Transition Services Transition Education Assessment

Transition Services Transition Education Assessment One of the purposes of an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is to help students begin to think of where they may want to work and live three to five years following high school. When students with disabilities leave special education the school no longer provides services, however assistance may be provided by several different agencies serving adults. There are five areas of transition to be considered: employment, independent living, community participation, post secondary training and adult service connections.

The transition team helps the student to develop short-term goals in each of these areas that directly relate to the students' long-term goals. Part of the process is helping decide if their long-term goals are attainable or desired. This provides students with an opportunity to alter their goals or to reach their goals through careful planning. Specifically, the IDEA requires transition objectives to be addressed at the age of 14 and 16. By age 14, all IEPs must begin to include the student's post school goals and appropriate transition services should be identified.

By age 16, the needed transition services must be implemented. The initial transition plan generally focuses on the student's course of study, until age 16. At that time more extensive community connections are coordinated (Transition Services, NDI). History and Legislation Transition services for students with disabilities were addressed for the first time in the 1990 amendment to the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). The reauthorization of IDEA, in 2004, included requirements to design and obtain measurable transition goals that articulate the intended post-graduation achievements of the student.

The transition plan is required to include education and employment goals. In the 2004 reauthorization of the IDEA, Congress wrote: "The federal government has an ongoing obligation to support activities that contribute to positive results for children with disabilities, allowing those children to lead productive and independent adult lives" (PL 108-446). This requirement went into effect July 1, 2005. (Transition Services, NDI). Assessments Transitional assessments address the preferences, strengths, interests and course of study based on the student's present levels of performance and age appropriateness.

These assessments include an evaluation of the student's skills and interests related to education, employment, training, and independent living skills and should be conducted in conjunction with the development of the transition components. The initial transition assessment may be prior to the eighth grade and could occur when a re-evaluation consideration is conducted. Furthermore, assessment should be ongoing and fluid. Assessment tools must be used that clearly describe a child's strengths and weaknesses and document a child's interests.