Fundamentals of Transition Planning

Lesson 1: Key Principles of Transition Planning

Transition planning is all about setting your student and their family up for success in the future, both in terms of employment and independence. In this lesson, we’ll talk about who transition planning is for, who should be involved in planning, when it should start, and the key principles that can help in developing effective transition plans.

Lesson 2: Know the Roles and Responsibilities of Transition Case Managers

In this lesson, we're diving into the world of transition case managers. We'll unravel their roles and responsibilities, and, most importantly, we'll equip you with some strategies to enhance your knowledge of being a transition case manager.

Lesson 3: Build Collaborative Relationships

In this lesson, we'll delve into the art of building relationships—a cornerstone of effective transition case management. We'll take a look at the people you should build relationships with as well as how everyone contributes to students' IEPs. We'll then discuss ways to foster collaboration.

Lesson 4: Embed Effective Transition Practices

In this lesson, we will discuss research-based strategies called the Predictors for Post-School Success. Predictors are factors that strongly predict success for students with disabilities after high school. We’ll also discuss a great tool that you can use to assess your current practices.

Lesson 5: Prioritize Transition-Focused Education

Transition planning shouldn't be seen as an afterthought; it should be the foundation of all educational planning. This important concept is called transition-focused education. In this lesson, we’ll discuss the Taxonomy for Transition Planning. It's an exciting tool that can enhance our understanding and implementation of transition-focused education.

Lesson 6: Create a Successful Foundation through Transition Assessment

Transition assessment serves as the cornerstone of a well-crafted IEP. By gathering comprehensive data on students' strengths, preferences, interests, and needs, students can actively shape their future and make well-informed decisions about their career path. In this lesson, we’ll explore the first step of transition planning: assessment.

Lesson 7: Begin with the End in Mind with Postsecondary Goals

Before you dive into making a transition plan, the first thing to do is assist the student in determining their long-term goals. These postsecondary goals are all about what the student wants to do after they finish high school, like getting a job, going to college, or living on their own. In this lesson, we’ll discuss postsecondary goals and give you an easy to follow formula for writing those goals that you can start using right away.

Lesson 8: Develop Transition-Focused Annual Goals

The process of creating transition-focused annual goals within the IEP is not just a requirement. It's a vital plan for how students can reach their goals after high school. In this lesson, we’ll guide you through the process of developing annual goals that will assist students in getting closer each year to reaching their goals for life after high school.

Lesson 9: Identify Transition Services and and Activities

The next stage in the transition planning process is identifying transition services and activities to move students closer to their vision. In this lesson, we’ll discuss transition services and activities, how to coordinate these services, and how you can get to know and connect with disability agencies in your community.