Secondary Transition: Helping Students with Disabilities Plan for Postsecondary Settings

Assessment

Take some time now to answer the following questions. Please note that the IRIS Center does not collect your Assessment responses. If this is a course assignment, you should turn them in to your professor using whatever method they require. If you have difficulty responding, go back and review the Perspectives & Resources pages in this module.

1. Transition planning is required for students who receive special education services.
   1. Define transition planning.
   2. List at least two reasons why this process is important for students with disabilities.
2. Rahul, a high school sophomore, plans to attend a four-year university to study computer science and work in software development. As part of Rahul’s transition programming, his team develops an Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) based on his strengths, interests, and preferences.
   1. List at least three things Rahul’s IEP team should consider when collecting transition assessment data for his ITP?
   2. List at least two ways Rahul’s team can promote self-determination and encourage his participation throughout the IEP meeting process?
3. Mila, a freshman in high school, wants to pursue the postsecondary goals of living in her own apartment and working in a coffee shop.
   1. Mila’s transition team will implement effective instructional strategies to support her development throughout transition planning. Identify at least one instructional strategy they might use to help Mila develop skills to reach one of her goals. Justify your reasoning for choosing this instructional strategy.
   2. Mila’s special education teacher understands that interagency collaboration can support Mila’s transition to postsecondary life, but as a new teacher, she is unsure how to establish and maintain these relationships. How might you clearly explain the process for establishing interagency collaboration to Mila’s teacher? Make sure to include all four steps in your explanation.
   3. Mila’s family is very supportive of her postsecondary aspirations, but they often remain in the background of the transition planning process due to linguistic and cultural differences. What is a culturally sustaining practice Mila’s transition team can use to reduce barriers and encourage her family’s participation? Justify your reasoning for choosing this practice.
4. Program structure refers to the building blocks that must be in place for schools and districts to implement transition planning successfully. If you are currently teaching, which aspect of program structure do you think your school is excelling in? If you are not teaching, what aspect of program structure do you think is most important for a school to excel in? Justify your response.