Tips

All Tuesday Tips

When meeting with families, explaining employment programming can be challenging. Understanding each program and what it offers is key to helping students with disabilities and their families navigate the world of employment. Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) are employment programs available to assist students and adults with disabilities.

What is Pre-ETS, and how is VR involved?

VR provides services for students who are still enrolled in school through Pre-ETS. The program's goal is to assist students in understanding their employment interests, abilities, and strengths. 

What services does Pre-ETS provide?

Pre-ETS services include five core components:  

  • job exploration counseling,  
  • workplace readiness training,  
  • instruction in self-advocacy, 
  • counseling on post-secondary education opportunities, and  
  • work-based learning experiences.

What services does VR provide?

VRS can help someone:

  • identify and recognize interests and abilities,
  • acquire and refine skills,
  • investigate job options,
  • enter the workforce, and
  • launch a career.

VR can also provide services to those who have exited school but still need help with job exploration, placement, or advancement.

How can teachers help connect students to VR and Pre-ETS?

With student and family permission, school professionals can help students access services by: 

  • Inviting the Pre-ETS and VR counselor to the student’s case conference during their junior and senior years.
  • Referring the student for VR services no later than the last semester of their exit year.
  • Ensuring a student applies for VR as a part of their Transition IEP Services and Activities or as a part of their participation in Pre-ETS services.

Resources

Bonus Tips:

The Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) kicks off in Indianapolis, Indiana Friday, May 9 and 16. Help us spread the word! Share this free learning opportunity with families, students, and colleagues. To register for this and other events, visit the CCLC FEAT webpage.

Join Hands in Autism for a Three-Day Transition Training designed to empower Pre-ETS Providers, VR Counselors, Transition Coordinators, and Secondary Educators with the skills and knowledge to support successful transitions for individuals with autism. All individuals in the roles mentioned above will receive a 30% discount after registering.

  • Date: April 16, 17, & 18, 2025.
  • Location: HANDS Center, 1002 Wishard Blvd, Suite 1021, Indianapolis, IN 46202.

Don't miss out on this chance to enhance your expertise and make a difference. To learn more, visit the registration page.

Meeting the needs of students transitioning from high school is a complex process. Supporting students in the transition to adulthood is beyond the capacity of any one person or agency and is shown to be less effective in isolation. Effective transition planning demands collaboration, a shared vision, diverse expertise, and integrated services to achieve beneficial outcomes for teams and students.

What is an Interagency Transition Team (ITT)?

An ITT is a collaborative group of stakeholders who work together to support students with disabilities’ vision for a meaningful life after high school. They prioritize preparation for employment and/or further education and training.

Why are Interagency Teams needed?

Successful teams provide comprehensive support, improved coordination, and the sharing of knowledge and resources. When education professionals, adult service agencies, students, and families manage transition programming together, students receive comprehensive services that may lead to better postsecondary outcomes.

Who do Interagency Teams include?

Team members include the student and family, school professionals including teachers, administrators, related service personnel such as occupational, physical, and speech therapists, mental health or benefits counselors, as well as Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), Vocational Rehabilitation, case managers, and other community members as needed.

What do Interagency Teams do?

Professionals collaborate with students and families to develop a personalized pathway, ensuring students graduate with the skills necessary to achieve their postsecondary goals. Collaborative strategies strengthen relationships and build effective partnerships that contribute to a return on investment in effort, time, money, and most importantly student success.

Collaborative interagency teamwork from schools, agencies, students, and families, is a strong predictor of positive post-school outcomes including paid employment (Test et al., 2009; Wehman, et al., 2014).

Learn more from the following resources.

Despite the cold, it’s time to start planning for summer. You can encourage students to build transition-related skills by sharing opportunities available in their local area! Explore various camps by using the Indiana Disability Resource FINDER, otherwise known as FINDER.

To find free, day, overnight, and disability-specific camps, open the FINDER homepage. On the FINDER homepage, find the keyword search bar in the top right corner and type “camps.” You will see over 100 organizations offering a variety of camps across Indiana and beyond, such as  My Summer Camps. You may print or save a list by clicking on the printer icon in blue. From there, you can select all, click print, and then save as a PDF for email sharing with families. If there is a specific camp you know they would be interested in, just copy the link, and send it to parents via your preferred classroom communication tool.

Check out a few Indiana camps below.

Camp Red Cedar is an inclusive summer camp located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Enjoy the beautiful scenery in an entirely wheelchair accessible environment. From arts and crafts, canoeing, games, horseback riding, and swimming, every camper will make lasting memories and friendships.

Camp Millhouse located in South Bend, Indiana, offers campers a full day of fun with music, time at the pool, dancing, and outdoor activities. Camp Millhouse offers campers a place where they are “free to be themselves.” 

Bradford Woods is the home of Camp Riley. Camp Riley offers 8 unique camping experiences. With generous support from the Riley Children’s Foundation, sponsorships for campers are available.

Happiness Bag Camp in Terre Haute, Indiana offers the only camp for individuals with disabilities in the Wabash Valley! An 8-week summer day camp, offering options to attend full day, or a few hours. Happiness Bag features quality adaptive education and recreation experiences that inspire personal growth and create lasting memories.

Start planning a fun-filled summer now with FINDER.

Bonus Tips:

We're excited to offer the Transition Educators Facilitating Employment course, starting April 7, 2025! This 10-week, comprehensive online training gives educators, specialists, Pre-ETS providers, transition coordinators, and other professionals the foundation, techniques, and effective strategies necessary for successful adult vocational transition.

Course modules include:

  • Developing Transition Programs within the Traditional School Environment
  • The Evolution of Supported and Customized Employment
  • Principles of Supported and Customized Employment
  • Roles, Responsibilities, and Expectations
  • Discovery and Customized Employment
  • Marketing for Employment Services
  • Job Development, Training, and Workplace Supports
  • Assistive Technology
  • Federal Programs for Businesses and People with Disabilities
  • Criminal Justice Involvement

This online, self-paced course costs $250. For more information and to register, visit the CCLC Transition Educators Training webpage.

Transition teams should prioritize building strong, reciprocal relationships with families, transforming parent involvement into true collaborative partnerships. This foundation of trust, respect, and shared purpose creates powerful opportunities for students to thrive.

Consider the following questions from the SWIFT Education Center’s Trusting Family Partnerships Resource:

  1. How are family partnerships defined at our school?
  2. What roles do family members currently hold at our school?
  3. Are family partnerships important to student outcomes? Why or why not?
  4. What are our school’s goals for partnering with family members?

We invite you to consider the following roles for parents during the transition process.

Parents As Transition Team Members

Parents are core members of the case conference committee, particularly for transition planning, impacting their child's education, safety, and future. To truly address student needs, all team members must actively collaborate with families, fostering a foundation of trust built upon consistent, open communication.

Parents Provide a Unique Perspective

Parents provide critical insights into a child's academic, behavioral, and personal needs. Their observations from home and social settings, coupled with understanding the family's values and environment, are essential for supporting the child's development.

Parents Champion Their Child

A parent’s perspective may differ from other team members, and that’s okay. When parents are seen as active team members, they are more likely to share concerns and offer solutions. Parents can continue the momentum towards meeting academic and behavioral goals in the home by reinforcing strategies and services.

Parents are a Second Set of Eyes

Consistent and transparent communication from schools allows parents to effectively monitor their child's progress toward academic and developmental benchmarks. A parent’s valuable feedback, detailing what is working well and what needs revision, enables educational professionals to tailor their strategies effectively.

Center on Community Living and Careers Resources:

The resources below will guide you toward actionable steps and strategies for communication between parents and school staff.

Bonus Tips:

The virtual Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) concludes this week. English language FEAT will take place today, Tuesday, March 4. Spanish language FEAT will take place on Thursday, March 6. To register, visit the English FEAT registration and Spanish FEAT registration webpages.

Alternative diplomas have become a common option for high school students in many states. Designed for those who may not follow the traditional graduation route, alternative diplomas can be a beneficial goal for some students. Depending on specific state guidelines and requirements, alternative diplomas could be an option for those who face challenges in typical learning environments such as students with disabilities, those at risk of dropping out, or individuals who need a more flexible schedule. 

These diplomas may have different requirements compared to standard high school diplomas but that does not mean alternative diplomas are somehow less valuable or require less from the student. Alternative diplomas may focus on practical skills, vocational training, or personalized learning plans to meet the individual needs of each student. These diplomas are designed to provide an equitable education, preparing students for success in their postsecondary goals.

A specific example is the Indiana Alternative Diploma. In Indiana, the alternate diploma is a standards-based diploma available to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who participate in the state’s alternate assessment. There are additional requirements for the Indiana alternative diploma, including:

A student must:

  • Earn a minimum of 40 high school credits, applied units, or a combination of both.
  • Complete one of the following activities:
    • Complete an industry-recognized certification, one year certificate, or state-approved alternative,
    • Complete a project-based or work-based learning experience as determined by the Career and College Counselor (CCC),
    • Earn a work ethic certificate, or
    • Participate in part-time employment or other work-related activities as determined by the CCC.
  • Develop a transition portfolio that demonstrates work experience, credentials, or work certificates that the student completed during high school.

A case conference committee must determine that the alternative diploma is appropriate for the student.

Alternative diplomas are a good option for students when traditional school structure and/or diplomas do not meet their needs. To learn more about specific diploma options, contact your state's Department of Education.

Resources:

 

Bonus Tips:

We're excited to offer the Transition Educators Facilitating Employment course, starting April 7, 2025! This 10-week, comprehensive online training gives educators, specialists, Pre-ETS providers, transition coordinators, and other professionals the foundation, techniques, and effective strategies necessary for successful adult vocational transition.

Course modules include:

  • Developing Transition Programs within the Traditional School Environment
  • The Evolution of Supported and Customized Employment
  • Principles of Supported and Customized Employment
  • Roles, Responsibilities, and Expectations
  • Discovery and Customized Employment
  • Marketing for Employment Services
  • Job Development, Training, and Workplace Supports
  • Assistive Technology
  • Federal Programs for Businesses and People with Disabilities
  • Criminal Justice Involvement

This online, self-paced course costs $250. For more information and to register, visit the CCLC Transition Educators Training webpage. 

We all make mistakes. It's a fundamental part of life. Rather than viewing mistakes as failures, we can see them as valuable learning opportunities. They show us what doesn't work, guiding us toward better approaches and fostering personal growth. While learning from our errors isn't always easy, it's often the most effective way to grow and develop.

Students with disabilities, especially those with higher learning needs, are sometimes overprotected by well-meaning adults, including educators. This can create environments where students aren't given the chance to make mistakes, take risks, and learn from their experiences—essentially denying them the dignity of learning through trial and error.

Dignity of risk is the right for individuals to make informed choices and experience the consequences, both positive and negative, of those decisions. As an educator, this means empowering students to learn, take calculated risks, and understand the outcomes of their actions. This process, even when it involves facing less desirable consequences, is crucial for building self-confidence and resilience.

Educators must champion the dignity of risk for their students, both inside and outside the classroom. This may involve educating parents about the importance of this concept and the valuable learning opportunities it provides for student growth and maturity. It's also beneficial for all members of a student's transition team to understand and support this principle.

Resources

Bonus Tips:

Join us for the “From Transition IEP Knowledge to Portfolio Application” webinar series. All sessions will include breakout rooms where you can ask questions and access additional support. Each session will cost $35 and run from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm ET.

Upcoming dates:

  • February 19: Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Intersections – Transition Services and Activities
  • February 26: Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Intersections – Annual Goal Statements
  • March 5: Quality Transition Portfolio Format, Uses, and Examples 
  • March 12: Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Work Session Breakout Rooms

To register for these upcoming webinars, visit the INSTRC Training and Technical Assistance webpage.

Attention, educators! The Center on Community Living and Careers (CCLC) along with the Family Employment First Coalition (FEFC), a group of key disability advocacy organizations across the state, have developed several new resources for schools and families and we are excited to share them with you.

We're excited to share four new resources available on the CCLC website and would love your feedback! As educators, your insights on the content, quality, and usefulness of these resources are invaluable in helping us promote competitive integrated employment.

Please take a few minutes to review one or more of the resources linked below and share your thoughts in this short survey: Transition Resources Feedback Survey. We would like your feedback by February 28, 2025.

  • What is Transition? Main Messages: This document highlights the keys to a successful transition from high school, including the Transition Individualized Education Program (IEP), the case conference team, and connecting to adult services.
  • Transition Planning and Processes: This document assists students in successfully transitioning from school to work.
  • The Transition IEP: This guide emphasizes each part of the Transition IEP and its role, encouraging families to promote self-advocacy skills and early planning.
  • Transition Best Practices from School to Work: This guide explains key features of exemplary transition practices, from school to competitive integrated employment.

We've also developed a variety of other resources on transition-related topics. Visit the Information for Students and Families webpage to learn more. Thank you for your time and for sharing these resources with others who may benefit.

Bonus Tip:

The virtual Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) continues this week! Sessions are being offered in English and Spanish from January 28 through March 4, 2025. To learn more, visit the English FEAT registration and Spanish FEAT registration webpages. 

As a special educator, you must be familiar with the Indiana Department of Education Notice of Procedural Safeguards. Sections highlight both parental and student rights, describing important changes occurring when a student turns 18, the age of majority. When a student turns 18, they are considered an adult and may make decisions and take actions on their own behalf, such as getting married or using credit cards. At that time, all of the special education rights belonging to the parent transfer to the 18-year-old student, unless a guardian or educational representative has been established. It is your responsibility, as an agent of the school and as an educator, to prepare both students and parents for this milestone. As an informational pipeline for parents and students, you must also prepare yourself!

After reviewing the messaging below, brainstorm some ideas and create a transition activity that allows students to explore their options.

Messaging for Parents from Educators

  • Until the child reaches age 18, you have access to all educational records maintained by the school. When a student turns 18 or attends a postsecondary program, the final decisional authority lies with the student.
  • Transfer of Rights doesn’t mean termination of decisional input.
  • Transfer of Rights is an opportunity for personal growth for students.
  • Use critical thinking and intentional support planning before seeking restrictive guardianship; guardianship is exceptionally difficult to overturn.
  • Involvement, support, and guidance are possible without guardianship, even for students with significant support needs.
  • Prioritize consideration of least restrictive alternatives.

Messaging for Students from Educators

  • You have options; know what they are and explore various resources.
  • Advocate for your preferences.
  • Make informed decisions about the types of support you need and who could provide that support.
  • Work toward a decision about guardianship well before you turn 18.

Resources

The Postsecondary Transition Plan and Annual Goals are two essential components of Transition IEPs. The postsecondary transition plan outlines the student’s interests, desires, and needs for their lives as they become adults in the areas of education and training, employment, and independent living. Annual goals should focus on the student’s academic, behavioral, and personal needs.

Specifically, the annual goals should be written to support at least one of the student’s postsecondary goals. The Indiana IEP requires the identification of the supported postsecondary goal as part of the information provided for each annual goal. Teachers should consider student’s postsecondary goals as they plan, write, and evaluate progress on a student’s annual goals.

For example, suppose a student has a postsecondary goal to complete a college degree for their education and training transition goal. In that case, their annual academic goals should support preparation for future college academic work. If a student’s postsecondary employment goal is to work in customer service, and their annual goal is to improve social interactions with other people, this demonstrates how behavioral goals should directly support employment goals.

Connecting the transition plan and annual goals is crucial for students’ transitions to adulthood. By ensuring all Transition IEP components align with the student's desired future, we prioritize their long-term success. Furthermore, for students with significant learning needs, the documented data and artifacts gathered while monitoring these interconnected goals become valuable assets for their Transition Portfolios. These portfolios serve as powerful tools for demonstrating their skills, progress, and readiness for community living and employment.

The Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Crosswalk includes a section on annual goals and examples of examples of portfolio artifacts such as achievement certificates, data, photographs, or videos that can become part of a student’s portfolio.

Bonus Tip:

We are excited to offer the “From Transition IEP Knowledge to Portfolio Application” webinar series. These trainings will consist of 6 separate one and a half hour sessions focusing on quality aspects of each section of the transition IEP and how these sections intersect with a quality transition portfolio. All sessions will include breakout rooms where you can ask questions and access additional support.

Upcoming dates:

  • February 5: Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Intersections – Present Levels
  • February 12: Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Intersections – Transition Assessments and Postsecondary Goals
  • February 19: Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Intersections – Transition Services and Activities
  • February 26: Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Intersections – Annual Goal Statements
  • March 5: Quality Transition Portfolio Format, Uses, and Examples
  • March 12: Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Work Session Breakout Rooms

To register for these upcoming webinars, visit the INSTRC Training and Technical Assistance webpage.

The virtual Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) starts tonight! Sessions will be offered in English and Spanish from January 28 through March 4, 2025. To learn more, visit the English FEAT registration and Spanish FEAT registration webpages.

The Transition Portfolio and Transition IEP should work together to provide information about a student’s strengths, preferences, interests, and needs in relation to employment, education, and independent living. The portfolio is a presentation document positively demonstrating a student’s abilities in Student Information, Student Learning Characteristics, Academic Skills, and Employability Skills. We have created the Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Crosswalk to explain how each component of the Transition IEP aligns with and can be used within the Transition Portfolio domains.

The Transition Services and Activities section of the IEP, aligned with each postsecondary goal, guides students in choosing, maintaining, or adjusting their chosen path. Transition Services and Activities are individualized, meaningful, and coordinated experiences supporting the direction students want to pursue in employment, education, and independent living.

Some activities may include: 

  • Internships
  • Job shadowing 
  • Community job experiences
  • In-school jobs

Experiences expose students to a variety of new and unique career possibilities that are culturally sensitive and individualized. These experiences also include needed supports and services.

Transition Portfolio Artifacts highlight successful transition services and activities. These artifacts may be appropriate for multiple portfolio domain areas.

Any service or activity with supporting documentation IS AN ARTIFACT that can be used across the 4 portfolio domains:

Student InformationAcademic SkillsStudent Learning & CharacteristicsEmployability Skills

Some of these artifacts may include:

Learn more about the ways you can showcase elements of IEP progress in Transition Portfolios in our upcoming IEP/Portfolio training series.

Upcoming dates:

  • February 5: Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Intersections – Present Levels
  • February 12: Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Intersections – Transition Assessments and Postsecondary Goals
  • February 19: Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Intersections – Transition Services and Activities
  • February 26: Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Intersections – Annual Goal Statements
  • March 5: Quality Transition Portfolio Format, Uses, and Examples
  • March 12: Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Work Session Breakout Rooms

To register for these upcoming sessions, visit the INSTRC Training and Technical Assistance webpage.

The virtual Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) starts January 28 and runs through March 4, 2025. These sessions are offered in both Spanish and English. To learn more, visit the English FEAT registration and Spanish FEAT registration webpages.