Transition Services

ransition services consist of coordinated activities for a student with a disability that are:

• Focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the student to facilitate their movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation;
• Based on the individual student’s needs, taking into account their strengths, preferences, and interests; and
• Includes instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, and, if appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation.

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) Regulations Secondary Transition. (2007, February 2). Retrieved from A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth With Disabilities

A student’s IEP (Individualized Education Program) must include post-secondary goals and transition services before they enter secondary school, but no later than the first IEP to be in effect when they reach age 14 (or younger, if the IEP team decides that it is appropriate).

Transition Coordinators work with each high school, high school program, and middle school to assist students as they move through the schools and into adult life. Areas in which Coordinators can provide or make connections to supports include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Self-determination-advocacy development
• Post-secondary education and career planning
• Vocational evaluation and training
• Explanation of diploma options
• Independent living support and community participation
• Procedures for requesting accommodations in post-secondary education and employment settings
• Resume building and interview skill development
• Adult service agency referrals

• The Transition Coordinator provides the connection between the school system and the adult service.
• The Transition Coordinator aids the family, seeking to ensure that the needs of the student are addressed in post-secondary plans.o These plans can include employment, day programs, residential services, and recreation services.
• The Transition Coordinator provides connections to services like Social Security benefits, Medicaid, and waiver services.

The Transition Book Revised (final 2019)

Securing A Future for Your Child with A Disability (Produced for the Transition Points Program of the Arc of Northern Virgin)