Transition planning starts at the students’ annual PPT held before their 14th birthday. As the student moves towards graduation, the PPT team can discuss how to assist the young student in defining a vision for the future. The team can share knowledge about the student to create a map of where help is needed and what experiences are going to be valuable during the high school years.
Transition planning for students involves efforts to ensure movement to appropriate adult programming upon graduation. It is a system that involves matching present individual training and service needs with options in the community, in the employment/day program setting, and the home.
As part of a transdisciplinary team, the mission of the vocational department is to prepare our students for meaningful post graduate opportunities by providing appropriate vocational experiences in school, on the campus of University of Saint Joseph, and/or in the community. The post graduate opportunities for our students may include employment, volunteering, pre-employment programs, transition programs or day programs.
A Quick Summary of Transition
- Transition services are intended to prepare students to move from high school to the next phase of their lives.
- Transition planning begins during high school no later than the student’s 16th birthday.
- A transition plan is part of the Individualized Education Program (IEP).
- In transition planning, it covers areas such as post-secondary education or vocational training, employment, independent living, and community participation.
- Transition services are based on the student’s needs and must take into account his or her preferences and interests.
Transition Planning Goals
- Develop a plan at age 14 and update annually.
- Provide all parents with a copy of the Gengras Center Transition Handbook (Revised 11/21), when students turn 14, as well as an updated Transition Checklist annually.
- Develop annual goals and strategies, which reflect skills required to function in the community.
- Identify services needed for transition into the community.
- Identify persons and agencies responsible for the initiation and follow-through of transition activities.
- Provide direct support to parents and guardians to connect them with the appropriate adult services, agencies and programs.
- Coordinate specific transition plans for students in their last year at the Gengras Center.