Post-Secondary Transition

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Post-Secondary Transition

Transition Resources

Post-secondary transition services are a coordinated set of activities that prepare students with disabilities for post-school life, focusing on areas like postsecondary education, vocational training, employment, and independent living. 

This planning begins with the student's IEP, typically starting by age 16, and involves the student, parents, and educators to develop a results-oriented plan based on the student's individual needs, interests, and strengths. Services can include instruction, related services, community experiences, and work-based learning.

The resources below provide information and tools to guide you and your student through the process.

 

Post-Secondary Transition Resources

Autism NJ- Transition- Transition years (14 to 21) are a critical time that bridges the services provided by school with the adult system. Students and families should use this period to establish and set goals, understand the services and support that may be needed, and plan for the future. 

College Programs for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Scholarship Opportunities - The Arc of New Jersey Family Institute - Provides information about college programs in New Jersey and scholarship opportunities that are designed specifically for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Disability Rights New Jersey: ASPYIR Transition Planning Tool - ASPYIR is an innovative, interactive self-assessment tool for transition-aged students and youth, ages 14 to 21 years, preparing to enter adulthood.

Division on Career Development and Transition - The International Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) is an international professional educational organization which is affiliated with the International Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) whose members are dedicated to shaping policies and practices that impact the quality of career development and transition services of youth with exceptionalities.

Exploring Pathways from High School to College for Students with Disabilities with John Woodruff - This video provides an overview of the college transition process, including the stages of transition planning, strategies for a successful transition and challenges students may face. Understand how college is different from high school. Learn about the importance of parent partnerships and transition tips for parents. Review the multiple paths to college that are available to students with disabilities.

Graduates-timeline.pdf - A timeline for students exiting school and turning 21

Interests and Preferences: List of Inventories - This pdf contains a set of informal assessments focused on individual interests and preferences for students in the transition planning process

LifeCourse Nexus: Training and Technical Assistance Center - The Charting the LifeCourse framework was developed by families to help individuals with disabilities and families at any age or stage of life develop a vision for a good life, think about what they need to know and do, identify how to find or develop supports, and discover what it takes to live the lives they want to live.

National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C) - The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C) is a Technical Assistance Center co-funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).

The New Jersey Transition Toolkit: School to Adult Life | NJDOE - The New Jersey Transition Toolkit is designed to assist school staff and students with disabilities and their families in their efforts to prepare students with disabilities for entry into a successful adult life after high school.

Pacer's National Parent Center on Transition and Employment - Find helpful information and resources on transition topics such as independent living, postsecondary education, and employment.

Person-Centered Approaches in Schools and Transition (PCAST)- The NJDOE, Office of Special Education, in partnership with The Boggs Center on Disability and Human Development at Rutgers University, provides training, coaching and other professional learning opportunities to school staff, students, and family members to promote using person-centered approaches to ensure effective supports are available and used to achieve positive outcomes for students in elementary grades through high school and 18-to-21-year-old programs.

Secondary Transition: Entitlement vs. Eligibility (IDEA, ADA, and Section 504) PDF | PaTTAN 

Secondary Transition: Helping Students with Disabilities Plan for Post-High School Settings | IRIS 

SPAN Family Guide to Transition Services in New Jersey - SPAN is pleased to provide this Family Guide to Transition Services in New Jersey, which provides one cohesive document on the transition process, services, and supports. 

Seeking Employment | NJCDD - Services to enable eligible individuals with disabilities to achieve employment.

Transition Assessment Matrix - These simple tools allow you to capture transition-related services and activities happening in the classroom, during community-based instruction, in a career/technical education classroom/program, and throughout a student’s school year. Authentic assessments can help inform transition and Transition IEP decision-making.

Transition Coalition - Provides specialized professional development, technical assistance, and research-based practices and resources for students with disabilities involved in the transition planning process.

Transition from School to Adult Life - NJDOE resources to assist students with disabilities to successfully move from school into the adult world.

Transition Improvement Grant: Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments and Resources

Transition of Students With Disabilities To Postsecondary Education: A Guide for High School Educators | USDOE, OCR - The purpose of this guide is to provide high school educators with answers to questions students with disabilities may have as they get ready to move to the postsecondary education environment.

Transition to Adulthood for Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities: Boggs Center - Transitions occur in many areas of life as adolescents become young adults, including movement from school to work or postsecondary education, the shift from pediatric to adult health care, and leaving the family home. For students with disabilities, preparation for transition should begin by age 14 and focus on academic instruction, community experiences, employment, daily living skills, and exploration of supports needed for success in adult life. This timeline identifies considerations in planning for transition by age, from 14 to the end of your child’s educational entitlement at age 21.

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