How can educators help support students in the transition planning process?
Page 7: Family Engagement
Family engagement, another component of the taxonomy, refers to the practice of active and meaningful collaboration among families and school personnel. In this mutually beneficial partnership, educators can empower family members as full, equal collaborators in the transition planning process by:
- Promoting family members’ ongoing involvement
- Using culturally sustaining practices
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culturally sustaining practices
Practices that not only accept but foster students’ cultural norms and values. Sometimes referred to as culturally sustaining pedagogies.
- Offering information and support
Family Involvement
For Your Information
Families can be defined in many ways. Family members involved in a student’s transition planning may include parents or various other relatives. Some families might also consider others who are actively involved in caring for their child (e.g., neighbors, clergy, community leaders) to be a part of their extended family.
Apart from the student themselves, parents or other family members are often the only people who remain a consistent part of the IEP team and the transition planning process from year to year. Additionally, families are likely to remain involved in their child’s life after high school. Because transition planning includes areas other than academics—for example, planning for healthcare needs, transportation, or living arrangements—families often serve as the bridge between the school and community for their child. As such, educators should ensure that families are active partners in transition planning and that their perspectives are valued. Strategies for promoting family involvement throughout the transition process include:
- Gathering family input on the student’s strengths, needs, and interests using a variety of assessments (e.g., rating scales, interviews, questionnaires)
- Brainstorming and working together to develop the transition plan
- Maintaining frequent, two-way communication
- Requesting feedback from family members on the student’s services, progress toward their goals, and any necessary changes to the transition plan
Culturally Sustaining Practices
Recall that families are an integral part of the transition planning process. However, they might encounter various barriers that can hinder their meaningful involvement. For example, cultural gaps between families from racially, ethnically, or linguistically diverse backgrounds and school personnel could negatively impact family engagement. Furthermore, families could be discouraged from fully collaborating with the school because of a difference in priorities for their child’s future or negative past experiences. Educators can reduce these barriers by implementing culturally sustaining practices that accept and foster families’ norms and values. The table below highlights some examples.
cultural gap
Any significant disparity in world views, values, and expectations that exists between a teacher (or the school culture as a whole) and their students.
| Culturally Sustaining Practice | Examples |
|---|---|
| Respect family preferences and values |
|
| Proactively address logistics |
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| Ensure language access |
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| Build natural support networks |
|
Information and Support
The transition period represents not only a time of change for students but also a significant adjustment for families. Even those who have participated in their child’s IEP meetings for many years might find the new processes involved in transition planning to be confusing or overwhelming. Moreover, families may not understand how the services and supports their child has received under IDEA differ from those that may be available to them as an adult. Educators can help equip families with the knowledge and skills to support their child’s transition by:
- Providing information on the transition planning process before the student reaches the mandatory age for planning to begin
- Encouraging family members to support their child’s self-determination through activities such as:
- Helping their child understand their disability and related needs
- Giving their child increasing opportunities to assume more responsibilities at home
- Allowing their child to gradually make more independent decisions
- Acknowledging family members’ concerns and questions and following up with additional resources
- Offering information or materials on relevant services for adults with disabilities
- Connecting families with the local Parent Training and Information (PTI) Center or other organizations for additional information, trainings, and support
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Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers
Federally funded organizations tasked with meeting the training and information needs of families of children with disabilities (birth to 26); according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), each state must have at least one PTI.
Educators can further support families in holding high expectations for their children. When families believe that their child will find a job, attend college, or live independently, it is more likely they will do so.
These interviews highlight the importance of collaboration among families and school personnel. First, Bettie Ray Butler shares examples of how families from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds can contribute to the transition process. Next, Myriam Alizo discusses barriers these families might encounter throughout the transition process and offers advice on how educators can assist.
Bettie Ray Butler, PhD
Professor of Urban Education
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Content Specialist, NTACT:C
(time: 3:08)
Myriam Alizo
Associate Director, Center for Parent Information and Resources
Assistant Project Director, RAISE Center
Bilingual Family Centered Services TA Specialist/Coach, NE-PACT
(time: 2:12)
Bettie Ray Butler, PhD
The types of unique contributions that families might contribute to the transition process, if we’re looking at education specifically, there may be a desire for their youth to attend a HBCU (historically black college or university) for the cultural experience, for participation in the marching band, just unique attributes that the HBCU experience offers that traditionally is not found in other types of institutions. It’s an experience. It’s access to certain fraternities and sororities for that social integration. So that may be something that is expressed during the transition meetings by the families, and particularly from the youth, where they’re sharing what they desire to do in an educational context. As far as employment, it’s important to listen to what the youth wants to do, and it may not necessarily always align with the expectations of those educators that have participated in the transition team. An example of the unique contributions that may be offered from an employment standpoint may be opening up one’s own business following graduation. And how does that happen? What are the steps that the youth and their families and parents need to take to ensure that this business opens and is successful from the perspective that the youth provides? And maybe the youth wants to open up their own business in their own community. And so it’s important to maintain those high expectations, not to water down what the youth suggests that they need or what they desire or want based on what educators believe the student or youth is capable of doing. And for independent living—because most families, especially those from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds are situated in communities where they have built strong community ties—the youth may be familiar with their neighbors, they may attend a church that is housed within the community, they may volunteer at a community rec center. And it’s important when asking about independent living where the youth wants to live. And it could be very well that they decide to stay within that community based on the ties and the connections and the familial sense that they have within their own community. It’s important to always lean into the family to understand what these unique contributions may be as it relates to employment, education, and adult living and independent placement.
Transcript: Myriam Alizo
Secondary transition is very challenging for students with disabilities and their families. I’ve seen so many barriers for the families, especially those families who might not have English as a primary language at home. They might not feel comfortable writing a letter to the IEP team requesting a change in the program because they don’t feel comfortable with the language or the technology. So these families might need some guidance. So one opportunity for teachers is they can connect these families with the parent centers in the communities. There is at least one center in every state. It’s not only the language, it’s also the culture. There are so many things that are happening in the family that it’s the dynamics of the family, the traditions, the cultural backgrounds, the country where they came from. What they have in mind for transition might be totally different than what the team has in mind for the student. Educators need to understand where the family comes from, because for some family it’s really important.
When I was growing up in Latin America, in my house, different generations coexisted. So we live with my grandparents in the same house, with the siblings. And when Veronica was growing up in our household with Veronica’s sister, my mother was living with us too. It’s not an uncommon thing that grandparents or even cousins live with the family, and that’s something that many families are practicing in the United States. So it’s very scary if a student hears, “You have to move out.” So maybe you want to move out, but you don’t have to. Veronica has many friends who move out, and they live alone. Some live with another roommate, some live with their parents, so it depends. It’s important for them to know that there are many options. There are many ways to do transition. It’s important to meet the families where they are, try to understand where they are, and give them a chance to say what they need to say. And it’s important for the families to be able to feel free to speak at a meeting in the school.
For Your Information
Once a student reaches the age of majority in their state, typically age 18, all legal rights for making informed decisions (e.g., consent to release information, medical treatment, financial arrangements, housing) transfer to the student. The IEP team must notify the student and their parents of the approaching transfer of rights at least one year in advance.
age of majority
Age at which an individual is considered an adult and legal rights are transferred to them; in most states, the age of majority is 18.
Historically, educators and families have often assumed that some students with disabilities are not competent to make their own decisions when they reach adulthood. As a result, these families may have pursued a legal process to assume guardianship of their adult child. However, educators and families alike should be aware of alternatives to guardianship (e.g., power of attorney, supported decision-making) that allow young adults with disabilities to exercise self-determination and take a lead role in making decisions about their own lives with appropriate support.
guardianship
A legal authority that grants one person the right to make decisions for another.
supported decision-making
A process through which adults with disabilities retain their decision-making ability by selecting trusted advisors (e.g., friends, family members, professionals) to help them make choices.
Returning to the Challenge
Learn about strategies that Carly’s and Omar’s IEP teams used to facilitate family engagement.
Initially, Carly’s parents indicated that they had not discussed her future in much detail, and they seemed to hold different expectations than Carly for her adult life. When scheduling Carly’s IEP meeting, the special education teacher communicates with Carly’s parents to identify a convenient time when both parents can attend. Her teacher begins the meeting by inviting Carly to share her aspirations, which include living on her own and going to community college. When Carly’s parents express concerns about her ability to do so, the teacher acknowledges their concerns and asks them to share their vision for her future. Together, the team brainstorms a list of supports that could help build Carly’s self-determination and independent living skills, and the teacher encourages Carly’s parents to consider the types of supporting roles they could play in her adult life. Additionally, the teacher provides contact information for the local PTI Center so they can access trainings for parents of children with disabilities.
Although Omar’s family is supportive of his education, they tend to be reserved in their interactions with the school. Both Omar’s father and uncle attend most IEP meetings, but they usually defer to the opinions of school professionals. Even so, Omar’s IEP team continues to make concerted efforts to engage his family in the transition planning process, recognizing their crucial role in supporting his goals. Because Omar’s family has expressed a preference for communicating in their native language, school personnel provide all information in this language and ensure that an interpreter is present for all meetings and phone calls. The team regularly sends home progress updates and asks for feedback from Omar’s family on his transition plan and his overall education.
For more information on family engagement, view the IRIS Module:
