state and community-wide systems for transition. The package covers four major component areas of transition: interagency…

This guide to pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) first provides a review of the literature on defining characteristics of PDD/ASD, causes of PDD, and diagnosis of PDD. Review of intervention and treatment comprises the major portion of the paper. After briefly considering parent education, this section…

The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) has created this Parent Guide to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) so parents can become informed and effective partners with school personnel in supporting their child's special learning and behavioral needs. It is hoped that parents will use this IDEA Parent Guide to…