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…

Self-advocacy, self-management, self-regulation, and self-knowledge are complex terms, often considered forms of self-determination. Whatever term you may use, helping young adults with intellectual disability (ID) make authentic decisions about their own goals and behaviors often results in passive agreement. Even though advancing…

This self-assessment tool was developed for those who wish to embark on state-wide governmental systems change to improve high school transition and employment outcomes for youth and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Its purpose is to aid in the development of a work plan that is based on a review of the state…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex group of disorders that present numerous challenges within the inclusive classroom setting. This book provides guidelines for meeting the level 1 support needs of the child with ASD in your class, from elementary to high school. Specifically, the guide contains information on: (1) Understanding common…

In 2007, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) law was passed in Minnesota mandating newborn hearing screening. Recognizing that a number of state-level agencies and statewide advocacy and direct services organizations share responsibility for serving deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children and youth, the Minnesota Commission…

This article examines the current state of the transition process for students with developmental disabilities in New South Wales, Australia. Teachers from 75 schools were surveyed about current practices for students with developmental disabilities transitioning from primary to secondary school and from secondary school to post-school life.…

One of the major goals in the education and training of individuals with special needs is to prepare them for independence. However, in the Malaysian context, parents who have special adolescents are in doubt as to what would be the future of their children soon after they have finished the vocational training. This case study explores the…

In 2010, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the Kindergarten Readiness Act into law, which changed the kindergarten entry age so that children must turn 5 by September instead of December to enroll. The new grade level was put into place to promote school readiness for California's youngest learners. It also established a new grade…

This manual is designed to help schools in the development, implementation, and evaluation of activities that assist individuals with special needs in making vertical transitions from school to postsecondary training or employment and horizontal transitions between the school, home, and community. It presents, in section 1, a model that…

This resource guide outlines procedures for efficiently and effectively planning and implementing transition programming for at-risk students. Based on a review and synthesis of needs assessment systems in transition programs, a flow chart is presented showing step-by-step procedures recommended for local transition needs assessments. Steps in the…

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…

This volume presents a comprehensive plan for transition of children with special needs and their families between infant or early intervention services and preschool services, and between preschool services and kindergarten. It aims to help in bridging these services to minimize the stress and increase the promise of early childhood transitions.…

The workshops presented in this training manual identify methods and strategies that can be used by parents and professionals to improve the process of transition to public school for children with special needs and their families. Workshop participants develop the following competencies: (1) identify critical transitions for families with young…

Project UNITE (Unified Intercommunity Transition and Empowerment for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities) is a federally funded transition systems change grant in Virginia which attempts to integrate services among educational systems, human service agencies, communities, families, and consumers with disabilities who are involved 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…