Types of Transitions
While the biggest transition occurs at age 22, your child will go through a number of transitions—even if they stay in the same school district throughout their growing up years. Transitions can be:
From one grade classroom to anotherFrom one school to anotherFrom one program to anotherFrom school to postsecondary, college, vocational program, or another program
Planning for Transitions
It is important to communicate with your child’s teachers concerning upcoming transitions. Typically schools will discuss transition at IEP team meetings or annual reviews. You may, however, want to begin the conversation informally with your child’s teachers and school administration so that you fully understand the available options. You may also want to visit your child’s upcoming setting to ensure that it really does live up to the description provided by the district. The team will need to identify what adaptations, modifications, specially designed instruction, or other supports will be needed for your child to succeed in their new placement.
Your child’s level of performance in their current placement The requirements in the new placement The areas your child will likely require support to help them adjust
Social and Behavioral Concerns
Of particular concern as your child ages out of early childhood education will be social and behavioral concerns. In middle and high school, these issues can emerge as major challenges—particularly for a child who is coping with a disorder such as ADHD, which has an impact on their behaviors, thought processes, and social skills.
What Can You Do as a Parent to Ease the Transition?
Before agreeing to an IEP for a new setting, you may also want to consult with other parents whose children with learning disabilities have already gone through the same transition. How well did the school prepare their child for transitions? Did the programs in the new setting fulfill their needs? What kinds of challenges came up that you should be prepared for? Are there options the school officials haven’t mentioned? The more you know about your district’s ability to handle transitions, the better prepared you’ll be to ask for exactly what your child needs. You may also decide to take more or less of an active role in the transition process depending on what you learn. You may also want to meet with your child’s new teacher and/or administrator prior to the start of the school year, to talk about challenges, strengths, and strategies that work well for your particular child.
Transitions From High School to Postsecondary Programs
Transitions can be even more frightening as a parent when your child faces the transition out of high school and into post-secondary, college, vocational, or other programs. The IDEA law requires that transition planning begin when a child is 16. This planning goes beyond far beyond the educational planning considerations with younger children and includes concerns about independent living, integrated employment, and community participation. It may help to begin by exploring the adult services that are available. The primary agencies include vocational rehabilitation, the Social Security Administration (SSA), state-level agencies, and independent living centers. You may wish to start with learning about post-secondary education rights for people with disabilities.
