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Transition Services
Transition Services
Transition services must meet the definition of “a results-oriented process that facilitates the child’s movement from school to post-school activities, including: postsecondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, and independent living or community participation.”
Annual IEP goals should be developed after transition services have been determined. There must be a clear link between the student’s postsecondary goals, transition services, and their annual IEP goals.
Consider these questions when determining transition services:
What experiences must the student participate in this academic year that are necessary for achieving the identified postsecondary goals?
What services and specific instruction are essential this year for the student to develop skills and knowledge to attain their postsecondary goals?
Do we know enough about this student’s vocational skills to identify an appropriate postsecondary employment goal or design activities to support the identified goal?
If the team has considered the questions above and determined that services in a particular area are not necessary to support achievement of the student's postsecondary goals, record “The student is not demonstrating a need at this time” in that area.
Service Areas
Service Areas
Instruction
Instruction as a transition service is a broad range of activities that promotes access to school curriculum, help students gain needed skills and move toward his/her postsecondary goals. Instruction around the acquisition of daily living skills may be needed for some students who need preparation of specific life skills (e.g., self-care, money management, transportation).
This section is for specialized instruction, regular instruction, and career and technical education. If the student has relevant direct services linked to annual IEP goals or relevant classes in school they can be listed here.
Examples of Activities for Instruction:
Improve reading comprehension skills
Increase reading fluency
Improve math problem solving skills
Improve written composition skills
Learn and practice social skills
Learn and practice communication skills
Learn and practice self-determination skills
Learn and practice self-advocacy
Learn and practice employability skills
Learn budgeting/money management skills
Practice negotiation skills for job raises, car purchases, job hiring, etc.
Participate in community-based instruction
Learn and practice self-management skills
Learn and practice stress management skills
Learn and demonstrate time management skills
Learn and demonstrate study skills
Learn recreation and leisure skills
Learn and practice responsible decision-making skills
Learn and practice problem-solving skills
Related Services
These are the supports (e.g., psychology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, assistive technology) needed for students to access more integrated work, education, and living environments. Related services within the context of transition services is to help students (and families) determine if related services are needed beyond high school, help identify who or what agency might provide those services, help identify how the student (parent) can access those services and make the connections to needed services prior to the student leaving school.
Examples of Activities for Related Services:
Complete an assistive technology evaluation
Connect with adult services that provide assistive technology
Explore orientation and mobility services
Work with the school nurse on medication management
Learn about audiological services
Learn how to access interpreter services
Explore options for a service animal
Use augmentative communication devices
Learn about potential post-school providers of physical therapy (or other therapies)
Explore social work services
Community Participation
Community experiences involve a variety of activities and experiences that are provided outside the school building.
A range of career and job domain activities (e.g., job shadowing, internship, work experiences) are used to learn knowledge and skills to meet the requirements of specific occupations or career pathways. For students going onto post-secondary education, activities often involve touring colleges and/or programs offered by various colleges and universities (e.g., summer programs).
Examples of Activities for Community Experiences:
Practice budgeting and shopping skills
Learn about public transportation
Learn about community resources such as health care facilities, mental health facilities, library, postal services, grocery store, bank, laundromat
Practice appropriate social skills in community settings (being quiet in relevant settings, work settings, standing in line, asking for help)
Explore new ways to use leisure time
Participate in work experiences
Participate in job shadowing
Learn about post-secondary education options
Learn about obtaining state identification and/or driver’s license
Explore living and housing options
Learn about volunteer opportunities (e.g., Habitat for Humanity, Hospital, Animal shelter, library)
Learn the dangers of accepting assistance/goods from strangers
Select and order his/her food in a restaurant
Development of Employment & Adult Living Objectives
With a major focus on career planning, these services help the student develop, define, refine and finalize his/her post-secondary goals. Assessments, experiences, and planning activities are key to helping students finalize their goals.
This area focuses on the development of work-related behaviors, job seeking and keeping skills, career exploration, skill training and actual employment. Volunteer work also provides important skills and experiences that could lead to integrated employment or supported employment.
Adult living objectives are those services that include support activities done occasionally such as accessing employment support agencies, registering to vote, filing taxes, renting a home, accessing medical services, filing for insurance, or accessing adult services, college information, Social Security Income (SSI).
Remember: The focus for post-secondary employment goals for all students with disabilities is integrated competitive employment, which is defined as employment at a competitive wage or at least minimum wage.
Examples of Activities for Employment & Adult Living Objectives:
Participate in work-study program or job shadowing
Complete application to Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Interview various workers in interested field
Obtain specific information about an occupation
Meet with employment agencies or supported employment providers to identify services
Participate in in-school jobs
Practice completing job applications and interviewing skills
Attend career or job fair
Meet with armed forces recruiter
Learn about voting
Develop resume, cover letters, and thank you notes for after interviews
Explore college grants, loans, and scholarships
Research interested career fields
Learn and practice skills needed to access job search services
Learn about opening a bank account
Apply to colleges
Acquisition of Daily Living Skills, Including a Functional Vocational Evaluation
Daily living skills are included, “if appropriate” to support student ability to do those activities that most adults do every day (e.g., grooming, preparing meals, budgeting, maintaining a home, paying bills, caring for clothes).
A functional vocational evaluation is an assessment process through situational assessments or a community-based assessment in the settings where the actual skills and/or job are performed. This practical process includes observations, data from task analysis, and other formal or informal measures.
Examples of Activities for Acquisition of Daily Living Skills and Functional Evaluation, if appropriate:
Practice cooking skills
Learn to operate washing/dryer
Learn about banking services
Learn and practice basic self-care
Learn and recite personal information (e.g., name, address, gender, telephone number, etc.) in appropriate situations
Manage daily time schedule
Learn about emergency procedures
Explore family planning and child development
Learn medication management skills with the school nurse
Listen to the weather forecast to plan daily/weekly outings/clothes choices
Demonstrate safety skills
NOTE: The example activities above were adapted from: Helping educators, parents and other stakeholders understand: Post-school outcomes, course of study and coordinated set of activities by Ed O’Leary and Wendy Collision (2002).
Writing Measurable Post-Seondary Goals
Writing Measurable Post-Seondary Goals
Postsecondary goals are different than annual IEP goals. Postsecondary goals are statements about what a student will do after high school, and annual IEP goals are the yearly "steps" designed to enable the student to achieve their postsecondary goals. Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals must be:
Future orientated (Refer to after graduation)
Measurable (After you read the statement you can answer yes or no to it happening)
Based on age-appropriate transition assessments)
Updated annually (The goal may not change, but it must match updates to the transition PLAAFP. Goals should increase in specificity as the student approaches graduation.)
All students must have goals in Post Secondary Education & Training and Employment. An Independent Living goal must be included if a student has adaptive/functional needs (i.e., "routine activities of everyday living") identified within their most recent evaluation and/or if they have IEP goals in the area of adaptive/functional skills. If neither apply, you can write "There are no identified needs in this area at this time" or a similar statement under the Independent Living heading in the IEP.
Goal Examples
Post-Secondary Education & Training:
After high school, George will enroll at Pine Technical and Community College and participate in the Welding Technology program with support from the Disability Service Center.
Upon graduation from high school, Travis will participate in integrated on-the-job retail training in order to work at a local business.
After graduation, Bella will successfully complete the Job Corps Center’s culinary arts program to obtain a Culinary Arts Certificate.
Employment:
After high school, Sally will work part-time as a shop helper in her uncle’s clothing shop.
After high school, Dana will obtain a part-time position at a restaurant.
Upon graduation, Charlie will volunteer for 10 hours per week at the local hospital with support from a job coach with county employment services.
Independent Living:
Following graduation, Raymond will live at home with his parents while he receives vocational training.
After graduation, Ben will use his augmentative communication device at home and in the community to communicate his wants and needs.
Upon graduation, Christina will live at a group home receiving total care services.
Course of Study
Course of Study
Explanation
REPLACE W/ MAARI's Blurb
Also, be sure to fill in the anticipated month and year of graduation. As a team, briefly discuss the student’s progress towards graduation. Are they on track to graduate? If not, what is the team’s plan to get the student back on track?
Notice of Transfer of Rights at Age of Majority
Notice of Transfer of Rights at Age of Majority
Explanation
Best practice: It is recommended to start the conversation about the Transfer of Rights early, ideally when transition services are added into the IEP and revisited annually until the student turns 18. The initial date the Transfer of Rights is discussed with the parent/guardian will be the date that in entered and remains in SpEd Forms.
At a minimum, the notice must be given by the student’s 17th birthday, and this typically occurs during the annual IEP meeting prior to the student's 17th birthday. Both the student and the parent(s) must be informed. If the student is 18, unless the district has documentation to indicate otherwise, the student provides consent, but the parent can still be involved in the team.
If notice is given during an IEP meeting:
Provide a copy of the Notice of Transfer of Parent Rights letter from SpEd Forms.
Verbally explain the changes that occur at age 18.
If notice is given outside an IEP meeting:
Send home a copy of the Notice of Transfer of Parent Rights letter from SpEd Forms.
Verbally explain the notice to the student and to their parent/guardian. Document these conversations using the Communication Log in SpEd Forms.
After notice has been given:
Click the checkbox in SpEd Forms next to: "The Student was informed on ____ of the rights that will transfer on: [auto-fills with student's 18th birthday date]."
Make sure the Notice of Transfer of Parent Rights letter is finalized in SpEd Forms history and filed with the student's special education records.
Summary of Performance & Aging Out of Services
Summary of Performance & Aging Out of Services
Resource Documents
Additional Resources
Additional Resources
MN Career Services for People with Disabilities
MN Career Services for People with Disabilities
Minnesota's resources and programs helping people with disabilities prepare for the workforce and live as independently as possible.
Transition Skills Mobile Apps for Student With Disabilities.pdfApps for Building Transition Skills
Apps for Building Transition Skills
Compilation of Mobile Apps to support transition-age youth.
MN State Student Employment Resource Guide.pdfMinnesota Student Employment Resource Guide
Minnesota Student Employment Resource Guide
Activities and resources to help prepare students with disabilities for the workforce.
Voc Rehab Services student-families flyer.pdfVocational Rehabilitation Services Flyer
Vocational Rehabilitation Services Flyer
Voc Rehab Services available to people with disabilities.
CareerForce MN
CareerForce MN
Offices and resources to help Minnesotans find employment that is the right fit and meets their needs.
Disability Hub MN
Disability Hub MN
Disability Hub MN is a free statewide resource network that helps people with disabilities solve problems, navigate their options, and plan for their future. Discover tools for managing your health, your benefits, work, housing, and more.
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