Thetransitionfromhighschooltocollegeoremploymentcanbeastressfulperiodforanyyoungperson.Theprocesscanbecomparedtoaroadtrip:timelyandthoroughpreparationcanresultinasmoothjourneytoone’sdestination,whereaspoorplanningorlackofdirectionmayresultindelaysorcancelations.Thisisespeciallythecaseforstudentswithlearningdisabilities(LD)astheyleavebehindtheguaranteedstructuresandsupportsofhighschool.Earlyidentificationofpostsecondarycareerandeducationgoals,coupledwiththeappropriatepreparationandresourcestomeetthosegoals,areessentialtosuccessfultransition.Otherwise,thestudentmayfacesignificantdelaysormodificationstotheircollegeorcareerplans.Fortunately,thetransitionprocesscanbeanticipatedandplannedforbystudents,parents,andschools.

PostsecondaryOutcomesforStudentswithLDPostsecondaryeducationisanimportanttransitionoutcomebecauseofitsassociationswithemploymentandearnings.Youngadultswithdisabilitieswhocompleteapostsecondarydegreeorcertificatearesignificantlymorelikelytobeemployed,experiencehigherearnings,liveindependently,havecheckingandsavingsaccounts,andregistertovotethannon-completers.

YoungadultswithLDwhograduatefromhighschoolareenrollinginpostsecondaryeducationatapproximatelythesamerateasstudentsinthegeneralpopulation(67%within8yearsofhighschoolgraduation).However,enrollmentalonedoesnotindicatesuccessfultransition.YoungadultswithLDaremorelikelytoenrollina2-yearorvocationalschool(49.9%and35.8%,respectively)thana4-yearcollege(21.2%).Thisenrollmentpatterncontrastswiththatofstudentsinthegeneralpopulation,whoaremorelikelytoattenda4-yearcollege(40%)thana2-yearorvocationalschool(21%and20%).Inaddition,youngadultswithLDarelesslikelytocompleteapostsecondarydegreeorcertificatethanyoungadultsinthegeneralpopulation.Thesedifferencesindicateroomforimprovementintheareasoftransitionplanningandservices.

WhatisthePurposeofTransitionPlanning?TheIndividualswithDisabilitiesEducationAct(IDEA1997)isakeypieceoflegislationdesignedtoensurethatstudentswithanIndividualizedEducationPlan(IEP)startthetransitionplanningattheageof14andreceiveservicesspecificallyrelatedtotransitionattheageof16.Aspartofthefreeappropriatepubliceducation(FAPE),emphasisonservicesthatpreparethestudentsforfurthereducation,

Transition: An Overview

employment,andindependentliving,wereincludedinthereauthorization.Transitionplanningshouldinvolveassessmentsofstudentinterests,strengths,andpostsecondarygoals,anditshouldinvolveprovidingservices–includingappropriatecoursesofstudy-toassistthestudentinachievingthosegoals.Thestudent,hisorherparents,andtheIEPteamshouldallbeactivelyinvolvedinthedevelopmentofthestudent’stransitionplan.

TransitionChallengesAnumberofpotentialchallengesfacestudentsastheytransitionoutofhighschool:LessstructureandguidanceStudentswhocouldoncerelyonteachers,parents,andIEPteammemberstoensuretheymetdeadlinesandreceivedaccommodationsmustnowassumefullresponsibilityfortherequirementsoftheircollegeorplaceemployment.Studentswho

Requirements

Results-oriented

Improvesacademicachievement

Improves functionalachievement

Basedonindividual needs

InstructionRelated servicesCommunityexperiencesDevelopmentofemploymentDevelopmentofpost-schoollivingobjectives

Participants

Students

Parent orGuardian

Special EducationTeacher

GeneralEducation Teacher

LEARepresentative

Individualwhocaninterprettheinstructionalimplications

ofevaluationresults

Other(at discretionofparent/agency)

areunpreparedforthisshiftmayfindthemselvesoverwhelmed.ChangesinlegalpoliciesAfterhighschool,themandatesofIDEAnolongerapplytoyoungadultswithLD.Rather,collegesandemployersmustadheretotheAmericanswithDisabilitiesAct(ADA),whichfollowsadifferentsetofguidelinesthatcanmakedecisionsabouteligibilityforaccommodationsmoresubjectiveandvariableinyoungadultswithLD.AyoungadultwhoqualifiedfordisabilityservicesunderIDEAmayormaynotqualifyforservicesunderADA,dependingonwhatkindofdocumentationthestudentisabletoprovide.InsufficientdocumentationPostsecondaryschoolscanvarywidelyintheamountandtypeofdocumentationrequiredtodemonstratetheneedfor“reasonableaccommodations”.Ifthestudenthasnotobtainedthenecessarydocumentationwhileinhighschool,heorshemayneedtopayoutofpocketforupdatedevaluations.Inthemeantime,lackofservicesmayimpactfirst-yearacademicperformance,increasingtheriskofdropout.LackofunderstandingAlargeproportionofyoungadultswithLD(69%)donotconsiderthemselvestohaveadisability.Subsequently,theyarelesslikelyreporttodisabilityservicesorrequestaccommodations.Infact,only24%ofcollegestudentswithLDbothconsiderthemselvestohaveadisabilityandinformedtheirschoolofthedisability.

InsufficientacademicpreparationIftransitionplanningdoesnotbeginearlyenoughorifitfailstoconsiderpostsecondarygoalsasapossibility,studentsmaygraduateunpreparedforcollegeadmission,collegecoursework,orworkplaceduties.Forexample,astudent’scollegeofchoicemayrequirefouryearsofmath,includingCalculus.However,ifthestudentandhisorherIEPteamhavenotbeguntransitionservicesuntiltheageof16andthestudenthasnottakentheprerequisitesforCalculus,itmaybetoolatetocatchup.

Whoshouldbeinvolvedintheprocess?

Students Parents/GuardiansSpecialEd.teacher LEArepresentativeGeneralEd.teacher AssessmentspecialistOthers(asneeded):Employers,collegefaculty,mentalhealthprofessionals,humanservices,etc.

StrategiesforBetterTransitionPlanningThefollowingstrategieshavebeenrecommendedforimprovedpostsecondarytransitionplanning:Promoteself-regulationskillsThestudentshouldbeencouragedtograduallybuildtheself-regulationskillsthatwillbeneededforwhenexternalsourcesofaccountabilityarenolongeravailable.Studyskills,timemanagementskills,note-taking,writing,andtheuseofassistivetechnologycanhelppreparethestudentforwhenmodifications,extensions,andreminderswillnolongerbeprovidedbyprofessorsoremployers.GetfamiliarwithavailableservicesFamilies,IEPteammembers,andspecialeducationfacultyshouldbefamiliarizedwiththedisabilitysupportservicesprovidedbythestudent’sprospectivecollege,aswellasthelimitationsthatmaybeplacedonaccommodations.Forexample,parentsandstudentsshouldbeawarethatalthoughallcollegesarerequiredtoprovidebasicdisabilityservicesandaccommodations,theyarecontingentuponproperdocumentationofdisability.Eventhen,someaccommodationsmaynotbepossible.Forinstance,astudentmightnotbeallowedtouseacalculatorforcertainassignmentsorwaivearequiredcourse.Teachself-advocacyskillsWithnoIEPteamafterhighschool,studentsshouldbecomefamiliarizedwiththeirstrengths,weaknesses,andneedssothattheycanclearlyarticulatethemtodisabilityservicesstaffmembers.Theyshouldbeableto1)findandcontact

disabilityservices,2)explainthenatureoftheirdisability,3)describehowitimpactstheirabilitytosucceedinthecollegeenvironment,givingspecificexamples,4)listservicestheyreceivedinhighschoolandexplainhowtheywerehelpful,and5)requestrelevantaccommodations.OnewaytoaccomplishthiswouldbetoencouragethestudenttoleadhisorherownIEPmeetings,withguidanceasneeded.ProvidethenecessarydocumentationEnsurethatthestudenthasrecentandup-to-datecopiesofwhateverdisabilitydocumentationwillberequiredtomeetcriteriaforservices.Somecollegesmayrequirecognitiveassessments,achievementtests,andformalpsychologicalevaluations.OthersmayonlyrequireaSummaryofPerformance(SOP).TheSOPshouldbeasdetailedaspossible,andprovideexplanationsofthenatureofthedisability,howitimpactsperformance,andwhataccommodationshavebeenshowntobethemostuseful.BegintransitionplanningearlyTheearliertransitionplanningbegins,thebetter.Becomefamiliarwithyourstate’scollegeandcareerreadinessstandards,andensurethatstudentstakeasequenceofcoursesinhighschoolthatwillenablethemtoentercollegeoremploymentwithouttheneedforremediation.Thisprocesswilldependondeterminingthestudent’sstrengths,needs,andpostsecondarygoalsearly–preferablyby8thgrade–sothattherearenosurpriseswhenapplyingtocollegesorjobs.

RecommendedResources

• Foss,D.(2013).Yourcompleteguidetocollegesuccess:Howtostudysmart,achieveyourgoals,andenjoycampuslife.APA,Washington,DC

• SupportingAccommodationRequestshttps://www.ahead.org/learn/resources/documentation-guidance

• WritingaSummaryofPerformance

http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/trans.sop.htm• WrightsLaw

http://www.wrightslaw.com/• IDEA:BuildingtheLegacy

http://idea.ed.gov/explore/home

Banerjee,M.,Madaus,J.W.,&Gelbar,N.(2015).ApplyingLDdocumentationguidelinesatthepostsecondarylevel:Decisionmakingwithsparseormissingdata.LearningDisabilityQuarterly,38(1),27-39.Cameto,R.,Knokey,A.M.,&Sanford,C.(2011).ParticipationinPostsecondaryEducationofYoungAdultswithLearningDisabilities:FindingsfromNLTS2.LearningDisabilities:AMultidisciplinaryJournal,17(2),45-54.Hamblet,E.C.(2014).Ninestrategiestoimprovecollegetransitionplanningforstudentswithdisabilities.TeachingExceptionalChildren,46(3),53-59.Madaus,J.W.,&Shaw,S.F.(2006).TheimpactoftheIDEA2004ontransitiontocollegeforstudentswithlearningdisabilities.LearningDisabilitiesResearch&Practice,21(4),273-281.Newman,L.,Wagner,M.,Knokey,A.M.,Marder,C.,Nagle,K.,Shaver,D.,&Wei,X.(2011).ThePost-HighSchoolOutcomesofYoungAdultswithDisabilitiesupto8YearsafterHighSchool:AReportfromtheNationalLongitudinalTransitionStudy-2(NLTS2).NCSER2011-3005.NationalCenterforSpecialEducationResearch.

References

Recommendedcitation:

Fernandez,E.&Santi,K.L.(2016)Transition:AnOverview.CLDInformationSheet.Retrievedfrom:http://www.council-for-learning-disabilities.org/infosheets-supporting-translation-of-research-to-practice.

CouncilforLearningDisabilitiesCLDgrantspermissiontocopythisarticleforeducationalpurposes.OtherInfoSheetsareavailableonourwebsite(http://www.cldinternational.org).