This quick-guide helps educators and transition specialists ease the complex transition to adulthood for culturally and linguistically diverse youth with a range of disabilities. Includes photocopiable forms, practical tips and strategies, and helpful cas

The purpose of this guide is to assist those involved in the transition planning process to help students with disabilities achieve a smooth transition from school to adult life. The guide addresses topics that deal with the preparation of students with disabilities as they leave high school. The guide's eight chapters deal with: (1) defining transition and transition planning and outlining relevant legislation; (2) transition and self-advocacy, and the student's rights and responsibilities at the Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting; (3) identification of needs and student assessment, including methods of collecting data, how to use assessment data, and types of assessment; (4) developing an individual plan for transition, focusing on targeted outcomes and roles and responsibilities of IEP team members; (5) curriculum for successful transition, including functional curriculum, daily living skills, social skills, occupational skills, and other topics; (6) support services in secondary and postsecondary settings; (7) transition planning and interagency cooperation; and (8) program evaluation and follow-up, which emphasizes the need for student follow-up as a necessary part of transition. Appendixes provide sample IEP statements, goals and objectives, suggested transition activities, and a sample IEP form. (Contains 34 references.) (CR)

This book is an authoritative volume of scholarship through qualitative and quantitative methodologies on postsecondary transition services for a diverse readership. The editor’s intended audience is composed of students with disabilities, school administrators, special education coordinators, colleges and university faculty, staff, and administrators, among other scholars, practitioners, and advocates. Readers of this volume will be educated on the postsecondary transition process, and the lifelong commitment of educators who guides students with disabilities through their rigorous, yet rewarding journey. This book also can be used by student personnel administrators, employers, student retention coordinators, and workforce development professionals to improve the implementation of postsecondary transition services. The importance of comprehensive transition planning for students with disabilities is the impetus for bringing this collaborative effort to print. Topics in this volume highlight areas that have critical implications for children and adolescents’ preparation for adulthood. Contributors’ presents potent research regarding various topics addressing P-16 students’ needs, and have been active practitioners in both areas – transition services and disabilities as defined under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004. Ultimately, this book is a collection of interrelated chapters that offer rich content and insights into current trends for individuals with disabilities who are moving through various stages of their lives.

"Students with intellectual disability are mandated to have school-based transition planning to support them as they age into adulthood, and many school districts develop transition programs for students between ages 18 and 21. Both law and practice dictate that transition planning be done in collaboration with students and their families. However, culturally and linguistically diverse families may have differing values and beliefs than the school systems and staff that support their children. Such differences may indicate that transition programs are not adequately preparing students with intellectual disability for the lives they will live as adults. This study examines how schools can develop more culturally responsive transition programs in order to better serve culturally and linguistically diverse students, their families, and their communities. It uses a qualitative method using disparate focus groups of teachers, parents, and community members. Analysis of the focus groups utilizes Barry Johnson's principles of Polarity Management to establish five polarity sets: Safety and Risk, Independence and Interdependence, Monoculture and Multiculture, Trust and Advocacy, and Expectation and Possibility. Findings support the hypothesis of incongruity between the transition goals of teachers and diverse families. Recommendations for developing culturally responsive transition programs are provided for various stakeholder groups"--Abstract

Bringing together the expertise of two of the most experienced scholars in transition personnel preparation this up-to-date text offers a balanced presentation of theory, research, and practice in regard to career guidance and transition for youth with disabilities. Its contemporary focus on such issues as inclusive education, cultural and linguistic diversity, and self-determination and advocacy creates a text with broad-based appeal; while its thorough scholarship supports content with a solid foundation in theory and research. The text is divided into three sections: Philosophical and Policy Foundations (Chapters 1-5), Implementation of Transition in Local Systems (Chapters 6-12), and Cultural Issues and Leadership for Transition (Chapters 13 & 14), which can be used together or independently. It includes a unique, cross-categorical model emphasizing a wide variety of transition pathways; and, offers numerous practical suggestions for how to draft IEP transition language related to this model. The authors address many of the emerging issues and content areas not fully addressed in other transition texts, those being: The role of the general education teacher in middle and secondary general education classrooms and in community-based experiences; The crucial need for better educational and employment preparation systems to support youth with disabilities; The challenge educators face in developing educational programs that serve a diverse population of learners, including those with disabilities, at-risk for school failure, former school drop-outs, those with limited English proficiency, and teen parents; Sensitivity to and conceptual understanding of how cultural orientation affects attitudes toward work and careers; The need for transition professionals to clearly link self-determination concepts, career assessment, and individual transition planning; A deep understanding of the history of transition services, and the federal and state laws that provide authority and guidance to practice. This thoroughly updated text covers research-based best practices and ensures readers come away with the most current information and the broadest possible definition of transition.

How can high schools teach standards-based academic content and the critical transition skills students need to navigate adulthood? Find out in this practical guide, filled with tips, activities, and model lesson plans aligned with Common Core State St