What Does a Good Transition Program Look Like?
It's Got To Be More Than Babysitting
Photo by Brendan Church on Unsplash
With the proliferation of transition programs, there are more options than ever before for students with IEPs. Transition programs are full day programs that support young people, who are not independent enough for full-time employment or college attendance. There, they’ll get support for a range of issues, from social skills to self-care to self-advocacy, with the goal of greater independence and integration into society.
Until very recently, these transition programs catered exclusively to very high-need individuals. These programs were seen as a short term solution for young people who had aged out of school, but didn’t qualify for adult services from the state. Due to the needs of those students, the programming was usually more custodial than educational. But things have changed.
Now, there’s a wider variety of students in special education, with more educated parents demanding support from government agencies. Some families need a place to spend the hundreds of thousand dollars that they saved in college funds and are looking to give them a college-like experience. Some programs cater to very high functions students with average IQs, but had other issues that kept them outside the typical world; one program I saw supported a student who was taking classes at Yale.
To meet the growing diversity of the disabled community, a huge range of programs have emerged in the past ten years. Some transitions programs are run by the school district with a dozen kids in a downtown house, where they learn to shop for groceries and walk around town independently. Others are private programs with specialized housing and college support. I talked a bit about the variety of transition programs last year. I will definitely come back to this topic.
So, parents of students with disabilities should shop around for a good transition program for their students just as they would for their college-bound children. When my oldest was looking at colleges, we visited University of Massachusetts and University of Connecticut. When we looking for the right place for my younger son, I assembled a list of programs (will come back to this topic in the future), and then travelled to see them. Last year, we went to Lee, Massachusetts to see CIP and New Haven, CT to see Chapel Haven.
What should you look for when looking at these schools? What makes for a good transition program. Well, since all of our kids are unique, that’s a hard question. My kid needs help with college, but college might not be right for your kid. Still, all great transition programs should cover certain basics.
Seven Elements of a Good Transition Program:
Academic instruction. The goal for a transition program should be either full time employment or full time college. If employment is the goal, then the program should assure the students can handle money and write an email. If college is the goal, then they might need support to pass the entrance exam for community college.
Social Skill Instruction and Social Opportunities. I never met a special needs kid who didn’t need some support with social skills. Hell, I know plenty of typical people who need help in that department. The program should also host social activities for the students during the day and some evenings.
Internships. All good transition programs should put the kids, regardless of their disability, in a real work place with a job coach. There should be limited time wasted on “job theory” where students write theoretical cover letters and watch really bad powerpoint presentations about employment.
Life skills. All good transition programs teach the students about cooking, laundry, time management, and mass transportation. Even the most academic special ed kid likes to bake cookies and can benefit from that instruction. The best transition programs also give instruction on physical fitness and actually scheduled daily time at the gym.
Community College Support. For those who can handle a college class, a transition program should help students get registered with the department of disability and then take advantage of the accommodations. They should help the student get involved in a club and navigate the campus. They can help support them organize their assignments and tests. They should physically transport them to the college.
Parent Support. Parents need to be educated about utilizing government supports and understanding their legal rights. Because after the transition program is done, you’ll have more homework. Every good program that I observed had monthly webinars for parents.
Structured, well staffed, safe and well funded. Some transition places are just bad places. You’ll know it when you see it.
Resources:
The Transition Toolkit offered by the state of New Jersey.
Research from the National Center for Learning Disabilities.
How to Help Students with Disabilities Transition to Adult Life, from Lesley University