The move from high school to work, trade school, or college does not just happen. Formal planning will begin with your student's IEP team around the time he enters high school. IDEA 2004 states that age 16 is the milestone when the school district must include a Transition Plan in a student's IEP, although it is permissible for a transition plan to be started earlier.

Begin to talk with your child about his personal goals for the future long before the mandatory transition meetings. A well-developed plan that reflects your child's interests and goals will not come together in a short meeting around a table. Take time to discuss and explore options with your child.

Transition Plan Participants

In most cases, the IEP team servicing a student with a disability involves a fairly large group of people. Transition plan participants can also make up a fairly large group. The group might include: a special education teacher, regular education teacher, school counselor, Vocational Rehabilitation counselor, parents, orientation and mobility specialist, audiologist, interpreter, psychologist, and above all, the student.

The key is that one planning group is handing over the planning to the group that will work with the student after high school. The student leads this transition plan as his personal interests and goals are addressed in preparation for his life as an adult.

Focus of the Transition Plan

The transition plan for a student with a disability is focused on educational services that will assist him in reaching or continuing to work toward his post–high school goals. These goals might include ongoing education, employment, involvement in community activities, and living arrangements. A transition plan is designed and implemented for each student individually regardless of whether he will receive a high school diploma or a high school certificate of completion.