Transition Planning

One way to help students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) succeed in their college and career endeavors is to provide training and support to secondary staff working with transition-aged students and professionals providing services in college. Think College, in collaboration with the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities, created two self-paced learning modules for these groups. Numerous resources have been included throughout each module.

Drs. Lisa Dieker and Rebecca Hines, professors at the University of Central Florida in the College of Community Innovation and Education, have worked with schools and parents across the country. They take a fun and informal look at "practical" situations from teachers, parents, and people with disabilities. Our approach is fast, flexible thinking about "real" life problems. This podcast is not about the "legal" approach, but our best advice from both personal and professional experience.

NTACT:C partners have developed this document to help compare and contrast the transition services requirements for Education, Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), including Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) consistent with the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and the Rehabilitation Act as amended by WIOA.  Organized by major parts of these laws, this document outlines how each entity addresses:

There are certain skills that students can learn and practice in high school so they are better prepared for the demands of college. In this Grab and Go Practices, we focus on three primary campus experiences college students need to be prepare for and skillsets that are good to have to manage them. Student may engage in these activities with little or no support from adults: campus participation, academic preparation, and personal responsibility.

College, Disabilities, and Success podcast helps parents of teens with all kinds of disabilities prepare for into what lies ahead as they consider and prepare for college. Mickie Hayes thoughtfully produces each episode to share insights and expectations for new college students with disabilities. Young listeners will learn what to expect as they head to college, and they will gain greater understanding about the changes and challenges college presents.

Cate Weir, Project Coordinator for the Think College National Coordinating Center, was interviewed by Mickie Hayes, Director (Retired) of the Florida Consortium on Postsecondary Education and Intellectual Disabilities. Mickie is host of a podcast called College, Disabilities, and Success. In this episode (#40), Cate shares how college can be a meaningful, productive, effective opportunity for your child with an intellectual disability to gain skills that can lead to effective competitive employment.

The University of Massachusetts Boston Transition Leadership program brochure outlines what transition leadership is, how the program prepares candidates for this leadership, who is eligible for this training and how this training can be applied in schools, colleges and community settings. Contact information for program staff is also included in the brochure.