Secondary Transition: Helping Students with Disabilities Plan for Post-High School 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 he or she requires. If you have trouble answering any of the questions, go back and review the Perspectives & Resources pages in this module.

1. What is secondary transition? Why is it important for school personnel to help students plan for post-school transitions?
2. List and describe the five components of the Taxonomy for Transition Programming.
3. Explain why self-determination is important for students with disabilities.
4. Jessica is a rising ninth-grade student who has a physical and intellectual disability and uses a wheelchair. Imagine you are Jessica’s general education teacher and a member of her IEP team. As part of her annual review meeting, Jessica and her team discuss her post-secondary plans. Following is some of the information the team learns during the meeting.

Strengths:

 

• Capable student who works hard to get passing grades
• Loves the computer and catches on quickly to games and computer programs

 

Short-term goals:

 

• Ride the school bus to and from school (currently, parents transport her)
• Spend more time with friends

 

Post-school goals:

 

• Get a job in a hospital or somewhere she can help sick people (as long as she doesn’t have to read much)
• Live on her own or with a roommate

 

Areas of need:

 

• Doesn’t like to read and often doesn’t remember things she does read

 

Additional information: Her parents state that she has never talked with them about her post-school goals, and they always assumed she would live with them.

For each of the components of the Taxonomy for Transition Programming, recommend one or two actions you as the teacher can take to help Jessica reach her goals. Explain your responses.