Tips & Tools

All Tuesday Tips

Trauma-informed teaching (TT) is an active recognition that “up to two-thirds of U.S. children have experienced at least one type of serious childhood trauma, such as abuse, neglect, natural disaster, or experiencing or witnessing violence” (Minahan, 2019). TT includes ongoing use of an associated set of strategies designed to mitigate trauma impacts which compromise a student’s ability to learn. TT considers how trauma affects learning and behavior.

What is Trauma?

Trauma is both a physical and emotional reaction, sometimes chronic, to any intensely upsetting or threatening event. Examples include abuse/neglect, physical disasters, injury, loss of a loved one, bullying, poverty, violence, or discrimination, to name a few. Trauma is a deeply personal experience, rooted in the individual’s emotional and psychological experience.

Impacts from Trauma

Students experiencing trauma are more likely to fall behind academically and to present behavioral challenges. Educators shouldn’t assume a student's behavior is intentional without considering the potential influence of prior trauma. Trauma impacts include, but are not limited to:

  • Trouble with executive functions like focus, organization, and self-regulation
  • Taking longer to complete tasks/falling behind
  • Irritability or restlessness
  • Jumpy/anxious/nervous (on alert for threats, also known as hypervigilance)
  • Behavioral changes
  • Overreactions to everyday challenges
  • Negative outbursts or aggression
  • Frequent stomachaches or headaches

Trauma-Informed Process

The National Education Association defines trauma-informed practices as a framework that addresses the impact of trauma by creating a safe and caring environment. Trauma-informed teaching shows students that teachers care and can provide support.

Research offers many strategy recommendations – in fact, too many to explore fully in this issue. Rather, we strongly encourage every educator to review the list of resources below carefully.

Resources:

  1. ASCD Educational Leadership: Trauma-Informed Teaching Strategies
  2. Understood: What is Trauma-informed Teaching?
  3. Child Mind Institute: How Trauma Affects Kids in School
  4. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators 
  5. Truth For Teachers Podcast: A Crash Course on Trauma-Informed Teaching

Bonus Tips:

We’re excited to offer virtual Family Employment Awareness Training throughout May. Join all six sessions to learn about local, state, and federal resources supporting young adults with disabilities who want to work in their communities. Families, transition-age students, young adults with disabilities, and the professionals supporting them are welcome to attend. All sessions will be held from 6:00 – 8:00 PM ET.

  • Monday, May 12: A New Path – High Expectations for Employment
  • Tuesday, May 13: Individual Employment Possibilities
  • Wednesday, May 14: Employer and Employee Supports
  • Monday, May 19: Maintaining Employment Resources and Medicaid
  • Tuesday, May 20: Benefits
  • Wednesday, May 21: Local and State Agency Presenters

To register and share this free learning opportunity, visit the CCLC FEAT Registration Form.

Are you a transition educator or administrator seeking greater involvement with other transition professionals in your region? Indiana’s Cadres of Transition Educators collaborate to improve postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities. We invite you to join, share your expertise, and learn from others. With the current climate for special education in flux, now is a perfect time to unite and navigate uncharted terrain.

Established in 2011, a dedicated network of cadre transition educators works collaboratively, both regionally and statewide, to improve secondary transition outcomes for students in Indiana. Their efforts focus on implementing promising practices and creating innovative strategies, tools, and resources for teachers, other transition professionals, students, and their families.

Some of the resources created by cadres live on the Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center website and are used and adapted nationally. These resources include the Transition Assessment Matrix, case conference cues, videos on independent living, and parent newsletters.

Each regional cadre chooses the best time to meet, typically monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly, based on their needs and activities. Cadre facilitators meet biannually to receive information and support from CCLC staff, which they can share with their general membership.

Cadres aim to increase their membership annually and this year it is crucial to create a support system for all transition educators.

Cadres state map

To locate the region for your county, contact a facilitator, and join a cadre, visit the Regional Cadres and Facilitators webpage.

For more information on the Indiana Cadres of Transition Educators or to discuss how to start a transition educators collaboration network in your state, contact the Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center.

Bonus Tips:
We invite you to participate in Comprehensive Transition Open Office Hours every Thursday from 2:30 to 4:30 PM Eastern Time. During these sessions, you can speak with subject matter experts in dedicated breakout rooms. CCLC staff can address inquiries concerning transition portfolios, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Social Security Work Incentives, Vocational Rehabilitation, and other transition-related topics. To join, use the following Zoom link: https://iu.zoom.us/j/84184586146

 

What is the Family Employment First Coalition (FEFC)?

The Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) and the Center on Community Living and Careers (CCLC) lead the Family Employment First Coalition (FEFC). This group brings together family and disability advocates across Indiana. We aim to improve each group member’s knowledge of the transition to adulthood and competitive integrated employment for young adults with disabilities. FEFC shares the latest resources with group members, ensuring everyone has the right tools to be successful.

Where can you find this information?

By visiting the CCLC’s Information for Students and Families webpage, special education teachers, transition staff, and parents can access a range of new or updated transition-related topics with an abundance of resources.

Transition Topics include:

  • Benefits Information
  • Collaborating with Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) 
  • Competitive Integrated Employment
  • Effective and Positive Communication Among Parents and Schools
  • Planning for a Meaningful Day
  • Postsecondary Education
  • Preparing for Careers
  • Natural Supports
  • Self-Advocacy and Self-Determination 
  • Supported Decision Making
  • The Transition IEP
  • Transition Planning and Processes
  • Transportation
  • What is Transition?

Each topic includes an introduction, an infographic, important vocabulary to know, main messages, and resources for you. Referencing and sharing these tools will enhance your effectiveness as a special educator!

We’d also like to thank FEFC members for their contributions. Members of the FEFC include:

School districts and cooperatives have discovered significant advantages in hiring a dedicated individual to assist students as they transition from high school to adulthood. This role, often known as a transition coordinator, is essential for bridging the gap between high school and adulthood, providing students with the necessary support and resources to succeed.

We invite you to consider the following roles for transition coordinators:

School Partner

Transition coordinators work closely with students, families, and other educators to develop the Transition Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that addresses each student's strengths, needs, and postsecondary goals.

Collaboration Facilitator

Transition coordinators facilitate communication and collaboration among all involved in a student's education. By fostering strong relationships and open lines of communication, transition coordinators ensure everyone is working towards the same objectives. This collaborative approach creates a support system that can adapt to student needs as they progress toward life after postsecondary education.

Community Connector

Transition coordinators connect students and families with community resources, which include Vocational Rehabilitation, internships, job placements, community rehabilitation providers, benefits counselors, independent living centers, and postsecondary education options. Providing students with access to these resources helps build skills and confidence. They also assist with navigating the complex landscape of adult services and supports.

Passionate Advocator

Finally, transition coordinators advocate for the needs and rights of students with disabilities. They work to ensure that students receive appropriate accommodations and support services, both within the school setting and in the broader community. By focusing on the transition to adulthood and postsecondary goals, transition coordinators help to create more accessible and inclusive environments for students with disabilities. Their efforts empower students to achieve their full potential and live fulfilling lives.

All school districts should have a transition coordinator or someone assigned to manage transition and postsecondary-related issues. Many colleges and universities offer transition-focused endorsements or majors. The University of Kansas offers a Master’s program in Secondary Special Education and Transition Program. This online degree program provides educators with the fundamentals and education they need to become a transition coordinator. CCLC offers a 10-week course titled Transition Educators Facilitating Employment designed to provide a connective framework, tools, and strategies to facilitate successful adult vocational transition.

Bonus Tips:

CCLC is excited to offer virtual Family Employment Awareness Training throughout May. Join all six sessions to learn about local, state, and federal resources supporting young adults with disabilities who want to work in their communities. Families, transition-age students, young adults with disabilities, and the professionals supporting them are welcome to attend. All sessions will be held from 6-8 p.m. ET.

Training Dates:

  • May 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, & 21

To sign up for this training, visit the CCLC FEAT registration form.

Transition teams support students’ postsecondary goals in the areas of employment, education, and independent living. This intentional planning and collaboration process is referred to as Seamless Transition. Teams utilize seven key steps to guide this process with students and families.

  1. Encourage Families to Apply for Benefits 

As soon as a child is diagnosed, families should begin to apply for:

  1. Social Security
  2. Medicaid
  3. Medicaid Waiver
  1. Create an Interagency Team

Engage the student's stakeholders to build a collaborative network. Integrate your expertise with other providers to promote shared planning, strategy alignment, and the development of actionable next steps.

  1. Map the Vision

Use tools like the Positive Personal Profile or LifeCourse Framework. By aligning the student's current position and future aspirations, the team can create, support, and monitor goals. Advocate for the consistent use of these person-centered planning tools and resources.

  1. Enroll the Student in Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)

Pre-ETS offers invaluable resources for students. Promote its benefits to families of students aged 14 to 22, emphasizing its role in developing job readiness, self-advocacy, and work experience.

  1. Help Families Apply to Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS)

Refer students to VRS. You’ve done so much work to make sure students’ goals are met; help families keep the momentum going! Remember, students can receive services from VR and Pre-ETS simultaneously.

  1. Address the Financial Impact of Employment

Decisions and choices about employment often involve financial planning. Pre-ETS providers, VRS, educators, and families can assist the student with this process.

  1. Discuss ABLE Accounts.
  2. Seek a Benefits Analysis.
  3. Provide information on Rep Payees.
  1. Discuss Adult Decision-Making

Before the 10th grade, inform families of the various types of legal guardianship. To ensure the student's best interests are served, families need sufficient time to review and express their concerns regarding future supports.

Share the Seamless Transition Map and Timeline with families and consider it a key resource for your own planning.

Resources:

Prevalence 

According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are a common condition. More importantly for educators, nearly one-third of teens experience an anxiety disorder, resulting in poor school performance. The National Institute of Mental Health’s data confirms that anxiety occurs more often in female teens. There is no single cause for anxiety. Educators can expect one in every three students to suffer from an anxiety disorder. More sobering is that this anxiety can be well-masked by the student, but no less devastating.

What to Look Out For

Feelings of anxiousness are normal for all teens. Anxiety rises and falls in response to different situations. Students can overcome anxiety through emotional support and skill-building. An anxiety disorder is persistent. For students experiencing ongoing anxiety, the impacts can be profound and may include, and not be limited to:

  • Physical complaints such as headaches and nausea
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Resistance to being in unfamiliar physical spaces/avoidance
  • Lack of concentration
  • Poor decision-making
  • Unrealistic thinking patterns, such as expecting self-perfection
  • Anger/agitation
  • Excessive concern about what others think

What You Can Do

  • Communicate with the family. Coordination and collaboration with families ensures ongoing support, especially when the student is under medical care.
  • Develop opportunities to teach the student coping and adaptation skills, such as relaxation techniques.
  • Identify safe places for the student to calm down.
  • Provide structure to minimize anxiety production. Before a schedule changes, rehearse transition skills with the student.
  • Be understanding.
  • Consider pairing the student with a peer partner.
  • Collaborate with the school guidance counselor. It takes a team.
  • Use accommodations

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.

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:

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.

The Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center (INSTRC) has created valuable resources to help you support students and families throughout the transition process. The Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Crosswalk explains how each component of the Transition IEP aligns with and can be used within the Transition Portfolio. Today’s tip highlights two sections within the Transition IEP and the Transition Portfolio: Student Information and Present Levels and Progress Monitoring.

Student information is personally identifiable information on a student such as their home address, phone number, and email address. Student information is pertinent to the Transition Portfolio as it is a way for employers to reach the student via mail, phone, or email. Any information or documentation shared in the Transition Portfolio is considered an artifact, or evidence.

The Present Levels of Academic Performance and Progress Monitoring within the IEP is a rich story describing the student's strengths and needs. Data provided in this section explains how the student’s disability affects their progress in all environments. Information from this section is valuable within the Transition Portfolio as it communicates the student’s progress on IEP goals, and any supports the student needs to be successful academically and on the job.

By using the Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Crosswalk, you can easily identify how the IEP fulfills many of the information needs of the Transition Portfolio.

Bonus Tips

INSTRC is excited to offer 2025 intensive Transition IEP and Transition Portfolio Trainings, “From Transition IEP Knowledge to Portfolio Application.” These trainings 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 room work sessions 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 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.

Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) provides free instruction to parents, young adults with disabilities, families, educators, and transition and employment professionals. FEAT attendees learn about local, state, and federal resources that help young adults with disabilities who want to work.

In addition to the information about high expectations for employment, there is also:

  • an opportunity to hear from individuals with disabilities who are successfully employed,
  • the chance to meet people from agencies providing support to transitioning individuals, and
  • much, much more!

Delivered by the Center on Community Living and Careers (CCLC) at Indiana University and funded by Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation, FEAT is expanding its offerings in 2025. This year, CCLC is excited to provide virtual FEATs in both English and Spanish. English language FEAT will take place every Tuesday from January 28th through March 4th. Spanish language FEAT will take place every Thursday from January 30th through March 6th. Participants are encouraged to attend each FEAT session for unique and valuable topics and information. State agencies that provide related support and services will also attend the trainings.
  
Upcoming Family Employment Awareness Trainings: 

For more FEAT information and to register for these and other events, visit the CCLC FEAT webpage. 

 

Bonus Tips

February and March are packed with learning opportunities. We are excited to offer the “From Transition IEP Knowledge to Portfolio Application” webinar series. All sessions will include breakout room work sessions 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 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.

Planning daily activities is a personal experience. Students should choose activities based on their preferences, interests, and needs. With your guidance, they can prioritize skill development, exercise independence, and live a fulfilling life. These daily activities also empower individuals with disabilities to transition from sheltered employment.

To help students develop a well-rounded routine, use the Evansville Resources Wellness Chart. This tool incorporates all wellness domains and can be adapted to any community.

Use the following steps to guide students toward planning a meaningful day:

  1. Connect to Personal Goals: Outline what a student wishes to accomplish in all areas of life. Include goals for employment, education and training, and independent living.
  2. Design a Daily Schedule: Create a routine that includes work-life balance. This means striking a balance between work and free time. Be sure to include personal care activities.
  3. Focus on Health and Wellness: Schedule daily physical activities like meditation, journaling, exercise, and counseling sessions.
  4. Promote Independence: Prioritize learning and participation in skills that can be done alone such as cooking, shopping, and financial planning.
  5. Participate in Social Events: Join or volunteer for clubs and community events. Building meaningful relationships and social connections improves well-being.
  6. Seek Available Resources: Utilize online tools such as the “Building A Meaningful Day: A Step-By-Step Guide” to design personalized activities.

Continue to reference the steps above to help students create a daily routine that supports their personal growth and goals.

Bonus Tips:

We're excited to offer the Transition Educators Facilitating Employment course, starting January 13, 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.

Students with disabilities in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs can be certified for specific skills through microcredentials. The Center on Community Living and Careers (CCLC) has partnered with the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and select Indiana secondary school Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs to develop microcredentials in Early Childhood Education and Auto Mechanics.

Microcredentials are competency-based certifications that focus on skills developed and demonstrated to show proficiency in a particular area. They should be related to the student’s postsecondary goals and are earned through:

  1. Personalized learning experiences
  2. Specific skill development
  3. Customized assessments that demonstrate mastery

Using industry standards, microcredentials allow students to highlight and validate specific job skills that meet employer needs. Students earning an alternate diploma or certificate of completion can use microcredentials within their transition portfolio and on resumes.

With appropriate accommodations and support, CTE programs can significantly enhance the postsecondary outcomes of students with disabilities.

  • Increased graduation rates - Research shows that students with disabilities who participate in CTE are more likely to graduate high school.
  • Improved academic performance - Students with disabilities who participated in CTE programs made significant progress in academic proficiency.
  • Enhanced career and college readiness - Students who have earned three or more sequential credits in any state-approved CTE program in grades 9 through 12 are expected to pass technical skill assessments that align with industry-recognized standards, if available and appropriate.
  • Employment - Research states that students from varying disability groups who had three or more semesters of CTE are more likely to be employed.
  • Competitive and integrated employment - Earning CTE microcredentials provides greater leverage for customized employment in competitive, integrated employment, including opportunities for career advancement.

Would you like to learn more about participating in our microcredential pilots in the areas of Early Childhood Education and Auto Mechanics? Contact us at INSTRC@IU.edu.

Bonus Tips:

The Transition Educators Facilitating Employment course starts on January 13, 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.

The Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Indiana, a project of the Center on Education and Lifelong Learning (CELL), is hosting a training series focusing on restorative practices. Restorative practices focus on building positive relationships and addressing the root causes of conflict. They offer schools an alternative to exclusionary discipline by emphasizing healing, repairing harm, and restoring relationships rather than punishment. To learn more and register, visit the PBIS Indiana website.

 

Indiana is undergoing an employment systems transformation. Important changes may affect the students you support, especially those with significant disability impacts. These changes mean students using an Indiana waiver will no longer be able to attend state-funded, facility-based prevocational services (sheltered employment). Helping students understand their postsecondary employment options is critical. As they progress, developing an employment vision becomes increasingly important.

How Educators Can Empower Informed Choice Regarding Employment

Transition services and activities within the IEP offer a powerful avenue for developing students' employment visions. By incorporating concrete, action-oriented goals, students can articulate their future aspirations more clearly. Transition services and activities to consider might include:

  1. Facilitating and creating job shadowing opportunities for students.
  2. Developing and coordinating informational interviewing with local industry leaders.
  3. Helping students research the goods and services Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) offers.
  4. Collaborating with students to create one dedicated transition portfolio page that includes the:
    • Ideal conditions a student optimally needs at work.
    • Student’s most persistent strengths, including soft and hard skills.
    • Kind of supports, both at work and outside of work, a student will need to be successful and maintain a job.
  5. Exploring meaningful day options to ensure each student has balanced and holistic well-being.  ​

As always, connect students to VR as early as possible, no later than their junior year of high school. Students may now concurrently receive VR and Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). Lastly, make sure the student can access his/her electronic transition portfolio after graduation.

Bonus Tips:

The 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.

The Indiana School Mental Health Initiative (ISMHI), part of the Center on Education and Lifelong Learning (CELL), will host Indiana’s 7th Annual Educating the Whole Child Summit on February 7, 2025, at the Embassy Suites Plainfield Indianapolis Airport Hotel. The keynote speaker, Cornelius Minor, a Brooklyn-based educator, will provide valuable insights on fostering equitable literacy reform. To learn more and register, visit the ISMHI events page.

Psychologist William James notes, "A chain is no stronger than its weakest link, and life is after all a chain." Each link is vital to the strength and connectedness of the whole. This Thanksgiving, we extend our gratitude for your dedication to traveling alongside students whose lives are comparatively more challenging and complex. Your efforts strengthen our interconnected community by supporting and enabling students toward personal achievement.

You empower students to take control of their lives and set ambitious goals. By fostering their courage and confidence, you inspire them to pursue a life of achievement and personal fulfillment. Your unwavering commitment strengthens our community and enables us to overcome challenges together.

You may not hear this very often but know that we are thankful for your contributions and value the impact you make in the lives of the children in our community—and we are proud to partner with you.

With heartfelt thanks,

Your friends at the Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center (INSTRC)

Bonus Tip:

The Transition Educators Facilitating Employment course starts on January 13, 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.

By now you’ve heard the exciting news that the Transition IEP Guidebook has a new look with updated features to guide you through writing a transition IEP. One exciting new component in the Transition IEP Guidebook is the case studies of two students receiving special education services.

Lucy is a 15-year-old high school student with significant impacts of disability. She has a severe cognitive disability and is on an alternative diploma track.

Rita is a high school senior on a diploma track that receives speech services for a speech impairment classified as stuttering. She has frequent problems with the normal fluency and flow of speech that inhibit her ability to speak and communicate frequently.

As you make your way through the Guidebook, you will learn how to create a quality and useful document in each section of the transition IEP. Follow Lucy and Rita's journeys to understand each section of the transition IEP, including:

  • Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance
  • Summary of Findings of Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments
  • Postsecondary Goals
  • Transition Services and Activities
  • Annual Goal Statements

Lucy and Rita’s examples, the direct transition services and annual goal examples, and other transition information included make the Guidebook a valuable resource for educators.

Bonus Tips:

The Transition Educators Facilitating Employment course starts on January 13, 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 invite you to participate in Comprehensive Transition Open Office Hours every Thursday from 2:30 to 4:30 PM Eastern Time. During these sessions, you can speak with subject matter experts in dedicated breakout rooms. CCLC staff can address inquiries concerning transition portfolios, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Social Security Work Incentives, Vocational Rehabilitation, and other transition-related topics. To join, use the Zoom link.

The Transition IEP Guidebook is a new resource from the Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center (INSTRC) to help educators develop quality transition IEPs. This Guidebook also includes useful resources and examples, replacing the Transition IEP Rubric. Parents may use this resource to better understand different components of a transition IEP.

As you explore each section of the Guidebook, you'll get to know Lucy and Rita.

Lucy, a 15-year-old tenth grader with multiple severe cognitive disabilities, and Rita, a senior on the diploma track who receives speech services, are the focus of the case studies.

The case studies illustrate each section of the IEP, including:

  • Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance (PLAFP)
  • Transition Assessments
  • Postsecondary Goals
  • Transition Services and Activities
  • Annual Goals

Appendix A provides examples of Transition Services and Activities. This section includes quick reference guide that demonstrates how postsecondary goals and transition services align within an IEP. Additionally, it explains the rationale behind each service and provides both quality and non-compliant examples.

Appendix B includes examples of Annual Goals for a diverse range of student needs. These goals are both skill-based and measurable, making them a valuable resource for comparing compliant and quality IEP components. Under each goal topic, you'll find non-compliant, compliant, and quality examples, along with explanations for each.

Share this great new resource with your friends and colleagues!

Bonus Tips:

The virtual Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) starts in January! Join us for free English and Spanish sessions from 6:00–8:00 p.m. ET. All sessions are open to families, transition-age students and young adults with disabilities, and the professionals who support them.

Upcoming English sessions:

  • January 28
  • February 4, 11, 18, 12
  • March 4

Upcoming Spanish sessions:

  • January 30
  • February 6, 13, 20, 27
  • March 6

For more FEAT information and to register for these and other events, visit the CCLC FEAT webpage.

Drumroll, please…. We’re excited to announce that the new Transition Individualized Education Program (IEP) Guidebook, formerly known as the Transition IEP Rubric, is here!

So, what’s different besides the name? A few features of the Guidebook have changed. 

The new features include:

  • An expanded table of contents.
    • The Guidebook features a detailed table of contents with twelve numbered sections for easy navigation.
  • Considerations for student-led IEP meetings.
    • Want to get your student more involved in participating and leading their own case conference? The Guidebook contains some practical tools and resources for you to do just that!
    • Remember, the goal is for students to feel knowledgeable and be active members of the team. Start with small steps and gradually increase their involvement as they become more comfortable.
  • Thorough descriptions of each section of the Transition Individualized Education Program (IEP).
    • Each component of the transition IEP is explained in detail with examples to guide you along the way. Need a refresher on a particular section? We’ve got you covered.
    • Information from Transition Services and Activities: Making the Connection is now included in this guidebook. To reference the full document and its case studies visit: Transition Services and Activities: Making the Connection.
  • Written statements or case studies that illustrate quality components and alignment of the transition.
    • Get ready to meet Lisa and Rita. As you explore the Guidebook, their real-world stories will bring each component of the transition IEP to life. You'll learn how to document these components effectively through case studies.
  • Diploma decisions and graduation pathways for Indiana students.
    • The Guidebook has been updated with the most recent Indiana diploma options. Check the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) website regularly as diploma information is continuing to develop.
  • Principles and process of supported decision-making.
    • The Guidebook includes new information and resources on supporting students and parents when discussing supported decision-making and guardianship.
  • Appendices with valuable insights and key points.
    • Appendices include information about quality annual goals and transition services, including examples of each.

Coming soon!  An updated Indiana Diploma Decisions Guide that will explain diploma and graduation options for Indiana students.

 

Bonus Tips:

The virtual Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) starts in January! Join us for free English and Spanish sessions from 6:00–8:00 p.m. ET. All sessions are open to families, transition-age students and young adults with disabilities, and the professionals who support them.

Upcoming English sessions:

  • January 28
  • February 4, 11, 18, 12
  • March 4

Upcoming Spanish sessions:

  • January 30
  • February 6, 13, 20, 27
  • March 6

For more FEAT information and to register for these and other events, visit the CCLC FEAT webpage

Administered through the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (IIDC), FINDER is a robust, online collection packed with navigational aids to assist in finding Indiana-specific, disability-related resources and services. Developed originally by the AWS Foundation, this informational reservoir, including a service directory, program information, an events calendar, and articles features a step-by-step user guide, making this a powerful tool for teachers, students, and families.

Patti Hays, CEO of AWS Foundation, shares, “Combined with IIDC’s leadership and specialized skills and experience, FINDER provides the latest technology to expand collaboration and develop new partnerships to help empower parents, teachers, caregivers, and others to find answers to disability-related questions and become a more informed advocate.” Read on to learn how educators can incorporate FINDER into various IEP-related activities.

Use FINDER in Creative Ways:

  • Educators can use FINDER to:
    • provide computer navigation practice to students.
    • develop self-sufficiency skills, such as locating and researching local adult and adolescent health care options.
    • connect families to critically needed, non-education related services, such as housing, food provision, clothing, tax assistance, mental health needs and so much more.
  • Students can use FINDER to support accomplishing transition service/activity goals, such as:
    • locating adult employment service agencies, as these adult agencies provide services to facilitate postsecondary employment goals.
    • finding housing-related resources in their community.
    • collecting information on various postsecondary-related services (e.g., transportation, health care, benefits counseling) locally, within their state, or nationally.

To learn more about FINDER and how to navigate its features, watch the FINDER Introduction video.

Bonus Tip:

The virtual Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) starts in January! Join us for free English and Spanish sessions from 6:00–8:00 p.m. ET. All sessions are open to families, transition-age students and young adults with disabilities, and the professionals who support them.

Upcoming English sessions:

  • January 28
  • February 4, 11, 18, 12
  • March 4

Upcoming Spanish sessions:

  • January 30
  • February 6, 13, 20, 27
  • March 6

For more FEAT information and to register for these and other events, visit the CCLC FEAT webpage.

When education professionals and families manage transition programming together, students receive collaborative, comprehensive services that may lead to better postsecondary outcomes. Collaboration is important to create tailored curricula and supports across service providers. Students are more likely to leave high school employed and with community-living skills that promote and sustain independence when professionals work as a team. Developing an interagency team requires reevaluating roles and expectations as well as identifying any service gaps that may impact postsecondary outcomes.

Developing Cohesive Teams

Transition teams often include students, parents or guardians, special education teachers, and building administrators. For more comprehensive support, teams may also benefit from the expertise of professionals in physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, nursing, and behavioral management.

Offering Holistic Service Provision

Interagency teams can bring in additional professionals for holistic service provision. That includes early needs assessments, pre-employment training, and connections to Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) counselors. As students seek jobs, benefits counselors can help them understand the impact of earned income on government programs, including work incentives. If the students have a Medicaid waiver, their case manager ensures adult services are planned and in place at the time of graduation.

Case Studies on Collaboration

The following organizations highlight effective processes for collaboration. Way2Work Maryland's interagency team bridges service gaps and encourages shared responsibility among stakeholders. Their program operates by the acronym, MOST – Motivation to Succeed, Openness and Mutual Respect, Support for Team Goals, and Trust in Each Other.

The Vermont Core Transition Teams and Workforce Collaboration Model expand interagency team membership to college programs, adult learning programs, the Department of Labor, family networks and centers, and other programs working with youth. These programs demonstrate how effective transition planning requires a collaborative approach, leveraged by shared expertise across diverse service sectors.

Bonus Tips:

We invite you to participate in Comprehensive Transition Open Office Hours every Thursday from 2:30 to 4:30 PM Eastern Time. During these sessions, you can speak with subject matter experts in dedicated breakout rooms. CCLC staff can address inquiries concerning transition portfolios, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Social Security Work Incentives, Vocational Rehabilitation, and other transition-related topics. To join, use the Zoom link.

The second session of the Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) kicks off in Batesville on Friday, October 25. 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.

It's election season! On Tuesday, November 5, 2024, important national, state, and local elections will take place. All U.S. citizens aged 18 and older have the right to vote.

To cast a ballot in elections, adult citizens must register as voters. During an election year, like this one, the deadline to register to vote in most states is no later than November 1st. In Indiana, you must have registered to vote at least 29 days before election day, A few states allow same-day voter registration. Visit the Rock the Vote website to find out if your state offers this option and what the specific requirements are.

Legally, voting sites and voting options must be accessible to people with different disabilities. This includes the building, voting booths, machines, and access to voting options for those with vision, mobility, and reading disabilities. The US Election Assistance Commission provides information about accessible voting. After clicking on the US Election Assistance link above, select Voting Accessibility and then scroll down to the Voters section for more information.

Once registered, voters cast ballots at their designated precinct or polling place. Students should create a voting plan, research candidates and issues, and be cautious of misinformation, particularly online. The internet and social media can be valuable resources for informed voting, but students should learn how to critically evaluate the information.

To help young adults stay informed, we've compiled a list of helpful resources. Some of these links will take you to social media platforms, where you can find engaging content about voting. Keep in mind that not all TikTok videos offer closed captions.

Bonus Tips:

October is packed with learning opportunities. Join the third webinar of our fall series:

  • Portfolios and Profiles: Portals to Competitive, Integrated Employment (CIE)

This session will take place on Thursday, October 17 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. To register, visit the INSTRC Training and Technical Assistance webpage.

The Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) kicks off in Batesville, Indiana Friday, October 25. 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.

Why is teaching healthcare skills to students with disabilities important?

As youth transition to adulthood, the ability to monitor their health and medical needs becomes vital. From managing medications, making appointments and filling out forms, to transitioning from pediatrics to adult providers, these skills are crucial for a healthy future. Health Care Transition (HCT) focuses on building these skills, fostering self-advocacy, and preparing individuals for the adult model of care. These efforts will:

  1. Promote Self Advocacy and Independence: Empowering students to take charge of their health prepares them for a successful transition to adulthood. By learning to advocate for themselves, students develop a vital skill that benefits them in all aspects of life. They become more confident in communicating their needs and preferences to healthcare providers and others.
  2. Improve Health Outcomes and Enhance Quality of Life: Effective health condition management can significantly improve health outcomes, reduce complications, and enhance overall quality of life. This allows individuals to fully participate in all aspects of their lives.
  3. Reduce Healthcare Costs: Participating in health-promoting activities can significantly reduce healthcare costs by decreasing the need for emergency room visits and hospitalizations. This benefits individuals, their families, and the overall healthcare system.
  4. Facilitate Smooth Transition: Teaching HCT skills ensures a smoother transition from pediatric to adult healthcare. This reduces the risk of gaps in care and ensures continuity of treatment.
  5. Support Long-Term Success: Developing healthcare skills early in life helps students establish healthy habits and gain confidence in communicating and advocating for their needs. This sets the foundation for lifelong well-being.

The following resources can help assess, write IEP annual goals, and teach Health Care Transition skills to students.

Bonus Tips:

October is packed with learning opportunities. Join the third webinar of our fall series:

  • Portfolios and Profiles: Portals to Competitive, Integrated Employment (CIE)

This session will take place on Thursday, October 17 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. To register, visit the INSTRC Training and Technical Assistance webpage.

The Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) kicks off in Batesville, Indiana Friday, October 25. 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.

In March 2024, one of our Tuesday’s Transition Tips introduced WorkOne Centers and what they do. Today’s tip will introduce additional resources teachers can share with students. Through WorkOne centers, students can access various tools, develop comprehensive work plans, and explore different career paths. The centers connect students to education and training options, helping them develop job skills through certificates, degrees, or other career training programs. WorkOne Centers advertise job affairs and hiring events, help job seekers create resumes, apply for jobs online, and connect with community employment services.

WorkOne Centers cater to various populations with higher employment needs. Young adults can utilize the following programs:

Teachers can assist their students in accessing vital information and services through their local WorkOne Centers. The Indiana WorkOne website offers information on all the centers in Indiana. Connect with your center today!

Bonus Tips:

CCLC’s comprehensive webinar series on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Transition Portfolios starts next week. Join us for an immersive learning experience that guides transition-age students toward competitive, integrated employment, higher education, and independent living opportunities, but also fosters their overall growth and integration within the community.

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

The Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) kicks off in Batesville, Indiana next week. 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.

Federal legislative mandates require Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) to allocate funds for Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) to students with disabilities who are or may be eligible for VR services. These students, aged 14 to 22, must have an IEP or 504 plan, and be enrolled in a secondary, postsecondary, or other education program. In Indiana, these services are coordinated and provided by approved Pre-ETS VR contractors, typically adult services community rehabilitation programs.

Pre-ETS services include five core categories:

  1. Job exploration counseling
  2. Work-based learning experiences
  3. Counseling on postsecondary opportunities
  4. Workplace readiness training
  5. Instruction in self-advocacy

The Family and Social Services Administration website has more information on Pre-ETS core services and providers. Youth VR counselors can offer additional support to educators, students, and Pre-ETS providers. The Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) further defines the roles of Pre-ETS and VR counselors delivering Pre-ETS.

Concurrent VR and Pre-ETS Services

Students may concurrently receive Pre-ETS services and have an active case open through VR. According to DDRS, “High priority referrals include students getting ready to graduate who need VR services (e.g., those with no clear pathway after graduation), and students with more complex needs who might need VR services earlier (among other possible students).” Referring a student to VR is simple.

The Transition Portfolio

Pre-ETS providers should use the work they have completed to assist in developing or enhancing a student's transition portfolio. Educators and Pre-ETS providers should work collaboratively to develop or enhance student transition portfolios.

Bonus Tips:

CCLC has upcoming trainings for educators who want to strengthen their knowledge of transition IEPs and portfolios! Our sessions include:

  • Developing Quality Transition IEPs
  • Using the Transition IEP to Focus Education and Build Relationships
  • Portfolios and Profiles: Portals to Competitive, Integrated Employment (CIE)

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

The Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) kicks off in Batesville this October. 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.

Independent living goals in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) are pivotal when preparing students with disabilities to lead meaningful and self-directed lives. Independent living goals emphasize practical skills that foster self-sufficiency, including:

  • Housing: Finding and securing appropriate housing, paying rent and utilities, managing household maintenance and tasks.
  • Finances: Managing money, learning to budget, overseeing expenses, understanding banking, and utilizing debt responsibly.
  • Work: Preparing for employment, resume writing, job interviewing, time management, and teamwork.
  • Self-Care: Managing routine healthcare, hygiene, daily routines, and prioritizing safety.
  • Social Skills: Building relationships, effective communication, conflict resolution, and community involvement.
  • Transportation: Navigating public transit, managing personal transportation, or planning travel routes.

Postsecondary independent living goals:

  • acknowledge abilities beyond academic performance, and prepare students for adulthood while enhancing their self-sufficiency.
  • encourage self-confidence and reduce dependence on others, while promoting a sense of accomplishment and personal responsibility.
  • bridge the gap between school and post-school obstacles, and ease the transition into postsecondary education and employment.

Prioritizing postsecondary independent living goals in an IEP empowers students to make informed decisions, embrace calculated risks, actively engage in their communities, and enhance their overall quality of life.

Bonus Tips:

October is packed with learning opportunities. Our fall series includes:

  • Developing Quality Transition IEPs
  • Using the Transition IEP to Focus Education and Build Relationships
  • Portfolios and Profiles: Portals to Competitive, Integrated Employment (CIE)

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

The Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) kicks off in Batesville this October. 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. 

The United States Department of Education states, “By 2027, 70 percent of jobs will require education or training beyond high school.”  That's a lot of competition! Setting and achieving quality postsecondary education or training goals helps students stand out. These goals guide students through the often-micromanaged territory of high school to the diverse and often challenging world of higher education or career training programs. Research shows that goal setting is a powerful tool for success. The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) even lists it as one of the top predictors for positive post-school outcomes for students with disabilities.

Why Postsecondary Education and Training Goals Matter

  1. Enhance Future Opportunities: They help students align their current educational experiences with their long-term career aspirations and the training needed to obtain them. Whether they’re aiming for college, vocational certification, or on-the-job learning, clear goals ensure a smooth transition.
  2. Promote Self-Advocacy and Independence: Students gain a sense of ownership over their future and learn to articulate their needs. These skills are essential for navigating higher education and the workforce.
  3. Align with Individual Strengths and Interests: Effective postsecondary goals are tailored to a student's individual strengths, preferences, and interests. This personalized approach helps prevent disengagement and leads to a rewarding educational experience.
  4. Provide Tailored Support: Clear goals help educators and families identify and provide specific support, such as Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services, academic counseling, career exploration activities, or specialized training programs.
  5. Foster Long-Term Success: Students with well-defined goals and a roadmap for achieving them are more likely to complete postsecondary education and training. This leads to better job opportunities and overall life satisfaction.

Quality postsecondary education and training goals are a roadmap to success, guiding students towards meaningful opportunities, fostering independence, and supporting their future. By prioritizing these goals, we ensure that every student has the chance to realize their full potential and achieve their dreams.

Resources

CCLC has upcoming trainings for educators who want to strengthen their knowledge of transition IEPs and portfolios! Our sessions include:

  • Developing Quality Transition IEPs
  • Using the Transition IEP to Focus Education and Build Relationships
  • Portfolios and Profiles: Portals to Competitive, Integrated Employment (CIE)

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

Bonus Tip: The Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) kicks off in Batesville this October. 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.

The Transition Assessment is a comprehensive process that guides students toward successful postsecondary lives. As a noun, it refers to specific assessments, like standardized tests or career inventories. As a verb, it denotes the ongoing process of evaluating and planning with students. Regularly administered assessments allow for flexibility as students' interests and skills evolve, ensuring they are well-prepared for their future.

  • Transition assessments should:
    • identify the student’s strengths, preferences, interests, and needs (SPIN).
    • inform the student’s postsecondary goals in employment, education/training, and independent living.
    • support the IEP team in identifying appropriate transition services and activities that match the student’s postsecondary goals.
    • include authentic assessments from discussing transition activities, such as work-based learning experiences, to help students determine if they’ve chosen the right path or identify a new path toward a dream they have for their future.

We highly recommend the Positive Personal Profile (PPP), a strength-based assessment completed by the student, family, and each team member. The process of gathering and sharing this information is as valuable as the assessment itself. There are various versions from Transcen, Tilson, and LifeCourse.

When the results, of everyone’s contributions to this PPP are shared with the team, it leads to greater insight into the student's skills, abilities, and confidence in future employment. The PPP process also generates ideas for contacting potential employers to explore work-based learning experiences that can serve as important transition services and activities. The PPP is a dynamic tool designed to be updated throughout the year as the student's experiences, skills, and interests evolve.

The Transition Assessment Matrix, originally developed by the Indiana Northeast Cadre of Transition Leaders and the Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center (INSTRC) for secondary education transition teachers, is a great place to find a variety of age-appropriate transition assessments, including the PPP. The transition assessments housed in the Matrix are either developed by INSTRC, freely accessible online, or authorized for use by INSTRC with permission from the original publisher.

For more information about transition assessments and how they align with other components of the IEP, attend our upcoming IEP webinars and see how a PPP might contribute to creating a student Portfolio.

October is packed with learning opportunities. Our fall series includes:

  • Developing Quality Transition IEPs
  • Using the Transition IEP to Focus Education and Build Relationships
  • Portfolios and Profiles: Portals to Competitive, Integrated Employment (CIE)

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

Bonus Tip: The Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) kicks off in Lafayette this September. 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.

Over the years we have written several Tuesday's Tips on Transition IEP components and alignment. Quality, well-aligned IEPs are crucial for planning an education program focused on each student’s plans for employment, education, and if needed, independent living, after high school. As the new school year begins, we want to share some reminders about the Transition IEP.

Present Levels tell a story about the student’s current educational abilities. What do we currently know about the student regarding academics, functional skills, social skills, and physical and medical abilities and needs? You may also want to include information on communication, behavior, and sensory needs.

Transition Assessments help us understand the student’s SPIN (Strengths, Preferences, Interests, and Needs) in the areas of, education, employment, and independent living and lead directly to the postsecondary goals.

Postsecondary Goals are the student’s long-term preferences for employment, education/training and independent living based on information from current transition assessments. Where will the student work, learn, and live long-term?

Transition Services and Activities are specific activities aligned to the student’s current postsecondary goals. They help the student make informed decisions about continuing or changing those goals. Quality transition services and activities inform the student about their stated goals and help them determine how to clarify or change their postsecondary goals.

Annual Goals should address the student’s most significant barriers by targeting their academic, functional, and social needs. Ensuring that individual IEPs are aligned will better prepare them for their employment, education/training, and independent living goals.

CCLC has upcoming trainings for educators who want to strengthen their knowledge of transition IEPs and portfolios! These sessions are titled:

  • Developing Quality Transition IEPs
  • Using the Transition IEP to Focus Education and Build Relationships
  • Portfolios and Profiles: Portals to Competitive, Integrated Employment (CIE)

To register, visit the INSTRC Training and Technical Assistance webpage.

Bonus Tip: We invite you to participate in Comprehensive Transition Open Office Hours every Thursday from 2:30 to 4:30 PM Eastern Time. During these sessions, you can speak with subject matter experts in dedicated breakout rooms. CCLC staff can address inquiries concerning transition portfolios, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Social Security Work Incentives, Vocational Rehabilitation, and other transition-related topics. To join, use the Zoom link.

Emergencies often cause anxiety and confusion, and this can be overwhelming for individuals with disabilities. Educators and families can actively prepare those with disabilities for emergencies.

It’s important to plan for a weather-related emergency like a tornado, earthquake, or flood. Also consider other potential crises such as active shooter situations, fires, pandemics requiring isolation, and extended power outages.

To support individuals with disabilities during emergencies, take the following steps:

  • Assess the Current Situation

Identify immediate and ongoing needs, including any assistance required during an emergency. This assessment should consider mobility aids, adaptive equipment, and medication requirements.

  • Make an Emergency Plan

Develop a comprehensive plan outlining steps to take for various emergencies. Consider how to: 

1. evacuate or take shelter,

2. communicate with family and community members, 

3. manage without essential utilities, and

4. maintain critical supports like personal assistance, therapies, and transportation.

  • Prepare an Emergency Kit 

Gather supplies that will last for multiple days. Emergency kits can include:

1. food

2. water,

3. medications,

4. support network list

5. supplies related to the individual's disability

  • Carry an Emergency Information Form or Tag 

Create a waterproof form or tag that displays essential medical and disability information. First responders and support personnel need this information for quick assistance. The form should include:

1. full name, 

2. disability,

3. medications,

4. allergies,

5. support needs,

6. family and friends' contact information.

  • Build a Strong Support Network

Identify people and organizations who can assist during an emergency. Create a comprehensive list of individuals and agencies ready to provide support.

  • Practice Emergency Plans

Conduct emergency drills regularly to familiarize yourself and your support network with proper procedures. Planning is important and can significantly improve your safety and health during emergencies.

Resources:

 

Bonus Tip: The Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) kicks off in Batesville this October. 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.

Welcome back, transition education professionals! As summer days shorten and the new school year approaches, the Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center (INSTRC) is excited to partner with you again to support student success.

Starting a new school year can be daunting, but a little preparation can alleviate stress and boost your confidence. Ready to dive back in? Elevate your classroom with the following resources:

 We’re eager and excited to support your secondary transition needs! Connect with us in three easy ways:

October is packed with learning opportunities. Our upcoming webinars include:

  • Developing Quality Transition IEPs
  • Using the Transition IEP to Focus Education and Build Relationships
  • Portfolios and Profiles: Portals to Competitive, Integrated Employment (CIE)

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

 

Bonus Tip: The Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) kicks off in Lafayette this September. 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.

Have a great school year and keep an eye out for more Transition Tips every Tuesday!

This is the final edition of Tuesday's Transition Tips for the 2023-2024 school year—how time has flown!

As the school year comes to a close, the team behind these weekly tips would like to express our gratitude for your dedication and hard work. Despite the never-ending list of challenges and the need to adapt to new processes, tools, and strategies for your students’ planning and growth, you have persevered!

Tuesday's Transition Tips will be on hiatus for a few months, so we encourage special educators to use the transition resources we have collected over the years:

For any questions you have, we are available at our Open Office Hours every Thursday from 2:30–4:30 p.m. This is a fantastic opportunity to chat, brainstorm, and problem-solve transition-related issues with our team.

Most of all, we urge you to take this summer as an opportunity to focus on the four Rs: Rest, Relax, Reflect, and Recharge. You deserve some well-earned rejuvenation (that’s a fifth R!)

Thanks again for all that you do to support transitioning students and their families. Have a wonderful summer and we’ll see you in the fall!

Indiana’s Department of Education and Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services hope to increase the number of individuals with disabilities in competitive integrated employment from 23% to 38% by 2027. One important way to prepare for that is during secondary transition.

Transitioning from high school to adulthood can be elegantly seamless rather than piecemeal. Important elements of a Seamless Transition, according to TransCen, a non-profit organization dedicated to the success of youth and young adults with disabilities, include the following:

  • Establish a Vision
    • Believe that students with disabilities can earn at least minimum wage in an integrated setting (one that includes people with and without disabling conditions) with businesses in the community.
  • Create a Positive Personal Profile(PPP)
    • Use a PPP as a transition assessment to focus on skills, preferences, and passions over labels and deficits.
    • Take a look at a sample PPP.
  • Explore Employment Options
    • Create relationships with employers in your area.
    • Offer multiple opportunities to explore employment.
    • Set a goal: Employment on the last day of school will be the same as the first day after graduation.
  • Build Successful Interagency Teams
    • School staff
    • Employment service providers, like Pre-ETS and VR
    • Student/Families
  • Promote Family Engagement

 

Resources

Summer is a great time to explore employment experiences! Summer employment opportunities are often overlooked for youth with disabilities, but they’re as important for promoting maturity, independence, and adult employment skills for students with disabilities as they are for any other teenager.

Here are a few suggestions:

  1. Connect with WorkOne centers. Set up a field trip to a WorkOne center to help students find summer employment, apply for summer jobs, interview, and obtain a summer job!
  2. Connect with a local Independent Living Center. They can help students connect to all sorts of area support resources, including transportation, employment, and peer supports.
  3. Work with your local Chamber of Commerce, commerce office, or state department of labor and to connect with employment options for youth. For example, Project Indy provides connections to job opportunities, soft-skill development, and job-readiness training for Indianapolis area teens and young adults.
  4. Think backwards and creatively! Sponsor or connect students to a reverse or an online job fair in your area. At a reverse job fair, students with disabilities can prepare to meet potential employers who come to meet the students. Or, employers can also join a virtual/online job fair to meet with potential youth employees!
  5. Finally, connect with agencies or area Pre-ETS providers that can help students obtain job skills and connect to potential employers.

Career and technical education (CTE) is an excellent way for transition age students to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for their career interest. CTE programs can provide different opportunities in a wide range of fields such as automotive, manufacturing, health care, information technology, agriculture, culinary, and more. For a student with an IEP, it’s a good way to get a jump start toward a career by working toward a credential, earning dual credit, and completing work-based learning experiences.

According to the National Center on Learning Disabilities (see below), nearly 11.8 million students in the United States participated in CTE in 2017-18. Of those students, 877,938 were secondary learners with disabilities, and 126,110 were postsecondary learners with disabilities. Students with disabilities have shown more successful postsecondary outcomes when they have access to CTE with accommodations and supports.

Given those positive outcomes, it is important to include CTE information in the student’s transition IEP. Consider incorporating CTE information into the IEP by:

  • including student interests and skills related to CTE programs in the present levels.
  • using transition assessments that target skills and abilities related to CTE programs.
  • including direct statements for employment and education connected to CTE that guide the IEP toward the postsecondary goals.
  • including activities completed in CTE programs as transition services.
  • developing annual goals related to the student’s interests in CTE.

Designing a Transition IEP that incorporates CTE will help the student and their family understand the relevance and purpose of their education.

 

Resource:

Earlier this month, we posted a tip on best practices for transition planning. With this tip, we’ll give you a slice of what the Family Employment First Coalition developed to help transition teams understand the key components of transition to competitive integrated employment.

We’ve also put together a key components handout directed to parents and caregivers, but it can also be helpful for students and other members of your transition teams. Please share with them at family nights, during case conference meetings, or as you’re working with individual members of your teams.

  • Engage in ongoing, student-centered, collaborative planning among all key team members.

Encourage students and help them become engaged, active partners in all planning and team discussions.

  • Provide activities and experiences that lead to competitive integrated employment outcomes.

Help students explore a variety of work-based experiences prior to transition to adult life. These can include community-based instruction, job exploration and training, internships, work-study programs, and school-supported community-based programs for students ages 18-22. 

  • Understand adult services and state and federal benefits.

Connect with a benefits specialist to help you understand how students can get the most out of work. 

  • Be familiar with common terms and language related to school-to-work transition.

At the start of transition planning, have a team discussion on terminology and keep a list handy. Ask about acronyms or unfamiliar terms whenever they come up in discussions.

 

Members of the Family Employment First Coalition:

Composed of key family and disability advocacy organizations throughout the state, the mission of the Family Employment First Coalition is to collaboratively create meaningful change in the transition outcomes of young adults with disabilities who are seeking competitive integrated employment in Indiana.   

Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) provides free information to transition-age young adults with disabilities, their families, educators, and support professionals about accessing customized, competitive, integrated employment opportunities. Now available in Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island, FEAT provides attendees a wealth of information about local, state, and federal resources meant to help support young adults with disabilities who want to work in their communities.

The core FEAT employment curriculum covers benefits, working with Vocational Rehabilitation, customized employment strategies and supports, and much more, but the two-day training also offers:

  • time to network with other families,
  • an opportunity to hear from individuals with disabilities who are successfully employed, and
  • the chance to meet people from agencies providing supports.

Spread the word to students and families about upcoming FEAT sites and dates (see below). FEAT could also be a great professional development opportunity for you, increasing your knowledge and ability to inform students and parents about postsecondary support services and resources.

Delivered by Indiana University’s Center on Community Living and Careers (CCLC) and funded by Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation, FEAT has extended its Indiana outreach in 2024.


Upcoming Family Employment Awareness Training:

Indianapolis: April 19 and May 3*

April 19th
Carmel Clay Schools
Carmel, IN
 
May 3
Washington Township Schools
Indianapolis, IN 
*This is a two-day training. To accommodate more attendees, Day 1 of FEAT will be held in Carmel and Day 2 in Indianapolis.
 

Also look for FEAT in the fall of 2024 in Lafayette and in Batesville, Indiana!


To register for these and other events, visit the CCLC FEAT webpage.

As transition educators it’s our job to help pave the way for that smooth transition from school to a fulfilling, successful life of work, family, and community connection that we hope our students experience. There are some key components and best practices to the transition process that members of the Families for Employment First Coalition recently outlined. 

1. Promote high expectations for an inclusive future.

Help students and families engage in concrete, ongoing conversations about next steps toward their vision.

2. Focus on parent connections, access to peers, and information sharing.

Connect students and families with others who have successfully navigated the transition process. Give them time, opportunity, and accessible spaces to obtain information and ask questions about transition.

3. Emphasize employment and building work skills through real world work experience.

Encourage students to share information about their likes, dislikes, support needs, and experiences with transition team members and prospective employers. Connect them to work experiences in real businesses where they develop skills and explore work cultures and different careers.

4. Focus on community engagement and connecting students and families to ongoing resources and support.

Provide information about state and local resources, services, and supports. Ensure those supports are in place before the student exits school.

5. Develop goal setting and self-advocacy skills.

Teach students how to set goals and advocate for themselves throughout the transition process, from school to adult life.

These principles and steps are really the backbone to all transition planning. We’ve added a transition handout to our website so you can share them with your transition teams and incorporate them into your team meetings and future planning discussions for all your students.

 

Members of the Families for Employment First Coalition: 

 

The financial stuff can get complicated for young adults and their families. Benefits, trusts, asset and resource limitations. It’s a lot.

We don’t want to overwhelm you or them. Sometimes tidbits are more helpful than a complete information overload. Today we’ll zero in on ABLE accounts.

The basics. Available in most states, ABLE accounts are a relatively new way to save—much like 529 college saving accounts—designed specifically for people with disabilities. Individuals and families find them useful for managing earnings and funds and for helping individuals save for future goals while still maintaining their Medicaid and Social Security benefits.

Things students and families will want to know:

  • Individuals can’t set up an ABLE account at their local bank. States have their own ABLE programs that enroll individuals. Indiana’s is INvestABLE. (You can compare and contrast ABLE options and choose to enroll in another state’s ABLE plan. But individuals may only have one ABLE account.)
  • In 2024, ABLE account holders can contribute $18,000 to an account. More if that person is working, thanks to the ABLE to Work Act.
  • People with disabilities who receive Medicaid and Medicaid waiver services need to keep less than $2,000 in their combined checking and savings accounts. Individuals and their Representative Payees (a person authorized by Social Security to manage a recipient’s funds) can maintain that balance by moving funds into an ABLE account each month, so they won’t lose benefits and services.
  • ABLE funds can be used to pay for almost anything that improves quality of life. Think big things: an apartment downpayment. Think typical expenses: utilities or rent. Think fun things: a laptop upgrade, a vacation with family, a gym membership.

Resources

America’s WorkOne Centers help people get jobs! Per their website, WorkOne staff can help you find a new job, access training you need for a job, and locate information you need to be successful at your job!  

Anyone can visit WorkOne centers located throughout Indiana! WorkOne center staff are connected to their local communities and also have access to information about jobs elsewhere. They can help job seekers learn how to: 

  • Complete applications 
  • Gain better interviewing skills 
  • Find job listings 
  • Write cover letters and resumes, and  
  • Access education and training opportunities to increase job skills.  

Using a WorkOne center is easy! They have in-person and virtual appointment options.   

Special education teachers, school counselors, and other school personnel help your students become familiar with their local WorkOne center. You can visit on a field trip or help students look up and make appointments using the internet. It’s also helpful if you and your colleagues make your own visit to the local WorkOne center to meet some of the staff there and learn more about what these centers offer for students.  

The Indiana WorkOne website provides information about the locations of all of the WorkOne centers in Indiana.  

Our last issue of Tuesday’s Tips focused on supported decision-making. Did you know there are other supports available to help individuals make those important life decisions along the way? Exploration surrounding supports should start early. The continuum of support, listed here from least to most limiting, may include:

  • Independence—enables self-determination and full responsibility. When a person is independent, they take care of their own needs including finances, health care, employment, and housing and are not directed by others.
  • Informal support—describes support provided by immediate family and close friends. It is considered informal because it is provided on an as-needed basis, the support person is not paid, and there is no formal agreement in place.
  • Supported decision-making—allows an individual to keep their rights and make their own decisions with the aid of trusted people who help the person understand, make, and communicate choices.
  • Health care representative—makes health care decisions in the event of an emergency or when the individual is too sick to make decisions on their own behalf. Providing representative documentation to a health care provider can help prevent communication barriers in matters having to do with medical care.
  • Power of Attorney (POA)—gives one or more individuals (e.g., a person or non-profit) the power to act for another person. Those with POA, a legal document, can make decisions about an individual’s property, finances, or medical care.
  • Guardianship—refers to the legal process by which the court assigns someone the authority to make decisions. It can affect the person’s right to choose where to live, work, receive medical care, marry, and more. 

Note:  Indiana law requires that a petition for guardianship discuss what less restrictive alternative options have been considered before guardianship.

Resources:


Per Indiana law, we are now required to talk about supported decision-making and other alternatives to guardianship during a student’s case conference starting in grade 8 or at age 14. This annual conversation should be thoroughly documented within the IEP and revisited as circumstances change.

That talk can seem overwhelming. It’s a lot of information, involving complicated legal decisions. Here are a few points to share with students and families. 

What Everyone Should Know

Essentially, supported decision-making gives a person with a disability more options, allowing them to keep their rights and make decisions about finances, health care, housing, employment, and other life choices with the help of people they trust. That’s why families and young adults should consider supported decision-making first, before immediately deciding on more restrictive paths, like Power of Attorney (POA), health care representation, or guardianship.

Self-determination 

Promoting independence and self-direction is key to developing and implementing successful supported decision-making agreements. Skills involved include choice-making, goal setting, problem-solving, and self-awareness. Individuals should feel confident in communicating their needs with those they trust. Supporters can assist in developing these skills while ensuring the individual maintains final decision-making authority.

Collaboration

Supported decision-making requires a collaborative approach between the young adult and those they deem trustworthy to assist with major life decisions. The person with a disability will lead these collective conversations. Initial discussions will outline the individual’s strengths, needs, available resources, and how they will be supported. Supporters on the “team” can include friends, family, and/or professionals who can help the person understand, make, and communicate their choices.

Agreements

In Indiana, supported decision-making can be informal or formal, depending on whether there is a written agreement or not. (Rules vary in other states.)  Written agreements are not required but helpful. They specify how the person will be supported and who is committed to providing that support. Supported individuals can change their agreements at any time, add new support team members, and define each member’s role and how they will advise the person with a disability.   

 

Next week, we’ll explore the continuum of adult support by diving into informal support arrangements, health care representatives, POAs, and guardianship.

 

Resources:

Health care transition is one of many challenges associated with transition to adult life. Parents and caregivers may be accustomed to taking care of all the health care needs for their child. Health care transition skills and advocacy is an area of independent living that students can develop through independent living goals in their transition IEP.

For example, many students may not know their diagnosis, why they are taking certain medications, or how to arrange for their own health care appointments. These gaps in knowledge and skill can be translated into Independent Living goals:

  • I will name my health conditions and explain how they affect me with a medical provider.
  • I will keep a list of my prescriptions and what health care conditions they address to share with medical providers.
  • I will schedule medical appointments online or by phone.
  • I will contact my pharmacy to refill prescriptions.
  • I will prepare a list of questions for my medical provider before meeting with them.
  • I will enter dates of medical appointments into my calendar and set a reminder.
  • I will keep a record of my medical providers and their contact information.
  • I will complete an emergency contact form and carry it with me in my wallet, backpack, or purse.

Of course, these are only a few examples; tailor goals to the student’s specific situation and level using an appropriate assessment. Start small and build on success. Through transition IEP goals, you can assist students in becoming more independent with their healthcare needs!

Resources:

Recently, we wrote a tip on Benefits Counseling for the Transitioning Student, which explained how students who are Social Security beneficiaries can access benefits counseling through Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) or Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation. Currently, students 18 or younger who are receiving benefits are a priority for WIPA. Students over age 18 who are working are also a priority for WIPA and any student beneficiary who is receiving services through Vocational Rehabilitation can receive benefits counseling through the VR process. These services are free.

The benefit to benefits counseling

Fear of losing benefits is one of the primary reasons beneficiaries hesitate to work. However, there are many work incentives built into the Social Security system. A benefits counselor helps the student and their family understand which work incentives apply to their situation. For example, a working transition student may benefit from the Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE), which allows them to earn up to $2,290 per month and $9,230 per year in 2024 without affecting their Social Security benefits at all. This allows students to work and keep both benefits and income! The SEIE is just one of many beneficial work incentives.

How can I use this in transition?

Here are some potential independent living goals you could develop with beneficiary transition students who are interested in working. These are just examples; tailor the goals to each student’s particular needs.

  • I will call the Ticket to Work Help Line to request benefits counseling.
  • I will use benefits counseling to understand how working affects my benefits.
  • I will request benefits counseling services as a part of my vocational rehabilitation Plan for Employment.
  • I will use benefits counseling to determine if I qualify for any work incentives.

Knowledge is power, and the knowledge of benefits counseling and work incentives can empower students toward increased financial wellbeing and independence!

Resources