What are transition services?
The transition services form an annually updated plan that provides the necessary support to allow students to connect with post-secondary opportunities. Transition services are a coordinated set of activities the IEP team prescribes that includes instruction, related services, community experiences, and the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, as well as the student’s course of study. If appropriate, transition services may also include acquisition of daily living skills and a functional vocational evaluation. The activities are based on the student’s strengths, preferences, interests, and needs. Consideration should be given to activities that are accessible to all youth. The activities should include what will occur, who is responsible, and when the transition activity will take place. Transition activities may be part of the school day or may be part of an agreement between a school and a supporting agency.
What is the purpose of transition services?
The purpose of transition services on the IEP is to provide a systemic approach to identifying coordinated activities that will facilitate a student’s movement from school to post school activities and focus on the improvement of a student’s academic and functional achievement.
Instruction: Instructional activities promote access to curriculum and skill acquisition to support the movement from school to post-school activities.
Related Services: Related Services include support(s) needed for students to access work, education, and living environments.
Community Experiences: Community Experiences focus on the development of work-related behaviors, job-seeking skills, career exploration, skill training, and actual employment.
Employment and Adult Living Objectives: Employment and Adult Living Objectives emphasize strategies and activities that focus on adult-living and self-advocacy skills.
Daily Living Skills: Daily living skills include activities that adults perform daily.
Functional Vocational Evaluation (if appropriate): A Functional Vocational Evaluation is an assessment process that provides information about job or career interests, aptitudes, and skills.
To consider:
Transition plans should address the assistive technology (AT) needs of the student. This may include plans for AT evaluation and implementation in various environments relevant to transition, including potential worksite, post-secondary, and independent living needs, as well as roles and training needs of team members. Advocacy related to the use of AT is an important piece of the AT plan, as well as addressing equipment, training, and funding issues upon graduation or exit from services.
Who is responsible for transition services?
It is the responsibility of the LEA to ensure the transition plan includes transition services. These services are prescribed by the IEP team in coordination with the student, family, school personnel, and/or community agencies.
Should a party not be able to fulfill a prescribed transition activity, the IEP team should reconvene an IEP to determine next steps to resolve the barrier or identify a new or more appropriate service.
IDEA
34 CFR 300.43 Transition services.
(a) Transition services means a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that -
- Is designed to be within a results-oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate 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, independent living, or community participation.
- Is based on the individual child's needs, considering the child's strengths, preferences, and interests; and includes -
(i) Instruction;
(ii) Related services;
(iii) Community experiences;
(iv) The development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives; and
(v) If appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and provision of a functional vocational evaluation.
(b) Transition services for children with disabilities may be special education, if provided as specially designed instruction, or a related service, if required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education.
The transition services (including courses of study) needed to assist the child in reaching those goals. 34 CFR Section 300.320 (b)(2)
92 Nebraska Administrative Code 51 (Rule 51)
003.63 Transition services means a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that is designed to be within a results-oriented process that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child’s movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation
Indicator 13
- Are there transition services in the IEP that will reasonably enable the student to meet his or her post-secondary goal(s)?
- Do the transition services include courses of study that will reasonably enable the student to meet his or her post-secondary goal(s)?
- Is (are) there annual IEP goal(s) related to the student’s transition service's needs?