Youth to Adult Transition Issues

Major life changes such as going to or from a school environment are a crucial issue for members of many advocacy groups. Here are some resources that may help individuals negotiate these changes.

PEATC (Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center)

PEATC is Virginia's Parent Training Institute and Parent Information Resource Center. I work specifically with our RSA (Rehabilitation Services Administration) grant on Transitions, building a foundation of resources and trainings around the process of transitioning students with special needs from high school to "life." (including the four major areas of employment, post-secondary ed, training, independent living skills-where appropriate)

PEATC in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University's Rehabilitation Research and Training Center has developed a FREE three part webinar series devoted to laying the foundations of understanding in the transition process for students with disabilities, their families, educators and adult service providers. While PEATC is Virginia's PTI and PIRC, the transition information is based upon IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and can be transferable/useful across the US. The webinars have rolling registration, will stream on March 3, 10, 17 at 2pm EST. You may access the archived material at [1].

Knowing genetic condition and learning disability went hand in hand with our daughter, my hope is for you to pass along this information to families within your organizations and other service providers who may benefit from this free information. Please see attachments for full webinar details and registration.

-Catherine Burzio

PEATC also offers an IEP Checklist iPhone app. School aged students with disabilities are provided an Individualized Education Program (IEP) designed to support their unique educational needs. The IEP Checklist App helps parents of students with special needs become better-informed advocates by making IEP information easier to access. The newest version of the app has active links to the relevant language in the federal regulations; allows users to record the IEP meeting or record notes; and has the capacity to print out notes and click on a checklist as requested items are discussed.

Transition Resources

• Autism Speaks Transition Tool Kit is a free online tool that serves as a guide to assist families on the journey from adolescence to adulthood and includes sections on self-advocacy, community living, post-secondary educational opportunities, housing, and internet & technology. It also describes specific timelines of the transition processes for each state. Families of adolescents and young adults with autism between the ages of 14 and 22 can request a complementary hard copy here.

• The Family Information Guide to Assistive Technology and Transition Planning is now available free of charge from the Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD). The FCTD is a national organization that produces and distributes information on assistive and instructional technologies. Assistive technology can be anything from a simple device to make holding a pencil easier to a sophisticated computer. This 50-page guide is aimed at providing families with the information they need to effectively prepare for and participate in periods of transition in their children's lives and includes sections on Assistive Technology, Transition Planning, Laws governing accommodations in school settings, and a Glossary of assistive technology terms and resources. Order a free copy here.

• Making the Move to Managing Your Own Personal Assistance Services (PAS): A Toolkit for Youth Transitioning to Adulthood - Through its Youth Technical Assistance Center, the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability-Youth (ODEP) is releasing Making the Move to Managing Your Own Personal Assistance Services (PAS): A Toolkit for Youth Transitioning to Adulthood. Whether moving from school or a home setting to work, college, or living on their own, transition-age youth with significant disabilities and their families or friends will benefit from the information in the toolkit. Accessing and maintaining long-term supports, such as PAS, has been a significant barrier to employment for youth with disabilities. This new toolkit assists youth in strengthening some of the most fundamental skills essential for successfully managing their own PAS: effective communication, time-management, working with others, and establishing professional relationships.

• The National Health Care Transition Center works to assure that youth with/without special health care needs receive care in a medical home that provides family-centered/youth activated transition preparation, planned transfers from pediatric to adult health care and respectful partnerships

• UNH Institute on Disability hosted the 2010 Research to Practice Series: The Pathway from High School to a Career: Promising Strategies, Supports, and Partnerships in Secondary Transition in April and May of 2010. The series focused on several unique strategies for developing effective, outcome-based educational experiences that promote the successful transition of students with disabilities and students at risk to their chosen post-secondary experiences. The sessions featured distinct content and objectives, including student-directed models support the development of career goals, sector-based strategies that link high school programs to employers and post-secondary education, ways to use assistive technology to improve educational and employment outcomes, and a school-wide framework that allows educators, parents, and students to utilize the emphasized high school reform. The individual workshops were entitled: Assistive Technology and Transition and High School is Transition: A Framework for Reform that Allows Schools to Educate All Students.

• Video on Staying Healthy for Youth in Transition - This video explains to young people with medical conditions or disabilities the importance of taking care of their health as they transition into adulthood and take responsibility for themselves. Includes information on taking medicines, talking with doctors, carrying an emergency health information card, keeping a health care notebook, paying for health care, going to college and planning for accommodations, eating the right foods, exercising and more.

Resources Created for Youth by Youth

National Kids As Self Advocates (KASA) is pleased to announce three new articles and six new youth written and peer-reviewed tip-sheets. KASA is also pleased to offer a toolkit for students, school administration and paraprofessionals (one-on-one aides in the classroom) on creating a good working relationship with a paraprofessional.

Find KASA Articles at: http://fvkasa.org/reports/index.php

Find youth written and peer-reviewed tip-sheets at: http://fvkasa.org/resources/index.php

Or stay current with what’s new at: http://fvkasa.org/about/whatsnew.php

Order the Paraprofessional Toolkit or watch the Webinar/Teleconference sharing about the toolkit on KASA’s main page at: http://www.fvkasa.org

NEW Articles:

• Bryan's Odyssey: The Story of a Journey by Bryan Dooley
• Using Interdependence by Micah Fialka-Feldman
• My Story About Surviving A Hospital Stay by Sunjay Smith

NEW Youth Created Tip-sheets:

• Awareness Through Networking

This tip sheet will give you advice on how to network, or connect with new people, so that you can teach them about and make them more comfortable with your disability. The more people know about disabilities as a whole, the more disability awareness is spread.

• Tips For Surviving Your Freshman Year of College

The transition from high school to college can be hard but fun. In college you have a lot more responsibility to make sure you get what you need. This tip sheet shares what you need to know to survive (and have fun) in your first year of college.

• Disability Pride: What is it? How can we express it?

Disability Pride is an important part of advocacy. Wondering how you can have Disability Pride? Read this to learn about the three parts of disability pride; acceptance, community and history and ways to show your pride.

• What is a Center for Independent Living?

Check out this info sheet to learn more about what CILs do and the many ways they can help you.

• Getting Involved in Doing Community Service

Check out this tip-sheet for tips, stories and resources about how you can volunteer in your community.

• Funding Higher Education

Whether you are in grammar school and the word “college” isn’t even in your vocabulary or in high school preparing for college, it is never too late (or too early) to start looking for funds. “Where do I start?” you may wonder. There are many resources available. Check out this tip sheet for ideas and resources on funding college.

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