What is transition planning in special education?

It is important for parents to help their children think about their future after they graduate or leave high school. For students receiving special education services, transition plans are mandated to be developed when the child turns 16, and in some states, they are required even earlier. Regardless of legal mandates, it is important that families help children discuss their future goals and develop steps to further the child's experiences and education to meet these goals.

Your child’s transition plan needs to include your child’s strengths, preferences, interests, and needs. Your child’s plan must have measurable goals after high school, including plans for continued education/training and work with optional plans for independent living. These goals are set to be completed within one year of graduation.

Your child’s special education teacher will work with your child to complete transition assessments, including surveys, to better understand their strengths and interests to be used in the development of your child’s transition plan. It is important that you are included in these conversations and have input. Your child’s transition plan also must detail the available services and skills your child will be learning to achieve these goals. Some of the services or supports are things the school will provide, but some will be actions your child or family will take to support the transition plan.

The people involved in developing and revising the transition plan are the same as those involved with your child’s IEP, including your child’s special education teacher, general education teacher, school administrator and other related service providers. Your child’s transition plan will be reviewed annually as part of your child’s IEP, and it can be reviewed more often if requested. Your child will play an important role in forming their own transition plan. Often, school professionals will meet with a student to do a survey to help identify career choices.

It is beneficial to talk with your child before the transition planning meeting to discuss their strengths, interests, and what they hope to do after graduation from high school. If the two of you can take notes on these ideas, it will be a helpful reference when sharing them with your child’s special education team. We have included a worksheet to help you and your child start these conversations at home and continue to revisit them throughout their high school years.

The primary focus of special education transition plans is preparing your child to succeed in life after high school. However, transition plans also can be put in place for other moments of change, such as moving from middle school to high school or moving from an alternative school placement back to the community school. In the following lessons, we will discuss transition plans for leaving high school, other types of transition plans and special support parents should be aware of when helping their child plan for adulthood.

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