Who are the essential partners in this process?
Page 5: Other Agencies and Organizations
In addition to VR, numerous other agencies and organizations can be involved in supporting transition-aged students with disabilities. Their services can assist students as they pursue goals in all three postsecondary areas: education and training, employment, and community engagement and independent living. When interagency collaboration functions effectively, representatives of these agencies communicate regularly with the transition coordinator or other school personnel to coordinate school- and community-based services. Although not exhaustive, the graphic below displays many individuals, organizations, and agencies that might be a part of such a network. Explore the sections below to learn more about many of these agencies and how they can be involved in transition planning.
Several interlocking gears of various sizes featuring examples of interagency collaborators. The largest gear in the center is labeled Student and Family. It extends to slightly smaller gears, including Centers for Independent Living, Disability-Related Organizations, Vocational Rehabilitation, and School Personnel. These gears extend to smaller gears, such as Advocacy Organizations; Postsecondary Education Institutions; Transportation Organizations; Informal Support; Department of Health; Social Security Administration; Community Organizations; and Potential Employers, Businesses.
Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are community-based, cross-disability organizations that are run by and for people with disabilities. Their goal is to enable adults with disabilities to live independently and be fully integrated into their communities. For transition-aged youth with disabilities, they offer services such as mentoring programs, support groups, self-advocacy trainings, help with using public transportation, and assistance with finding housing options.
For students planning to pursue postsecondary education (e.g., community college, college or university), the institution’s disability services office is a key resource for support. Although postsecondary institutions are not bound by IDEA and do not provide special education services, they are required by law (i.e., Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, ADA) to ensure equal access and opportunity. Disability services offices help students with documented disabilities access their education by determining and ensuring the provision of appropriate accommodations and supports. They might also assist students in developing the skills necessary to reach their career and independent living goals.
accommodation
glossary
Did You Know?
Many colleges and universities now offer inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs designed for students with an intellectual disability (ID). There are currently more than 350 of these programs across the United States, which offer students with ID opportunities such as:
inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE)
glossary
intellectual disability
glossary
modification
glossary
- Taking college courses that support their career goals, with accommodations and modifications as needed
- Taking specially designed courses related to independent living skills, career development, vocational skills, and life skills
- Living in residence halls or off-campus apartments to experience independent living and community integration
- Pursuing paid or unpaid internships to prepare for future employment opportunities
- Participating in other aspects of college life, such as student organizations and sporting events
Program lengths vary from one to four years. Generally, students might receive a certificate rather than a college degree when they complete the program.
Clare Papay of Think College, a national organization dedicated to improving higher education options for students with ID, explains the importance of college options for these students and further describes the structure and offerings of IPSE programs (time: 3:11).
Transcript: Clare Papay, PhD
For students with intellectual disability in particular, it takes a whole network of people to support their transition to adult life. And having all of those people on the same page is really important. So, at Think College, one of our goals is to make sure that anyone that’s involved in that transition process is aware of college as an option for any student with an intellectual disability who wants to pursue that in their pathway to adult life. So often we have limited expectations for individuals with intellectual disability, and so we don’t think that college is somewhere that they might be headed to after high school. And so it’s not even on the table as something that we talk about and that we consider writing into a transition plan. It’s not going to be right for everyone, but it should be something that is considered.
And there are many colleges and universities now that have dedicated programs that can support students with intellectual disability who want to pursue higher education. So we see them at community colleges and career and technical education schools, but we also see them at four-year universities as well. Many times students are nondegree seeking, meaning they’re not pursuing bachelor’s degree, but they might be starting by pursuing a certificate or an industry-recognized credential. And that’s the first place where they might enter that college or university. Although we have heard of students who have gone on further and have continued their education, even as far as earning a bachelor’s degree. These college programs vary in length. Some of them are one year, some two years, some of them are four years. There are different credentials and different levels of inclusion.
What students are doing when they’re enrolling in these college programs is things like taking college courses, of course. But for students with intellectual disability, we’re often looking at enrolling in college courses, perhaps for audit. So there’s a conversation around whether they take a college course for credit or whether audit is the way that might work best for them. Auditing a college course means that they’re able to access the same content as other students in that class, but there can be some flexibility in terms of the requirements and the grading. There’s often a lot of extra academic support provided, whether that is peer support in the class or outside the class through coaching. Many programs also offer career-related activities such as internships, work study, paid employment, service learning, all those things that happen on a college campus. And then of course at a college or university, there’s lots of social experiences, all of those campus life things, student organizations, student governance, sporting events. Those are all things that students are able to access, which, again, helps them build their social skills and also build their connections as well with peers who can become friends as they move into adulthood. So it’s really a great place for students to learn how to live independently, but also interdependently, with their peers.
Transition-aged students might benefit from access to assistive technology (AT) in the workplace, in postsecondary educational settings, or to support independent daily living. AT centers provide services to help people with disabilities learn about, try, and acquire AT to meet their needs. These centers offer device demonstrations, short-term loans, and device refurbishment and reuse programs. They also provide training, technical assistance, information and referral, and public awareness of AT.
assistive technology (AT)
glossary
The Social Security Administration (SSA) houses federal programs tasked with providing benefits to individuals with disabilities who meet established criteria. Local offices across the country provide financial assistance through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program to help people with disabilities with limited income and resources meet their basic needs (e.g., food, housing, clothing). Additionally, SSI recipients are often automatically eligible for medical coverage through Medicaid.
Mobility management organizations work to connect individuals with disabilities with accessible and efficient transportation options in their communities. These organizations employ professionals who are knowledgeable about the many transportation resources available in a community (e.g., public transit systems, travel training programs, volunteer driver programs, ride-sharing services). These organizations can help individuals with disabilities coordinate their transportation to postsecondary education or training environments, the workplace, and other community settings (e.g., grocery store, church, gym).
For Your Information
- Although the agencies described on this page exist nationwide, specific organization names and structures vary by state. Local agencies can be identified by searching for the primary service needed (e.g., assistive technology, mobility management) paired with the city or state.
- Typically, an individual must meet certain eligibility requirements to receive adult disability services. These requirements vary across agencies and sometimes entail a lengthy application process and waiting period. Therefore, the transition process should begin as early as possible to maintain continuity of services.
Karen Gross illustrates the range of agencies and organizations available to support the transition of students with disabilities with examples from her own state and community (time: 3:22).
Transcript: Karen Gross, EdD
Interagency collaboration is essential for the success of many students. School districts should be utilizing the resources that agencies provide for students. I think that there has to be a knowledge base on these agencies and the services that they provide. So for example, in the state I currently work in, Access VR is the agency that works toward employment. Back in the day, a lot of the resources were after the student graduated, and now they’re realizing that one of the predictors for postsecondary outcomes success is employment while students are in school, so they’re providing a lot more opportunities. There are on-the-job training programs. Students can actually go and have an extensive evaluation, which gives information to career counselors so that they can assist students with disabilities. And then it provides them a connection, working on those resume skills, job training, cover letters, and looking for a job. For some of our students with intellectual disabilities, we have the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, and that works with students more long term. So it is community habilitation, respite services, residential, recreational, educational, supported employment.
To collaborate directly with the community organizations is very important as well. For example, we have a local agency that works on citizenship, workforce development, has a food pantry, has a thrift store. Connecting that with the school to have students go there to volunteer or to learn job skills is important. And that brings a connection to the community and the culture of responsiveness. Also, we have students that partnered up with a T-shirt design apparel company, and students go there and learn how to do graphic design. They made the shirts, they printed them, and then we use them for our breast cancer awareness walk so our students were able to actually see the staff and the community wearing what they made. They’re learning transferable skills. They’re learning natural supports when they go out into the community. They’re learning about real life, what their interests are, gaining experience, learning some social skills, learning that independence, and providing products at the end when they’re going out into the community.
As far as college or secondary education, we have a lot of college tours and a lot of college visits. We actually had students go to the disability service office. Not only did we have them do that, we also had them bring the documents. They asked questions. They got to meet their disability counselor at the office. To have that connection and that collaboration with the community and with these institutions is really important.
Another example, we are now one of the first in the state that has an apprenticeship or a teacher assistant program. So the goal is to have students in school be able to start off working in the school, going into the classrooms, and then go into an apprenticeship right in the district after they graduate or exit school. So these are different examples where you can bring together the community for the success of students.
Returning to the Challenge
Willow and Thomas each require a unique set of services and supports to reach their postsecondary transition goals. Their IEP teams will engage with different agencies and organizations to support these goals.
Willow
Willow hopes to attend an IPSE program at a local college. She will need to be prepared to take courses with accommodations, live with a roommate, and navigate campus independently. Some of the agency partners involved in her transition planning include:
- Social Security Administration – to determine Willow’s eligibility for financial assistance as an adult with an intellectual disability
- University disability services office – to assist with admissions requirements for the IPSE program
- Mobility management organization – to help Willow become knowledgeable and comfortable with the local public transit system
Thomas
Thomas wants to live independently in his own apartment, whether he decides to go to college or get a job after high school. Some of the agency partners involved in his transition planning include:
- Center for Independent Living – to assess Thomas’s independent living skills and determine which supports he might need throughout the day
- Assistive technology center – to help Thomas try out and acquire appropriate AT devices to support his ability to live independently
Activity
Jocelyn’s secondary transition goal is to pursue a culinary career. Although she currently works part-time preparing food and busing tables at a small restaurant near her school, she has not had any formal culinary training. Which agency is most likely to be involved in Jocelyn’s transition planning process?
Community college or training program disability services office
fb
|
|
Assistive technology center
fb
|
|
Social Security Administration
fb
|
Jocelyn
For additional information about content discussed on this page, review the following resources. Please note that these resources are not required readings to complete this module. Links to these resources can be found in the Additional Resources tab on the References, Additional Resources, and Credits page. Think CollegeThink College is a national organization dedicated to improving higher education options for students with intellectual disabilities. The organization provides resources, technical assistance, and training, as well as a directory of college programs for students with intellectual disability across the United States. National Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance and Training (AT3) CenterThe AT3 Center provides training and technical assistance for AT centers and makes general AT information available to the public. The website includes a list of AT centers by state or territory. Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility Technical Assistance Center (CCAM-TAC)The CCAM-TAC is a national technical assistance center that works to improve transportation access for people with disabilities, older adults, and individuals of low income. Disability Information & Access Locator (DIAL)A public service of the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the DIAL website includes a searchable database of state and local community organizations that support independent living. |
